Chapman Are Doing It Again
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- It's been a while since I last talked about Chapman Guitars but I thought I'd take a look at their new workshop series they've just released and compare it to the previous attempts at a British range.
Chapman Reverb (Reverb Affiliate Link)
reverb.grsm.io/Chapman
Timestamps
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0:00 Intro
0:23 1st Attempt
1:05 2nd Attempt
1:59 3rd Attempt (British Standard)
6:50 Bargin Bin
8:06 4th Attempt
9:35 The Workshop?
11:05 A Bold Move
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Is it just me, or has Chapman morphed into the James Corden of the guitar world?
🤣😂🤣😂 thanks s perfect! 😂🤣😂🤣😝😝😝
i have not watched anything in the chapman guitar world for about 5 years but always felt he was a bit of a bellend than was full of shit. now it seems my instinct was true.
Yup, the one that "we don't want to claim" is the sentiment.
Bingo
Bang on my friend. Odious. £3500 for a chapman?????!!!!!!
Give me a Gordon Smith every single f@cking time for £1700 max. Handmade in England beautiful finish, generally pleasant people to deal with (it appears)
idk what good i put out in the universe to deserve this but KDH shooting on chapman is one of my favorite things on the planet
Same, Chapman is a douche
Yeah. Rob is one of my least favorite people.
They are high-minded con artists, and the "grreetings, captain" has got to be the most lame and off-putting one-liners I can think of.
@@luckylicks3497"grreetings" is one of the main reasons i blocked andertons etc a long time ago. If he's got some sort of fanbase, that makes me lose faith in humanity.
@@fredriksvard2603 He has rarely been on Andertons for a while now.
The blue British ML-1 was mine. It was built by Jaden Rose along with one for Nick Johnston and Rob himself (who sold his own model as soon as I informed him that I was going to sell mine and terminate the relationship).
The guitar itself was fine but not better than any of the guitars that Jaden built under his own name. And that is where the problem lies - by "Chapmanising" guitars from Jaden Rose, Sims Custom, PJD or any other workshop, the guitar buyer loses out. They have to pay a substantially higher price and lose the experience of having a guitar built to their own specifications.
I feel it is a sneaky act to continually obscure the fact that these guitars are, and always have been built by workshops that buyers can also access directly. That doesn't gel with Lee's claims of impartiality and being on the side of his customers; I wonder if that is why he always looks so uncomfortable whenever he appears publicly with Rob nowadays.
I wish them the best but I implore anyone considering a British Chapman to also consider some of the other British brands available around (and even well below) the £3500 price point; Grays Guitars, Patrick James Eggle, PJD, Gordon Smith, Mike Smith Guitars to name but a few.
Shoot, even a Crimson guitar can be had for that price - and you could build it yourself!
Some really excellent analysis here. Like you, I’d never wish ill fortune on ANY venture in business or otherwise but I do sometimes wish that Rob Chapman gives *some* sort of consideration to how he comes across to the community who, after all are also his customers, focus groups, market research panels all rolled into one.
The worst and rock bottom being the juxtaposition of asking for cash for insurance and then buying that £5k guitar for the baby. He could (probably with justification) claim that the 2 were never related in terms of cash source but the tone-deafness of that sequence finished him off for many people.
I normally play ~$300-$400 import guitars, I tell all my friends that once I get the urge to go over $1,000 I am just going to a custom builder and getting EXACTLY what I want. At $3,500 I would expect to be heavily involved with the process like a tailor made suit. Thanks for sharing your story.
@@yurimodin7333 yes, that or you get something that is objectively hi quality with a long history of maintaining value. I.E. Ernie Ball MusicMan, Ibanez JEM or PIA, Custom Shop Fender..
But let's be honest, today's dollar isn't the same as yesterday's. Most hand built high spec Custom builds with exotic woods from an established and recognized luthier will cost between 5k-7k
There is absolutely nothing wrong buying a hi end production guitar, it just needs to have a history of holding its value - or be incredibly valuable to the person buying it and keeping it for life.
I REEEEEEAALLLLY want to play a PJ Eggle bad!!!
We are approaching the Chappening anniversary soon so this seems just in time for the big celebration
What was the Chappening (I'm pretty out of the loop)
@@Guitareben I think the last time KDH exposed him as a fraud and soiled his reputation.
I would venture to Guess that Mr Chapman soiled his own reputation just by his daily behavior,and it took the internet awhile to catch on before realizing the man was an egotistical bully
oh man i remmeber your video in support of KDH those years ago. Really helped lend credence to KDH's work. I'll put my hands up and admit i thought the first audio audit was a hit piece, but after seeing your work on it, i changed my mind about them
@@ritwikjs I thought Dovydas’s response video was balanced and excellent. Thoughtful and supportive - he let the two pieces speak for themselves and sadly, Mr Chapman’s “my truth” video seemed to reveal a very thin skin indeed. “My truth?” More like “my alternative facts”
That was some damn good investigative journalism. Nice work, dude.
