The Rob Chapman conundrum

Snags

On top of what Lee has said, I'm not sure how much is actual hate, and how much it's just that he's a relatively easy character to take the piss out of, has a style that some find irritating, is an Internet figure so "not a real boy" in some people's heads, and there's an element of people falling over each other to vent their own witticisms or annoyances that becomes an avalanche of toss.

I have no strong feelings at all. I'm sure he'd be fine to have a beer with, I can't complain about a childish sense of humour given some of the conversations I've taken part in with members here, There was a point at which some of his output felt (to me) like it had all got a bit solipsistic though, which probably contributes. 

Fair play though, he's doing his thing, and enough people like it for it to work for him. I'm sure he does his best to focus on that, not that a handful of people on a forum have to declare their dislike in a Pavlovian reaction every time they see his name. 

TeleMaster

I used to watch him but I kind of got bored of all the videos and unfortunately, him. I think overexposure is the word. He also has a sound to his soloing and I’m not that keen on it now that I’ve heard it a million times. Some of that stuff from that KDH video was a bit troubling. 

I’ve really just moved on from his videos and I don’t have a lot of interest in anything he does. I did see a recent music video in a forest with a fedora and it wasn’t for me.

He doesn’t seem like a bad guy at all though and I wish him the best. 

Sassafras

Don't know why we have these regular Chapman threads.
Is it boredom or trolling that prompts them?

Lewy

I think people’s negative views of him also come from
the fact that he’s presented himself as some very conflicting things. One minute he’s the whacky zany clown on the Andertons videos, then the clown wants you to see him as a serious guitar producer, then he’s putting himself out there as the intense brooding rocker (placing as many of his product as he can in one high production value but low creative merit video). People like authenticity.

He comes across like one of those people you meet in life sometimes that you can always tell is trying to grift something out of you.

EricTheWeary

When he had his stand at the Guitar Show Rob would do meet and greets then go outside and slather himself in anti bac hand gel. This seemed quite odd at the time but as we were in lockdown a month later in retrospect obviously a forward thinking guy. 

I have occasionally watched some of the Andertons videos and the laddish humour is awful but both Rob and Lee seem fine in other settings and have moved on. The problem with the internet being that you are often setting down your own mistakes for posterity, but then that applies to us all. 

Err, what was the question? 

TTBZ

hollywoodrox said:

He’s alright is Chappers I miss him on Anderson’s demos , his zany humour and knowledge 
  Him and the captain were a magical pairing .

  I like Kirk Hammett too , he really does seem such a nice enthusiastic guy 

I agree I much preferred Anderton's videos with Rob and Lee (plus Rabea for proper heavy stuff). I think now with Lee and Pete's playing its too similar in style so there's no contrast, and it's all one long video of nice beige inoffensive playing imo. Nothing for those of us who like to use all the gain

TimmyO

Serious question : what's the benefit in this thread, given it's a divisive topic and didn't start because of some new point, just a desire to rehash the old ones? 

Emp_Fab

Speaking as someone who only heard of Mr Chapman via this forum and have watched only a couple of Andertons videos with him in, my first impression - and it's a very strong one - is that he displays the behaviour of someone with Aspergers / ADHD / Whatever.  I'm no expert on syndromes.   I've met plenty of people with very similar behaviour and, yes, they can come across as annoying and insensitive but that's not what they're trying to be.  Bullying someone (even via words on a forum that they probably won't read) because they have a pattern of social interaction that is different to most others is pretty poor behaviour IMO.  I'm certain that were he to read many of the negative comments about himself, that would cause him pain - no matter how thick skinned he appears to be, and that, in my opinion is pretty shitty and juvenile behaviour.  To keep regurgitating the attacks because it's 'the popular thing to do' on The Fretboard is the domain of the arsehole.

BloodEagle

I genuinelly had no idea who he was until people started moaning about him on this forum and I still couldnt care less - he's wasnt on my radar then and he's not on my radar now. Ive got no interest in watching him, talking about him, listening to his music or saying how annoying he apparently is because he's not part of my world - same as that Rabea guy. I wonder how many other people have been told to think he's awful just because of this forum?

