The workers at World Musical are paid on average $2,000 per month, this then goes up each year depending on ability and experience. The owner of World Musical is a Buddhist (Korea is a Buddhist country) so it is important to him that the staff are well paid, respected, protected, trained and looked after... otherwise it would be bad karma for him and bad for his company. The staff have regular breaks where they all pull out there iPhones, connect to the wifi and chat. The environment is that if any factory, loud in places and dusty in others - they are all supplied with the correct safety gear to protect them. While here for two weeks I have been allowed to go anywhere I like and speak to anyone - nothing is being hidden. Korea is a high tech, modern, clean and respectful place that I find very similar to Japan. This is why some of the worlds biggest guitar brands are made in this factory and not others.
Well said Rob.I hope that this will silence the doubters once and for all-----but I wouldn't put money on it. Whatever you say there will be some people who are brainwashed into believing all western manufacturing is good and all eastern manufacturing is bad.
Simon Alister Cloverfield If it really matters to you that much, then go run your own company and pay 10X the amount for demand and product of a factory in Europe or the west. Rob is a good man and i'm sure if any harm or suffering was involved he'd do his best to withdraw production of his chapman models from that factory and the ones similar to it. he's been there, you haven't.
the media doesnt cover korean factory workers?? because there is no need. if it's so wrong, give people who do it on the big scale stick. not a guy making a profit from a business which is something he built and is proud of.
This was very informative. I myself own a PRS SE, and I know this is the factory where my guitar was manufactured. Initially, I thought these guitars were made in some sort of automated assembly line, but seeing these guys pour their sweat and hard work into these guitars has been eye-opening. Kudos Chappers!
Now you can start understanding and researching the economics of "why does Gibson charge 10 times as much for the same product" Somebody is getting rich and somebody is getting poor!
CaribSurfKing1 my Gibson was 10% higher price than the PRS SE's, and though it's been almost a decade my korean NJ warlock costed a fair chunk more then my Gibson. Being that I'm not American I just buy what I liked the most. The PRS SE was every bit as well made as the Gibson, just the PRS SE I played had particularly average pickups and I had to factor in replacing them, which put it up above the Gibsons price.
I've got a PRS SE myself (Torero). Absolutely love it. It's a fantastic guitar. Knowing that Chappers is having his stuff made by the same folks may just push me in his direction when I go shopping for a 7-string next month.
Hi guys, having a great time here in Incheon, Korea!! Everyone is really friendly, the food is great and they make Chapman Guitars!!! It's just so awesome to see the whole process from start to finish, and inspiring to see the other big brands along side little Chapman ;-) Lots more to come from me, hope you enjoy these videos - please share! Annyonghi-geseyo (Chappers out)
Really cool seeing you excited about your brand being built. There are only 2 other companies that i see get excited when watching their brand being produced and it is PRS and Schecter. happy holidays.
this is great!! amazed by how many big brands are coming out from that factory, and yet none of them took the time to show the hard working people who make this possible everyday! nice job Rob, looking forward to the rest \m/
Rob you have given so much joy to so many people you will never get a chance to meet or know. It's very fitting that they are given the chance to hold one of your creations in their hands and express their appreciation to you and their artistry through it. Rock on and a thank you for all your inspiration.
I just love that you show us all of the wee intricacies behind the work of love that is 'Chapman Guitars'. Thanks for that. Your excitement is, as ever, quite contagious.
Hope you are having a great time Rob! I can allready tell the Dorje album is going to be absolutely legendary. I found myself furiously headbanging the whole duration of the video! Cheers and have fun Rob and Nat!
See I told you World Musical Instrument Co.Ltd. Korea were building great instruments: 0:09 PRS SE Neckblanks 0:56 PRS SE Body Blank 1:20 Schecter Neck 1:26 PRS SE Singlecut 1:38 Dean Models 1:43 LTD Iron Cross SW 1:55 Schecter KM 1:59 LTD JK1 and MH/H models 2:03 PRS SE Singlecut models 2:21 LTD EC models finished 2:57 Dean Guitars Dave Mustaine VMNT Rust in Peace and Custom 450 3:05 Dean Custom 450 and a LTD EC 3:09 Dean Dimebag Series Stealth Floyd Dime Slime 3:11 Dean Dimebag Series and a PRS SE Zach Mayers 3:12 PRS SE Custom 24 3:24 Schechter KM and a PRS SE Singlecut
Always fun to watch a video like this - how guitars are made even in a nutshell. Grats, dude, you've more than earned your place among the giants that are being manufactured there!