This guy is always solid with his information, I respect that.
Chappers, the David Brent of the guitar world.
Nah the Captain is Brent, Chappers is Finchy
@@tompoynton Shorter, stubbier, and with a beard.
Nah, David Brent is actually likeable.
I don't agree with that in the workplace!
Hahaha bang on
This video has more views than the actual Chapman announcement video, it's crazy how far his channel has fallen view-wise. I remember back in the day he was pretty much the biggest guitar CZcamsr
ive found that most guitar youtubers are the most self serving, boasting, bragging, egomaniac showoffs on the planet. the commentary guys such as KDH are so much better
@@twanger644 cocaine is a powerful drug
@@tompoynton Correct.
rob chapmans appeal back in the day was his interactions with other people. he always seemed full of himself but in a way that put the spotlight on people around him too, not just himself. alot of that element is gone now, just like his hair
@@twanger644 Like who else?
I cannot believe this, I literally 20 minutes ago rewatched the Chapman audio audit. Funny how it works. Love your stuff man🤘🏻
Me too! I watched it last night for the first time in like 2 years, and then this pops up “5 minutes ago”
@@brendanm1245 this was probably uploaded yesterday but only set to go public today, so the algorithm started pushing the old audio audit...
@@richardharrold9736 I would be surprised if the algorithm is affected by videos that haven't been published yet, but that's just a guess.
@@martinemesguitar I've seen it happen quite recently with Tom Scott and the Tim Traveller both doing videos on a reaction ferry across a river in Switzerland, one is weeks old, the other about four years old, when the former was uploaded, about twenty-four hours earlier the algorithm started pushing the old one...
Me too.
KDH the equalizer of the YT guitar community.
More like the keemstar of the guitar community 💀
@@kebab_boi nah
@@kebab_boi keemstar more like Rob. A guy you love or "hate"
@@kebab_boi what how
@@Rex-golf_player810 his entire channel is all about canceling others from the guitar community, beef, drama, and on top of all of that he monetized his channel. Idk his entire ethic seems very cheap.
Basically if your entire channel depends on the defamation of other entities (just to make a quick buck) then that really shows what type of person you are.
Chapman didn’t have much business creating a guitar brand, all things considered. He was really just a glorified reviewer on YT. Sig model? Absolutely. Whole brand? Not a chance
He's also an average pro player at best.... that's no knock. It's just the truth.
And RC was in a band with Rabea. That must have dented RC's ego at least a little bit.
@@HarlanHarvey76 well he's not really a pro "player" is he?
@@josuastangl7140 pro is a term used loosely these days but yeah, he does make money playing so...
@@HarlanHarvey76 I also make money playing, but I wouldn't consider myself pro, as it wouldn't be enough for me to live off without my jobs on the side.
I consider Rob as a guitar company owner, who also plays guitar on the side and not the other way round, but I know what you mean.
I don't think he could sustainably live off playing guitar alone, not counting his CZcams channel, as that's more like a (affiliate-/) marketing business, selling for other (or his own) brands.
I was seriously thinking of purchasing a Chapman guitar. Thank you for bring things to light with this video and the one 3yrs ago which I just watched. Glad I didn’t make that mistake especially after seeing the quality of his guitars.
Heard the ones made overseas give you the best bang 4 your buck. As much shit as they get they make good affordable guitars that look great and sound great too. If you got money for their high-end stuff you're better off getting a kiesel or some like that. Frankly, chapmans better of focusing on the B4YB realm and stop the boutique guitar bs
I had a Chapman. It was a very pretty guitar and felt good to play. But recently hit some financial issues and it was the first guitar to go just to pay rent. And with thing's that @KDH pointed out previously I have soured on Rob. His sleaziness is so easy to see now. So it was easy to part with.
The worst thing about Chappers is that his sleaziness has been there all along, just tucked away and out of view under a very thin veneer of showmanship and the guise of being a decent human being…
sleazy -- lol look at your profile picture bruv lol hahaha you look a menace to children
@@JROD082384 I dont know what you are talking about you fucking weirdo
I’m surprised you manage to sell it , there’s been quite a few local
to me on sale for a long long time and nobody seems to buy them, even for very cheap compared to their retail price
Dude posted a video threatning someone and bragging that he wields a lot of power because he has so many followers.
I dont know how anyone could buy a Chapman given the shady relationship with the truth that Rob has..
Do you really think the fenders and Gibson's of the world are all squeaky clean companies? They're all filled with people just as - if not even more - shady that ostensibly have done far worse things than Rob.
I got a new Bea Paleblood as I could get it cheap, it’s a pretty decent baritone. No issues with it apart from the output Jack coming loose but that’s an easy fix.
But I definitely get why people have issues The the brand and the man behind it.