Redlester

Emp_Fab said:

Speaking as someone who only heard of Mr Chapman via this forum and have watched only a couple of Andertons videos with him in, my first impression - and it's a very strong one - is that he displays the behaviour of someone with Aspergers / ADHD / Whatever.  I'm no expert on syndromes.   I've met plenty of people with very similar behaviour and, yes, they can come across as annoying and insensitive but that's not what they're trying to be.  Bullying someone (even via words on a forum that they probably won't read) because they have a pattern of social interaction that is different to most others is pretty poor behaviour IMO.  I'm certain that were he to read many of the negative comments about himself, that would cause him pain - no matter how thick skinned he appears to be, and that, in my opinion is pretty shitty and juvenile behaviour.  To keep regurgitating the attacks because it's 'the popular thing to do' on The Fretboard is the domain of the arsehole.

@Emp_Fab I'm not sure that's a helpful contribution. There's a reason why healthcare professionals  don't diagnose on a remote, third party basis. Policies such as the Goldwater Rule exist for a very good reason. Please reconsider before making such comments in the future. 

FastEddie

I use the choice button.
I'm not a fan of his humour or his playing style so I don't watch his videos.

However, I did watch one of him recently walking around a port in Europe I think. He was explaining his career. Good luck to him. Seems like a chap who had the guts to follow a dream and has made a living from that.

That alone deserves credit. 

Gassage

Anyhow, does anyone have a view on Richard, from Richard's Guitars?

Caffeine_Vampire

As has been previously stated a lot of it is over-exposure, no-ones personality would survive the scrutiny Rob has subjected his to. He reminds me of a guitarist I used to know who divided opinion in exactly the same way. 

Bork

digitalscream said:

 then it started spiralling when he turned into someone who told you he was "Rob Chapman who owns Chapman Guitars" every couple of minutes in any given conversation. 

Andertons have a fifty percent stake in Chapman Guitars.  I'm not sure if failure to disclose that in the early days was a part of of the backlash but it explains the close tie up.  

I think some of his other errors of judgement come from a basic lack of experience in PR.  They're errors we could all make in his position.  Having said that,  the only vids I've seen are mostly about him going on and on about how grateful he is to be so successful.  ...which is possibly the same thing but humble bragging instead. 

darthed1981

Digitalscream gave a pretty excellent summary earlier of all the good reasons to think "negative" things of Chappers, but I still always try to think the best of people until I really can't, and nothing convinces me he is a bad guy.  I think he has an ego, but that is by no means unique to Rob.

Jealousy is a definite motivation behind a lot of online hate, including of Chappers.

Edit: just realised it isn't clear, but I like a lot of his work and own one of his guitars.  Watch back some of the old Andertons content, they used to have a lot of fun back when he was a regular.

beed84

He’s just a human being who loves guitar, is trying to do his best and made some mistakes along the way. Seems like a normal guy and quite like the rest of us tbh.

monquixote

His own videos seem to have massively dropped in views recently.

It will be interesting to see if his current batch of Andertons videos will prove popular or if his star has wained somewhat.

digitalscream

Emp_Fab said:

...my first impression - and it's a very strong one - is that he displays the behaviour of someone with Aspergers / ADHD / Whatever. 

Gotta say, this doesn't seem accurate to me at all. He hasn't displayed any of the traits common to any ND condition I know about, either in person or on camera, and my ND-radar has become pretty good these days...

GoldenEraGuitars

Without being rude about this I genuinely don’t understand the point of dredging this topic up again.

I know the essence of a forum is open discussion across a variety of topics but for me RC is on a shortlist with the following

Richards Guitars 
Peach 
Relics vs Non relic 
Gibson QC

We know, we get it, we’ve been there… multiple times. Surely the guitar world wasn’t that dry or boring enough in the last 24 hours that a topic from the shortlist had to be started? It never ends well.

Haych

Meh, not a particular fan of Mr Chapman.  I don't hate him but there's something about the persona he projects that I dislike, some kind of arrogance or self importance he seems possess which turns me off.

My first exposure to Rob was the Anderton's videos, he and "The Captain" are two peas in a pod as far as I'm concerned.

He's successful in his own right and godspeed to him for that, but he's a personality I choose to avoid.