Chapman Guitars

Evildurka

I have had three chapman's and all were excellent. Yes I no longer own one but the ml-1 bea and ml3-RC that I had certainly had something special about them. The ml-2 was also excellent but I didn't quite get on with the neck.

In all 3 cases the guitars moved on when I went out and bought more expensive guitars. In fact my ml-1 and ml-2 went when I picked up a PRS Tremonti which I then sold and my ml-3 went along with a Jim root strat when I picked up Custom 24 which has also sold. 

I would deffo own another Chapman and I'm looking forward to seeing how much the ml-3 baritone is going to cost when it comes out I'm hoping it will stop me wanting a 7 string!

peteri

I have only played one of the early ML-2.

For my take they're exactly what they set out to be, a reasonably budget guitar - kind of like the PRS SE range, if I can use the phrase 'second guitar'. Meaning you've had the 99 quid one and want to upgrade.

Similarly be pretty good to keep next to the drums as a spare.

I wouldn't get one personally, because I'm not their market - and also for some of the reasons here, I just don't like not having fret markers for example.

Also I think you have a smaller resale market because the name isn't well known, and that may bother some.

The only problem I have with the whole brand is when they get carried away and claim they're something that they're not - but that seems to have stopped in recent times.

I don't like the Chappers brand, but in fairness - he got me back into guitar playing with his early Youtube stuff, which was a breath of fresh air - and he's living the dream, much more than I am commuting to work!

Bridgehouse

Funny how people bemoan the guitar industry for making the same stuff all the time - 50 year old designs etc..

Someone comes along and does something (very slightly) differently, and rather than being lauded, it gets quite a 'meh' reaction.

Good for him I say. They look decent for the money. Lee is a savvy businessman and runs a good shop - I doubt he would back anything not up to scratch

Flink_Poyd

digitalscream

Interesting. Wonder how cheap the Standard range is, relative to the current ones...I could potentially see myself getting one of the maple-fretboard SSS Strat-alikes, if they're cheap enough.

MikeB

From the Chapman forum. The Std (built in Indonesia) will be £400 with the pro around £850 (made in Korea at wmi)  Pro will have  better hardware etc as well as stainless steel frets. 

Caffeined

They clearly listen, as they are putting fret inlays in on some guitars too.

Teetonetal

29 new guitars. Lots of good changes. Interesting development.

digitalscream

MikeB said:

From the Chapman forum. The Std (built in Indonesia) will be £400 with the pro around £850 (made in Korea at wmi)  Pro will have  better hardware etc as well as stainless steel frets. 

Hmmmm. That makes the Indonesian ones more expensive than the second run of ML-1s and ML-2s. Bit less attractive, that...although I'd guess that the exchange rate has a fair amount of influence there.

andyp

All issues aside, that's an impressive announcement! Very impressive. He looked immensely proud in that video and you have to hand it to them for actually taking feedback onboard.

Lots of companies (in all industries) say they do, but how many actually do listen?

digitalscream

Hmmm. £750 - £1100? At the upper end of that, you can get the lower models in hand-made UK guitar ranges (my Jaden Rose Series 2, for example, was £899).

I might've considered the Standard range (still expensive for Indonesian-made guitars), but for the fact that they're all ridiculously shiny. Hate that.

Also...same price in dollars as GBP? It's not really forgivable for a British company to have their products cost 20% more in their own country after the exchange rate, in my opinion. I understand why it might be that way, but still...it's a "nope" for me.

dindude

digitalscream said:

Hmmm. £750 - £1100? At the upper end of that, you can get the lower models in hand-made UK guitar ranges (my Jaden Rose Series 2, for example, was £899).

I might've considered the Standard range (still expensive for Indonesian-made guitars), but for the fact that they're all ridiculously shiny. Hate that.

Also...same price in dollars as GBP? It's not really forgivable for a British company to have their products cost 20% more in their own country after the exchange rate, in my opinion. I understand why it might be that way, but still...it's a "nope" for me.

Unfortunately I think that's the new natural order of things: Korean made guitars are now in the £700-£1000 mark, anything cheaper is Chinese or Indonesian. American made guitars (Gibson notwithstanding) are £1200 plus. I reckon there is so little money in guitars and with the rising costs a lot of manufacturers are seemingly readjusting (correcting?) their prices whilst launching new models with some added specs to soften the blow.

TimmyO

Watching the vid on the Andertons channel now.

I have to say, the Pro series guitars look fantastic (marmite headstock and 12th fret inlay aside) 

Colour me surprised 

Evildurka

Well I really want a baritone so will either get the regular or save pennies and get the bea. I'm thinking a set of Tremonti pickups in the standard would be good.

LoFi

digitalscream said:

Also...same price in dollars as GBP? It's not really forgivable for a British company to have their products cost 20% more in their own country after the exchange rate, in my opinion. I understand why it might be that way, but still...it's a "nope" for me.

Does the US price include sales tax?

the_jaffa

digitalscream said:

Also...same price in dollars as GBP? It's not really forgivable for a British company to have their products cost 20% more in their own country after the exchange rate, in my opinion. I understand why it might be that way, but still...it's a "nope" for me.

They're probably having to buy the guitars from the Far Eastern factories in dollars which means they'll be suffering from the exchange rate before they arrive here.

digitalscream

Funny thing is, I put the comment about 1:1 dollar:pound rate on the video, and Rob responded saying "It's not true, we don't, nothing to forgive", where Lee clearly says "750 to 1100, dollars and pounds". Left hand/right hand problem? I have no idea, because I pointed that out and he hasn't bothered responding...

notanon

Good luck to Chappers and the Captain Lee - fair play to them. I sold both of mine, the ML1 and ML2 - not the Chinese run. Is Jaden Rose still part of this project? Chappers and Lee seems to be the front men but as people probably know Jaden is also a key player in the early days still working with them?

Teetonetal

digitalscream said:

Funny thing is, I put the comment about 1:1 dollar:pound rate on the video, and Rob responded saying "It's not true, we don't, nothing to forgive", where Lee clearly says "750 to 1100, dollars and pounds". Left hand/right hand problem? I have no idea, because I pointed that out and he hasn't bothered responding...

Guess we will find out once prices for each model are actually released. I'd be really surprised if it turns out to be 1:1 pricing.

Jez6345789

I have to say love or hate them they are flying the flag for the UK as a brand and the latest move with the stuff they are proposing looks like they are going all in that is a lot models in two price tiers. 

With the indonesia move I imagine they are channelling  PRS SE they use World Guitars for the top tier and Indonesia for their entry level SE

I think  they are probably missing a trick in that Andertons are the only point of access in the UK as their are local music store that are not big box sellers that would love to sell Chapman