Glad I wasn’t the only one who raised an eyebrow when this was announced.
i looked like nancy Pelosi
I hated the way Rob Chapman would shred bully Lee of Anderton's when doing demos, indirectly mocking his playing ability. Lee has much more confidence in his playing of his demos with Pete Honore because Pete actually plays with him instead of putting him down.
Your first Chapman video was the first vid of yours I had ever watched, you have come a long way since than. You're killin'it🙌🤘🙌
Thanks for sharing brother, keep up the great work!
Stellar video! I, like many I'm sure, started out enjoying Rob's original videos in his music closet with PRS and Orange Amps. Oh, how the mighty have fallen... He knew how to manipulate the system, even back then. Gets free/cheap gear as an endorsed artist without ever really gigging? Bravo, Chappers! And God bless you, KDH, for standing up to the troll monster!
You didn't like his shit band Dorje?
@@bigassdummy46 hard no, good sir!!
@@bigassdummy46 i think the hilarious part of dorje was they were literally all solid musicians (especially Bea and Dave the bassist) in another instrumental only prog band called Toska, and Rob just sort of mushed himself in as an extra worse guitarist and shit vocalist and demanded they play trashy watered down prog/blues rock since thats basically all he knows, and changed their name to a buddhism reference to fit his holier than thou ness.
There's a fraudulent feel to this Chapman crap
I think maybe in those days. What must have been 10+ years ago. A lot of companies were trying to get their heads around the whole social media aspect of the internet and it just so happened that Chappers was trying to build a friendly character along with a community/brand by doing private guitar tuition and guitar tips videos and he was pretty adept at guitar. I think a lot of brands wanted to retain him as a product reviewer or a _"clinician"_ as I think thats what he did in the early days with his channel before the whole monkey lord and chapman guitars thing took him away from that. And he did quite a few guitar clinic sessions with the brands that endorsed him.
Free gear/endorsement to do guitar clinics and market/review their products. For a short period of time all their objectives aligned, Rob seemed a really nice guy to work with until he decided that he wanted to go do something else and be more than just an endorsee for those brands. Im not going to shit on him for having ambition. Its good to have ambition but I think his ego got the better of him as time went by and he found a way to make a lot of money and an empire based on lies and misleading people.
makes me think of the band Chappers was apart of well before Dorje with Dave Hollingworth, and a drummer with the nickname 'stick' -- Chappers was well into trying to make that band work but it just vanished overnight after doing a few gigs and then never spoken of again.
I actually found 'stick's' youtube channel not long ago (didnt know that he had one!) and left a comment asking what happened to the band and his dealings with chappers. I was very surprised to get a reply from him but he did reply but i cant for the life of me remember the name of his channel I think a lot of his old content was drum tuition videos. Seemed a really solid guy, A lot of time is just looking after his kids now.
The problem with lies is they will eventually come back to haunt you. Its taken a while for it to happen but his brand and character he built over the last decade is slowing falling apart.
I don't think Chapman guitars ever recovered from your original audio audit, and by that I mean Rob.
He literally left the country. Lmao
@@AWMJoeyjoejoe Yea he's never been the same since it's obvious
@@joeschmoe6720 It must have hurt for someone with an ego that large to get such a public shaming. Just for the record I have zero sympathy.
@@AWMJoeyjoejoe Oh definitely his ego couldn't handle it. I think it crushed his soul. No sympathy from me either KDH did exactly what needed to be done.
@@joeschmoe6720 and it's rather telling that Rob Scallon immediately stopped using his Chapmans and went to Schecter...
All I think of when I hear/see "Made in Britain" is the fire extinguisher that spontaneously combusts in that one IT Crowd sketch! 😂
Yes, are still things built in UK? I don't think, even the fish'n'chips come from other countries...
Those “reliced” guitars in the video looked absolutely horrendous! Incredible that the brand put their name to them. And interesting to see the use of the expression “brand new sold as overstock” on marked down guitars on the chapman guitars reverb channel. I translate “overstock” as can’t sell…
It's like first graders were running the company
I suspect Chapman decided to relic them because they’d been knocked about and used by him and others a few times over the years. They were likely too damaged to be sold as new so they did the relic jobs to cover it all up. That’s exactly the kind of thing we’d all expect Chapman to do.
Oh heck yeah, inject that good good pointed and well thought out good faith criticism of Chapman directly into my veins
Do you own an iPhone ? Or Nike clothing ? Any products from Nestle at all ? You are a weak and hypocritical human being.
@@roryt1983 what the fuck are you telling about you colossal dork
I just re-watched the old Chapman audit recently and now we have this.
Brilliant content. I’ve only just found your channel but after watching only one video, you’ve got yourself a new subscriber
I randomly watched the whole Chapman Saga with all the youtubers recently, then saw the made in UK and thought of you.