Great vid, I love seeing behind Oz curtain so to speak, I love seeing the chapman guitars along side some big names too! Someday I think I'll pick one up; knowing they're from the same factory as my Ltd/ESP guitars tells me (without even holding one) the quality they're manufactured with, thanks for sharing this!
That was your best video yet, the factory itself told the story. Kudos to your camera person and the editing, whomever did that part. I own Korean-made Schechter and PRS SE guitars and I can definitely vouch that you've got the correct company making your instruments.
Fascinating video Rob.I just love this kind of thing. Women have always played a vital role in guitar making.Check out the book "Kalamazoo Gals" who kept Gibson going during WW II.
So cool to be able to see the Chapmans being made in action, I love those basses! But my favorite part of this video was the Dorje song. Whenever you put little bits and bits of the new songs in your videos I just keep replaying them over and over again. I CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER. DORJE ONLY HAS 2 RELEASED SONGS AND THEY ARE STILL MY FAVORITE.
I think you do an outstanding job Rob. And the nice people who build those precision instruments are very fortunate to have your product to keep them paid. But it looks to me that they love what they are building, and the money is a byproduct of the pride taken in their work. You are an amazing human being chappers! I just wish I could get a Chapman guitar in New Jersey.
Awesome to see Chapman models right alongside VERY well known brands... Proud to be an ML-1 player :) That ML-3 trad is really catching my eye at the moment, but my bank account is telling me no haha
Really cool video! I bet it was absolutely amazing to handle the guitars bearing your name while most of them were still being assembled. I can't imagine how gratifying it must be for you! Congrats!
So what I got from this little bit of video... at the end of the day no matter what brand that's made in that factory, it's the same woods... the same soldering... the same paint... all being done by the same skilled workers. Meaning it all just boils down to the design of the guitar and the choice of parts done by the company that places the order for their guitar design to be made in the same factory as where the other companies make theirs. For some reason brands don't seem so special as 'brands', they all just bring forth different design ideas and that's all. Rather than "inspiring" I find it to be a "sobering up" up experience watching this. Even though I didn't believe all brands had their own factories that worked explicitely for them.
CaribSurfKing1 A Les Paul costing 10 times more is one at least "Made in the U.S.A." and probably in the Custom Shop and not even the mass production factory there. We are shown here a guitar factory in South Korea that is making guitars at mass for multiple brands at a lower price than their U.S.A. counterparts. So please compare apples with apples. Compare what is made by other brands in this factory and look at the quality difference between them and a Chapman guitar. I doubt you will see any apart from the design and component differences, and maybe one brand having different quality ensurance specifications than the other.
there would still be differences in trem, pickup tuner quality etc depending on brand and model, but I agree anything you buy from that factory is going to be well made.
Chappers! You rule for making this video. It's awesome to see a brand with transparency, and proud to acknowledge their foreign build. Korean guitars are amazing instruments. I own 2 LTD's and they're some of my favorites, in my collection. Also, it was a huge eye opener to see that many brands being made in the same spot. I knew about Schecter and LTD, but was amazed by seeing PRS and DEAN. Keep up the great work with music/the brand and of course, your channel!!
Awesome video. I own a few PRS SE's (and soon a Chapman or two) and have always appreciated the attention to detail and quality these guitars display. "World Musical Instruments" has been quite the abstract concept, but seeing these amazing craftsman, its easy to see why they turn out such excellent guitars.
This is not only a good thing for Chapman guitars, this is a good look into other brands as well. everyone always bashes guitars made in korea for no reason. This will show them that Korean-made guitars are still held to high standards of craftmanship, no matter the brand. err- at least the ones at that factory. Regardless, awesome video! Can't wait to see more!
Yep - One of the reasons I wanted to do this and show other brands is that we are all just one big family being made in the same place by the same people, with the same materials - it's the designs, spirit and ethos that are just different ;-)
Man what a dream come true play guitar any style you want as many as you want and own the company that's ausem that's the American dream ausem never would of believed it if I hadn't seen this video good job Sir Chapman thanks for sharing....Roland
I respect rob's assurance and upfront nature of the workers in factories that make his products. Can't say the same for like 80-90% of ANY company that have overseas outsourced work with any other goods.
Hey Rob If you come to Seoul you should have a little meetup for fans and such. I'm one of many people in Korea that love your videos and appreciate what you're doing as far as guitar manufacturing.
