Chapman Guitars

Chapman Guitars is a guitar company established in 2009 by Rob Chapman, a guitarist best known for his success on Youtube. The company claims to be the first to design its guitars "collaboratively", and the design, features and even the price of new models are selected by the votes of Chapman's YouTube subscribers in online polls on his website.

Chapman manufacture their guitars in notably small production runs. The ML1 was initially limited to a run of 500 guitars, although a second batch was produced when the factory which supplied Chapman offered more at a discounted price. The ML2 is limited to 250 pieces. The company has also designed a high-end Korina-bodied explorer guitar named the 'Ghost Fret' which is built to order.

The company's first production guitar was the ML1. In order to make the best guitar for the lowest initial outlay, Chapman chose a design philosophy by which any compromises would be reflected most in the parts which would be most likely and easily replaced by the owner later. Thus those components of the ML1 which were not so easily replaced could be of the very highest quality that the limited budget allowed - the ML1 featured a solid mahogany stratocaster-style body, a maple neck and an ebony fingerboard but pickups (Chapman boasted on his YouTube channel) which the factory supplied for only 50 pence each. The ML1's body and distinctive reverse-style headstock had a simple black finish. The ML1 was competitively priced when it initially retailed for £299, but the second batch allowed its price to be reduced even further to £199.

The company's second production guitar, the ML2 is all sold out (although Private Stocks are built to order). It was made in 3 different versions, the ML2 "Standard", "Custom" and "Private Stock". The ML2 again features a maple neck and ebony fingerboard, but this time the solid mahogany body will be in a Les Paul style with a natural finish. The "Custom" model will be supplied with a hard-case, Dunlop straplocks and was customised with any hardware or pickups the buyer chooses; the ML2 Private Stock is handmade in the UK by award-winning luthier Jaden Rose, again to the buyer's personal specifications.

Chapman Guitars offers endorsements to guitarists who Robert Chapman feels to have huge potential. Endorsee's benefit from promotional activities, an even more generous discount on the Chapman Guitars range, and if Robert Chapman sees potential within the artist themselves, they can be offered signature gear.

Also Rabea Massad (Chapman Guitars clinician) holds a live guitar clinic on thursday's fortnightly. Rabea also is planning on doing Chapman Guitar's clinics with Rob around the UK.

Anderton's Music Company is the exclusive Chapman Guitar's retailer, and Daniel Davies is the Artist Relations manager for Chapman Guitars.

Current line of Chapman Guitars' Signature Guitars feature; FYBW-ML1 - Built to the specifications of Benni Wilshire. It features a scalloped fretboard, a solid mahogany body and a maple neck, 25.5 scale length, two DiMarzio pickups - Mo'Joe humbucker in the bridge and a DiMarzio ToneZone single coil pickup. It also features a coil split, a killswitch, Grover Rotomatic 18:1 Ratio tuners and a Wilkinson WVPCR tremolo. ^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Artists

Ben Wilshire, Adam Ironside, David Evans, Lyle Watt, Myx Harnett.

Tom Edwards from Fields Of The Nephilim used to endorse the company aswell.

References

1. ^ "Infinity Guitar launches". Mi-pro.co.uk. http://www.mi-pro.co.uk/news/31111/Infinity-Guitar-launches. Retrieved 2010-05-22. 
2. ^ "Chapman Guitars". Chapman Guitars. http://www.chapmanguitars.co.uk/. Retrieved 2010-05-29. 
3. ^ "Chapman ML1 ready to rock". Mi-pro.co.uk. http://www.mi-pro.co.uk/news/30896/Chapman-ML1-ready-to-rock. Retrieved 2010-05-29. 
4. ^ http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/music/512
5. ^ designed by Joshua Geiger. "1981 : Award-Winning Logo Design". Nineteeneightyone.com. http://www.nineteeneightyone.com/featuredproject.html. Retrieved 2010-05-29. 

External links

• Chapman Guitars - Official Website
• Monkey Lord Forum - Rob Chapman's official forum
• RobChappers on YouTube - Rob Chapman's YouTube channel
• Andertons Music Company - exclusive retailer (with online store) for the Chapman ML2 guitar