Nicely on time
Thank you thank you thank youuuuu for making this video. This is the transparency we need!
Best videos online. Most indepth information available. Keep up the awesome content.
KDH: "Are they good? They'd have to be at that price point."
Gibson: sweats profusely.
Then Chapman: Sweats even more profusely!
Gibson are very overpriced but at least they have the history/legacy/Iconic designs on their side... Price is still not justified but much more so than Chapman
God I wish I could upvote this comment more than once!
To be fair the Gibsons at the £3.5k-£4k price point are mostly Custom Shop models, and those ARE very very good guitars.
@@davidburke2132 An R9 is great, but having to spend twice what a Standard costs is absurd.
Man, can I just say again that your videos are some of the most interesting and well delivered on YT. Seriously, I don't even play guitar. I hang out for these videos!
Great video mate. Keep up the excellent work.
"It's the best of the best" Rob says repeatedly about everything he puts out. Honestly I feel like people sometimes forget he's trying to sell a product first and foremost. If you pretended he was a car salesman you would be even more skeptical of the integrity of his sales pitch.
Sounds like those people need to acquire some basic media literacy skills? In addition to some common sense?
Ol' Robert Chappers wasn't the only one who seemingly didn't (or doesn't) understand the nature of the beast called "the internet".
Chapman! My favourite guitar subject from KDH... Thanks, very interesting video. No death threats I trust on this one! ;)
Good show sir. Thank you for posting! Chapman for me was a nightmare. Never again.
Love to hear the story?
The problem with Chapman is fundamental. They are trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist. The world is not short of well-made guitars, and anyone with that amount of money to spend can get a well-made guitar with brand associations, and all the advantages that come with it - the story, bragging rights and resale value. Chapman's brand associations are....erm, Rob Chapman. I'm not sure how many dedicated wealthy fans he has, but....
Completely agree. It's the same feeling as with Kiesel, it's tough to justify spending as much as they charge to potentially get a lemon (not even discussing all the drama and bad PR that Jeff has brought) when you can go with a myriad of other awesome builders who will deliver a flawless instrument at the same price point.
It’s either naivety, arrogance, or both to assume people will pay that much for your name without any sort of reputation behind you. Especially for these clunky looking blocks of misshapen wood. 🤢
Small point but something else as well is that cheesy bloody ML (Monkey Lord) naming, it comes across so cheap and tacky to me. It that nick naming it after himself? If so it's even worse
@@daviddorrian5349 lmao holy shit, is that really what the ML stands for?
@@davidbreuer6449 It is yes, I remember in the early days before all this controversy started, thats what put me off buying one, I found it so cheesy 😅
😎😎a NEW KDH vid exposing Chapman? my day just got better😋... GREAT work sir! 👏👏👏
Great review, well done !
Rob Chapman... the gift that keeps giving. I wonder how he'll react this time.
I agree with KDH. What probably happened is that no one wanted to buy these. Asking 3500 GBP in 2018 for an off-the-shelf guitar from a little-known manufacturer (PJD) and a brand run by someone like Rob Chapman is a big ask. You could buy an Ibanez J Custom, a Suhr, ESP etc with that money.
To be fair, in the UK, PJD (and, in 2018, Sim's) are well-known and highly-regarded craftsmen. But putting Chapman's name on the headstock at that price point is a bad idea.
I just did the change into Aus dollars and that’s $6300. I could literally buy anything for that.
@@richardharrold9736 I mean... I'd hire the best guy to build my guitars if I had a custom shop. I've never heard of PJD but I have heard of Chapman (im in Canada) so some of this bias is literally because you guys are aware, the rest of the world... not so much. 6k for a Guitar... this better be PRS quality.. and hopefully if the builders are as good as everyone says..
Necro'ing the comment a little, sorry.
Yeah, the fact that you could buy an ESP--not just a Standard, but an ESP-JP model (think of the artist signatures!)--for what Rob was asking is just ridiculous. Those guitars come with so many more features and options, and the quality is so far out of the league that Chapman operates in... It's insulting to both the consumer and the competition, really.
A prime example of a big fish in a small pond, trying to punch above their weight class.
@@cartorius The rest of the world is not aware of Chapman lol. There is no brand recognition there. It won't retain it's value, and it's also not stocked in guitar shops so people don't pick them up there. This is literally why they didn't sell, they're trying to get rid of off the shelf guitars at boutique prices from a brand with a bad reputation lately. For that money, you could get any number of great guitars made by luthiers with real names. I'm not even dissing PRS, PRS are great, but it's not their name it's trading on, it's Rob's. The same way it's a niche of people who have a negative opinion of Rob and the inside baseball, it's a tiny niche of people into guitar worldwide who have any opinion on Chapman guitars.
I watched the announcement video and thought "they look really pretty but I guess they'll be £2.5k". I was absolutely stunned to find they wanted Suhr/PRS money.