I have to admit, it was actually very emotional... it's been such a trip for me these past three years, going from nothing to owning one of the biggest guitar brands in the UK. Seeing them being made and more importantly meeting the amazing people that do it has really been incredible ;-)
Id feel the same way dude! Enjoy the rest of your time there cant wait to see more videos ! Been using my Ml2 as a daily workhorse since I bought it a year and a half ago!
Got my ML1 pro day before yesterday and it is amazing (I've got a few other expensive guitars). The build quality is nearly as good as my custom Charvel from the 80's that was 4 times the price. Rob....THANK YOU for building such high spec guitars for so little money.
This is how stuff gets produced. If you think that a custom shop guitar starts life with a guy walking into a forest with an axe and ends with the same guy playing an E chord and looking down the neck to assess his genius for £2500 then good luck. Some custom stuff is worth paying for but for me that's all upgrades that you do as you grow into an instrument. The best thing I ever did was learnt how to set up a guitar properly. I have an American Standard Tele which cost me £400, the guy was convinced he had a dog. It now plays like a dream four times the price. I also have an epiphone dot which was £300 brand new. Out of the box it was good. Set up correctly it is unreal. If you have two or more grand spend it on amp(s) in my view.
hey man i just saw my iron cross JH signature been made woooooooooooooow i never thought they were all made by hand TOTALY so thanks to make my day :))
Great steady filming. So often factory tours pan so fast you can't see much but this video is really good. Looks like this is where my EC1000 is from, great guitar with zero flaws...
10 років тому
If some guitar shop owner from Mexico is watching this: Quiero una guitarra Chapman, hagan lo posible por traerlas! Nice video, enjoy the trip Mr. Chapman!
Wait so let me get this straight... ALL those brands go to the same factory. MIND BLOWN. Holy crap how huge is the place?!?! Also - the people in this factory do some wonderful work - some really excellent guitars. And the flame top on that unfinished V...
Fascinating! Surprised how many skilled people are involved, I'd assumed the 'factory' would be a largely automated affair? I'm delighted to see this isn't the case.
Glad u did that Rob. I bought a 'Cort ' electric guitar once. Unbelievable build quality and parts for the money. Then I saw a You Tube video where a Korean employee had complained about the awful working conditions for the employees. I felt so guilty , I struggled to play it after that. Hope things have changed and people have become more aware of exploitation since the emergence and empowerment of social media. ML1 with a maple neck...? Yes please!
Oh man... I don't know how to feel about it: I bought a PRS Tremonti SE in a wonderful whaleblue colour (and sure, that's a very nice guitar). But two days later I found you, Chappers, and your amazing guitar company. I'd love one of those guitars, they are sooo awesome!
Hey Rob, since Chap guitars is basically one of the very few british brands out there, would you ever consider making guitars painted with some "british racing green" love? i mean, green guitars are sooo rare but so beautiful...you could be one of the very few guys out there offering green guitars, beeing british, and racing green all at the same time...it would be awesome...someone agree?
this video was awesome, i feel like you finally revealed the secret of these companies, ive been so curious on the factory my schecters are made in, and im pleasantly surprised!! do they do the inlays there also?
Saw the youtube video where you brought Nelly into the attention of the rest of the world, nice to see a real life Samaritan! Nelly is starting to reach his potential,you should give yourself a massive pat on the back,I know Nelly thanks you..but thanks from his subscribers and viewer's. .I wished i could've helped him as you have, he's on his feet by the looks of things, and a I think alot of that is down to you and your mates,I only really play acoustic guitar, never really had the opportunities to play electric, ive always played at night and if I tried electric. .I always ended up running over and turning it down..I sold my resonator coz I was skint but my slide guitar i use was going to the dump if I didn't want it!thats where slide gets its roots from anyway, the black slaves etcetera only had access to old beaten guitars where you could hardly push the strings down..i'm gonna have a look on Google to see where your shop is, I live in Southampton at the moment, I want to move but i'm trapped here at the moment, i've got problems that will follow me wherever I go..but if your in Brighton i'll come and say hello if its o.k.? Can't afford and don't really need any more guitars at the moment, would love another resonator. .but want to move first anyway! DON'T WORRY MAN! THIS ISNT A BEGGING LETTER- TEXT TYPE THING! I'm guitared up to my eyeballs. .I'm no snob about electric guitars-people think coz I don't have that calling at the moment. .I slate electric. .or as captain beefheart called them-machine guitars! They are wrong..luv nellys sound-wahwah funk is off the scale. Will find your shop, and will thank you for helping Nelly personally (nellys got a fan..not a stalker). .and probably score some strings. .I like the thicker ones, 10s are abit twangy for what I play, tryed 13s once..but I needed famous 80s strong man"Geoff capes's phone number, to get him to come and push them down for me..I go for 12s! Take it easy man.