LOVE this. Thank you.
Loving your vids, entertaining and engaging all the way through
I appreciate that you always give it straight to your viewers, Thank You!
As soon as I saw the line of guitars, I thought of you dear KDH. Do you what you do best.
I really do enjoy your exposé vids .. Another winner.
Hey man funny enough I nearly purchased a ml1 baritone from Chapman but instead went for a harley benton amarok and omg I'm so much happier than I know I would've been with the Chapman. Never stop holding people like him to account
Thank god you are monitoring this situation.
these are right up my alley. i have a very particular need to spend $3,000 on $600 guitars
To be fair, just the raw materials for these will be over $600. Never mind any other costs.
not to mention dragged through the rocks, thats just what ive exactly always wanted
@@richardharrold9736 is he using Chapman Timber to build them?
You sir have no clue how much it costs to build a hand made guitar
@@metalpuppet5798 go on, keep defending the family
I bet Rob shakes each time you upload, absolute gold!
Rob has become a bit intolerable, but I doubt he shakes every time KDH goes chasing clout...
HAHAHA Chappers.... the gift that keeps on giving. Great video!
"But... but nah"
- KDH, 2022
Somehow that made me laugh so hard
Nah just nah that’s my saying lol love it!!
Would have been funny if he bought and reviewed the British chapman. But if it was one of those ones that looked like it had a horrific relic job, then it definitely wasn't worth that price lol. Having said that I just looked on the Chapman reverb and looks like all those 2018 models are gone so presumably they sold.
Keep on going KDH, you have a chill calm style, please stick with that.
I can't understand why kdh has so few subs; he's the 60 Minutes of guitar investigative journalism. Great subjects and depth. Love it!
It’s down to Chappers’ online power, which is nothing less than SIZE.
I don’t like him because he just tries cancel people for clout. He doesn’t have a personality to do it any other way.
@@SilkandScrooge and yet here you are he must be doing something right :). The youtube guitar communnity is fucking awful Id rather watch this than Rob.
@@gaboxd4407 just popped in the read the comments. This dude is definitely the most boring of them all.
@@gaboxd4407 you should check out uncle Judy
You hit the nail on the head I think. Electric guitars are simple beasts and only warrant thousands of dosh if they have heritage.
I agree. Who would play those prices for a Chapman? I repeat, who?
Or maybe if they are made individually to your exact specs... 🤷♂
Craftsmanship, customisation and quality components are far more important than heritage to me, but then you can get all of those things and British made for considerably cheaper than the Chapman and don''t have to put up with that name on your headstock.
I'd much rather spend £2-2500 on a guitar like the above from a small UK luthier than on a Gibson LP Standard for example despite the lac of heritage.
How did you watch this video and come away with the exact opposite point that he made? His point was that most brands start out in the high end, expensive, custom shop (AKA £2K+) range and then when they build a reputation and financial safety net that's when they move into the lower end markets and mass production. The exact opposite of Chapman who have been mass producing affordable guitars for over a decade now
@@NotLuigi A 4000 dollar guitar isn't affordable. Neither is a 3500 pound one. These are not affordable guitars, they are extremely expensive guitars. At that price point, they are competing with heritage and vintage guitars, with signature models by reputable manufacturers, and high end stuff from companies with far more brand name than they have. That's the problem. If you drop that money on a Chapman, it will not retain any of it's value, because it's a Chapman. So it had better be your favourite guitar ever, because when you sell it you're losing money. And, they're not even custom. You're paying through the nose for a brand name, Chapman, that has no worth as a brand name.
You'd be better off contacting the luthier directly and buying a custom. The Chapman part adds nothing to the arrangement.
These guitars are tightly connected with Rob's reputation which has not been good these past few years. If price is not competitive compared to other more renowned brands then the only selling point is Rob himself which makes it incredibly difficult to believe that they'd sell out at full price.
I havent followed guitar stuff for years. What exactly happened to ruin robs reputation?
@@sprinkleLPs See KDH's other vid on the guy.
@@sprinkleLPs czcams.com/video/iGxXgSVZlxY/video.html here it is. Again, it’s on this channel. You probably should watch it to see what happened. Rob was so arrogant and it was his demise.
@@sprinkleLPs after you've watched KDH's last video on Rob, if you just search CZcams for 'Rob Chapman exposed' or similar you'll see lots of other videos from stores that used to sell Chapman guitars to artists he collaborated with. Basically all calling him out for being a bit of a twat but from their perspective.
I drove about 7 hours to have a mini vacation and see Rob and Rabea at Guitar Center. I bought the cheapest model ML2 they had as I do not make much money. The guitar still plays and sounds great. I’m not too sure what happened with them, but Rob and Rabea were very kind and the whole experience was fun.
I had an ML2 as well, good little guitar. Didn’t bond with it super well so ended up getting a Jackson…it’s a much better guitar ultimately
Hi Rob! 🤣
I have an old walnut ML1-Pro and I still love that guitar. Maybe their guitars are shit now, but that one I still really like, even if it might just be because it was my first guitar that wasn't a really cheap Squier.
Alas people who do shitty things aren't always blatantly shitty. I'm glad you had a positive experience, sadly that doesn't erase all the negative experiences others have had nor correct the wrongdoings of Rob as a business person and media personality.
Rabea is a nice guy irl. Smokes way too much weed, though.
The quality of you videos has improved since your first Chapman exposé.
Man I couldnt imagine buying a guitar from chapman if my life depended on it. It would still feel wrong.
Who are these people who do it? Rabea fans perhaps, he's one badass player.
I bought one second hand from a local shop simply because it felt sounded and played amazing. 2019 Ml3 pro modern and it had a better fit and finish than the American Tele’s in the shop at the time. Best 600 bucks I ever spent. I couldn’t give a fuck less about the “internet drama” associated with Rob. It still gets more play time than my Gibsons or Fenders or PRS.
I've seen a few online in stores in Australia, and every time I see them, the price is lower than the last time. I guess everyone dislikes them due to the association factor. ✌️🇦🇺
@@timegoblin. I bought the 2017 traditional and after swapping out the internals and the the pickups it's my go-to tele. I paid about half what the MSRP is for it. The build quality is as good as anything else that has seen a CNC machine. The original pickups didn't sound bad, either, but I traded some Lollars a while back and they are much brighter.
@@TybudX it sucks when people overlook fantastic instruments simply because of an opinion of the company’s part-owner. While Rob may have made some idiotic decisions regarding optics and customer satisfaction, it doesn’t mean the guitars are bad.
The issue here is that building electric solid body guitars isn't something the Chapman company are experienced at. They can spec them up and order them but that's it.
Now the here's the thing, if you were a British based builder with an actual workshop that is capable of building these in anything close to numbers (say 10 a month) don't need Chapman. They're cut can only be smaller than what they could get by sticking their own boutique branding on them.
Got a real chuckle out of this story ! thanks
I can't count how many times I've paused this video to laugh and replay but I'm only half way through. Seriously KDH, you have an absolute gift of comedic timing with some of these edits "But this one's in the bargain bin!"
Makes sense about PJD. As Anderton’s is promoting PJD & previously exclusive to Sound Affects Cream T guitars, known to come out of PJD.
I'm so glad Chapman never shipped out a batch of lefty Ghost Frets (I'm an Explorer nerd), so I flipped my pre-order into two Shure in-ear monitor systems for me and my bassist.
Mr. KDH, Thanks for not only saying things that most people are afraid to say, but for having the balls to post it on CZcams in person! I would be the first one to say give the guy a break, but this Chapman guy is SUCH A SELF INDULGING TWIT! His arrogance is unparalleled! Give it to him the way that he deserves it my friend!
Continued success with your channel! God bless and take care...
I have a chapman bass MLB1-5 I got while they were still being sold. Came super greeen and with tons of details unfinished but after a year of drying and a lot of tweaking and setting up is a great bass. All the pots have needed replacing since i got it though as well
I have never put my hands on a Chapman, but have been interested since I heard of them. The primary issue is availability, and as you stated, it isn't like there is a way to really get a feel before you buy. There has been no lack controversy surrounding Rob or his guitars, I think that this is one of the reasons that the question has to be asked.
One thing I can offer as advice if you do get your hands on one, in a shop to try out or wherever, is that they are HEAVY pieces of wood. I've come across a couple ML-1s in my local shop and they were really heavy for a Strat-type. And the ML-2s are literal boat anchors. The only way I would buy a Chapman would be to get it second-hand, that way I know my money isn't lining Rob's pockets.
If you want a high-end British-made S-type guitar, just go to Thomas Gray in Cornwall (formerly in Teddington, on the Thames south-west of London). His guitars are genuinely stunning, he's a nice guy and you get exactly what you pay for.
@@Ian-lg9gp he's down near St Mawes on the Roseland Peninsula, but Andertons stock his guitars. Like me, he's originally from Leatherhead (his late father was a famous record producer who produced T-Rex's early albums, among other things), I moved west to just the Devon side of the Tamar in 2019 and Thomas Gray followed last year... he and I have only met once, at Andertons, but there are some interesting parallels (I'm also the son of a musician), and for both of us, getting out of Surrey was the best thing either of us could have done.
Also take a look at Gordon Smith guitars who make bespoke and off the shelf S, T, and LP type guitars, that have a long heritage and which command good - and rising - resale prices. And, you can actually visit their workshop in Northampton, choose your woods and then have regular updates on how your guitar is progressing.
Its been a few years of true greatness here on the KDH channel. 60k subs is wonderful, but this channel deserves far more.
What for? He never seems to do anything positive.
‘And his other channel only has 17 subs’
-Rob Chapman 😂😂🍻🇦🇺
@@ukmanthailand that’s not true, he shows up Chappers for what he is. Unveiling the truth is a positive thing without question!
@@MR-um9ck All he's reported in his latest 'expose' is that Chapman Guitars have tried a few times to launch a British-made line and not enjoyed any success so far. It's hardly front page news is it?
@@ukmanthailand if that’s all you think this video shows then you have significant issues with concentration, focus.
Nice work, Mr KDH. 👍😁
i love chapman drama so much and i have absolutely no idea why
It's so extraneous, it just doesn't matter if it's there or not but pure sketchball comedy
Psycho! 🤪
Because it’s just plain justice/karma to see someone digging themselves a deeper and deeper hole with obnoxious behaviour and obvious lying.
The only reason I would never buy a Chapman guitar is that every time I looked at the Headstock it would remind me that I gave the Twat money! I just couldn't live with that!
Just support a local shop and buy one second hand then. Chapman’s can be a dream to play if you find a good Korean iteration.
@@timegoblin. You say that like I'd even want one?
@@S-T-E-V-E You're the one that said you had only one reason not to buy one, and "I don't even want one" is not the one reason you gave.
I put black gaffa over it. No joke. Also over the symbol at the 12 fret. I just play it occasionaly, and it does not feel different, so... this is a ML-1 Pro Walnut, btw.
@@S-T-E-V-E such vitriol...much hate....for why
this is actually great reporting
You are TOO good at this haha. Love your videos!
Lee Anderton looks nervous when he was announcing guitars. Almost like he knew about the scam and was being bribed/ blackmailed by Rob
Not a scam, just very expensive guitars from a brand that hasn’t had much success in the past at selling very expensive guitars.
That said Lee owns 50% of Chapman and is just as responsible for how the business is run.
@@KDH oh dear!!!!!! Thats why!!!
@Ted Wilson
KDH didn't start a go fund me for vocal lessons
@Ted Wilson you're a comedian mate 😂😂
@Ted Wilson hi chapman keep being salty
Lee trying to endorse Chapman without endorsing Chapman is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen, “these are as good as anything.. you can buy.. from any other brand”
He owns half the company - why wouldn't he want to promote his own products?
@@ukmanthailand they know they're ripping people off, it's cringe
@@jongbong1912 You're missing my point really. Lee isn't going to be shy to promote products sold by a company he owns.
@@ukmanthailand How do you know for sure that Lee owns exactly 1/2 of Chapman guitars?
@@Guitar-uc4dx I don't know for sure that he owns exactly 50%, I'm just going on what he's said in past videos. But I don't see how the exact percentage is really relevant. The point is, as a director and co-founder of Chapman Guitars, he will want to promote their products. To claim that he's doing so reluctantly, as a favour to an embarrassing friend, is simply misleading.
I honestly didn't know Chapman guitars was a a guitar company until I saw the Rabea Maasad's video saying he was leaving Chapman today.
A very fair and considered analysis.
I have a Reverend Double Agent and is one of my favorite guitars I've played.
And Reverend were introduced to Andertons by Joe at Riff City, who of course also got screwed over by Rob.
YES AUDIT FOLLOWUP!
GOOD work, KDH!! Chapman reminds me of one of my ex-bosses; he could ooze charm when he wanted to, and would promise you not just the Earth, but the moon and stars, too - but when you called his bluff, his ugly side would erupt.
Chapman
We’ve recently been made aware that it’s looking unlikely that UK Guitar Builders (UKGB) will be able to fulfil any more orders for the companies it supplies, including Chapman’s UK workshop series.
Fortunately, we are already in dialogue with an alternative experienced high-end Guitar builder with a view to being able to resume production in the next 4-6 weeks.
All customers with orders placed for UK made Chapman guitars have been informed and offered the option to wait or cancel and have their deposits returned.
At this time, we would just like to wish all the staff at UKGB, the best for the future and reassure everyone that the Chapman workshop series production will resume as soon as possible.
All customers informed? I wonder if he cancelled the order..?
@@steelisreal sounds like they’re not cancelling orders but hoping to fulfil them with another builder.
@@stefromfortworth you missed the joke. He doesn’t refer to Rob…
You want to know why Chapmans don't sell in the US? Riff City!! Whatever you say about guitarists, we are a mostly loyal bunch and to see Chapman screw over Riff City for a company almost every guitarist hates(they only shop GC because there is nothing else close) its near impossible to recover Chapman especially since they are a hyped up budget guitar company at heart.
I used to go way out of my way to drive out to their New Hope store. Joe & Co. were a good bunch of folks. Miss that store.
Every year, my cousin and I would drive up from Chicago just to spend a week hanging out at Riff City. We became good friends with both Joe and Al over the years. We bought all of our musical equipment from them until they closed.
I was a huge Chapman fan. I had three Chapman guitars, posters, t-shirts, albums, you name it. All of it is gone now. I just couldn’t stomach keeping any of it after the whole Riff City thing went down.
I couldn't believe how much time and effort Joe put into promoting Chapman and for what? To get stabbed in the back.
I bought a Chapman from Riff City, a ghost fret. Riff City were friendly in email, I wasn't local. I was sad to see them go. I also think its absurd to pretend their failure was Rob's fault in any way. They had a contract, and when it ran out he didn't renew it. Happens all the time in the world of business. You get a better offer, you take it.
I think the mistake Rob made was not doing everything he could to keep a band with Rabea going.
I don’t blame the failure of Riff City solely on Rob. His conduct afterwards, savior complex, and lying to me when I called him out - said all I needed to know.
Not gonna lie when he said they revisited models in 2012 robs hair was hilarious.what a spanner he is.
His hair, his dreadlocks, his beard… And the plain stupidity of thinking he’s so great and letting it show so vividly.
just had to say this,you are a clever dude i was taken with your videos about the chapman situation ill say it again your sharp. so im subscribing thanks
Thanks for the video
the one and only chapman guitar I have ever played (and the one I own) is the original Bea baritone. I do absolutely love this guitar and regularly play it, so resale value isn't a concern for me; I adore how it looks and how it feels to play
Your lucky if you'll get 1/4 for a resale.
Chapman's stuff is crap no matter what model or name is on it.
@@BkBk-gy6vr i don’t plan on selling it. I find the quality is as good as any other guitar i have though tbh, so i don’t know why you immediately assume it’s crap
How about a line of luxury Chapman wigs? Got to have more chance of success than expensive Chapman guitars!
love these vids
Very comprehensive vid.. 👍🏻
Man, another banger. These videos are SIZE, keep 'em up
💀💀
Size....hehehe. deep cuts.
I owned the green ghost fret for a few years, along with the grey hand-made ML1. Both great guitars, but both absolutely made by Jaden. I also had about 10 other Jadens, two of which are still with me. As the Moderator on Rob's forum for many years, I became more than frustrated with the site 'management', so bailed many years ago. Shame. I'll not be dropping a single £ on the new range.
Well done KDH. Investigative journalism A+!
Now waiting for another video on these lmao
PJD Guitars are FANTASTIC guitars. I don’t care who they make guitars for, EVERY PJD Guitar I’ve ever played are amazing.
Sweet, and now you can spend 30% more to get a rebranded PJD guitar with a 'champman' logo on it!
If that green one was still available at £1000 then I would have snapped that up in a second. It's funny it says Chapman on the headstock, but it's probably a legit killer guitar. Congrats to whoever got it.
@@inevitableveganfuture3915 you could buy it, then get the guy who made it to put his own logo on... It'll probably go up in value.
If you have a few British Made guitars knocking around unsold in Andertons for several years and they keep getting played and bumped into etc by the guys, your only course of action is to “relic” them because they’re too scuffed up to be sold in new condition.
Great investigation. Great accent. Love your vids!
Thanks for the interesting content.🙂
The photo montage of the “reliced” Chapmans made me burst out laughing. Thank you for that
It would take a true economics genius to attempt to break into the ultra high end guitar market during a world wide recession, the worst inflation in 40 years, and massive supply chain issues causing erratic spikes in the cost of supplies goods and services. Well done Rob! You’ll run your company into the ground eventually.
It feels to me like Chapman keeps getting bailed out by Anderton’s. I’ve long said Anderton’s should jettison Chapman and create a better line of “in house” guitars which doesn’t have the toxicity of Rob Chapman associated with it. Even “Anderton Guitars” would work! Come on Lee, stop propping up the egotist.
@@MR-um9ck it would make business sense, but Lee is still Robs friend and I suppose that would feel like stabbing him in the back.
Anyway, it's definitely a weird move starting a business making guitars when you haven't sold all the guitars from the last time you tried it. I don't know why he's expecting it to go different this time.
Maybe Lee does need to tell him some hard truths.
@@Mikey__R yes it’s definitely a Rob Chapman vanity project once again. All I can assume is that they’ve created a set up with the workshop where the guitars are simply built to order, with no loss incurred if none are ordered. If that’s the case then they don’t have anything to worry about, it will simply exist as a vanity project with very little demand.
@@MR-um9ck maybe. They will already have made quite an investment buying in the tools, they'll be paying rent on the actual building, and I really hope they've got some skilled luthiers on their payroll. That's money going out the door whether they make guitars or sit on their hands.
Brilliant commentary and spot on wisdom. Signature Chapman artist Rabea Massaad just left Chapman too. I also think that the economy is falling off a cliff and all these ridiculous prices for guitars will go right over the edge.
Well analysed!
and just today chapman announced their builder cant build for them only 2 months after they announced this.