I think this settles it once and for all that guitars and Instruments in general made in the far east and south korea in particular are fantastic quality.
I'm glad this factory actually upholds proper health standards - I once saw a video tour of some Chinese factory where the workers who were applying the paint jobs didn't have masks!
Greetings Mr. Chapman! I'm a fan of yours in Korea. I've never thought that you would be here in Korea. Are you having a great time in Korea with your lovely guitars? Can I ask you when will you leave Korea and go back to your home? 'cause I really want to get your autograph and you know meet my youtube guitar hero.
Hi Won-Yong, I am in Korea for the rest of the week - I will be in Seoul for a few days at the end of the week for shopping etc. Maybe I'll post up a meeting point while I am in Seoul ;-)
Thank you so much Chapman! I can't believe this!! Since I live in Seoul it would be great to meet you here! Have a nice day time mr. Chapman, I'll be wating for that day! Until then, I'll be enjoying your wonderful tour videos!
so this is where my korean dean was made i saw a couple deans hanging its pretty cool to see that yeah there are different brands but when it comes down to it alot of them were touched by the same hands even if they are different brands thats cool
Korean manufacturing is the new Japan, you have a look at what they have done with guitars, cars etc in the last decade. Thanks for the insight as a lot of people don't realize that will most manufacturing is shared within certain factories within that particular industry. Food is a good example.
Nice guitars, the les Paul body shape that one sounds like an Epiphone les Paul with EMG pickups and the V shape sounds like an made in Korea stratocaster but made in Korea sounds like a Gibson explorer and same time made in Canada strat, Nice guitars bought one loved it😀
The workers at World Musical are paid on average $2,000 per month, this then goes up each year depending on ability and experience.
The owner of World Musical is a Buddhist (Korea is a Buddhist country) so it is important to him that the staff are well paid, respected, protected, trained and looked after... otherwise it would be bad karma for him and bad for his company.
The staff have regular breaks where they all pull out there iPhones, connect to the wifi and chat.
The environment is that if any factory, loud in places and dusty in others - they are all supplied with the correct safety gear to protect them.
While here for two weeks I have been allowed to go anywhere I like and speak to anyone - nothing is being hidden. Korea is a high tech, modern, clean and respectful place that I find very similar to Japan.
This is why some of the worlds biggest guitar brands are made in this factory and not others.
Well said Rob.I hope that this will silence the doubters once and for all-----but I wouldn't put money on it.
Whatever you say there will be some people who are brainwashed into believing all western manufacturing is good and all eastern manufacturing is bad.
Korea is not a Buddhist country.
If the statement that the workers are earning that much were true, then why are the elderly people working there? It's dangerous for them afterall.
Simon Alister Cloverfield If it really matters to you that much, then go run your own company and pay 10X the amount for demand and product of a factory in Europe or the west. Rob is a good man and i'm sure if any harm or suffering was involved he'd do his best to withdraw production of his chapman models from that factory and the ones similar to it. he's been there, you haven't.
the media doesnt cover korean factory workers??
because there is no need.
if it's so wrong, give people who do it on the big scale stick. not a guy making a profit from a business which is something he built and is proud of.
This was very informative. I myself own a PRS SE, and I know this is the factory where my guitar was manufactured. Initially, I thought these guitars were made in some sort of automated assembly line, but seeing these guys pour their sweat and hard work into these guitars has been eye-opening. Kudos Chappers!
Now you can start understanding and researching the economics of "why does Gibson charge 10 times as much for the same product" Somebody is getting rich and somebody is getting poor!
CaribSurfKing1 Its Korea, not China! Korea has very influential and protective worker unions and laws.
american labor.
CaribSurfKing1 my Gibson was 10% higher price than the PRS SE's, and though it's been almost a decade my korean NJ warlock costed a fair chunk more then my Gibson. Being that I'm not American I just buy what I liked the most. The PRS SE was every bit as well made as the Gibson, just the PRS SE I played had particularly average pickups and I had to factor in replacing them, which put it up above the Gibsons price.
I've got a PRS SE myself (Torero). Absolutely love it. It's a fantastic guitar. Knowing that Chappers is having his stuff made by the same folks may just push me in his direction when I go shopping for a 7-string next month.
Hi guys, having a great time here in Incheon, Korea!! Everyone is really friendly, the food is great and they make Chapman Guitars!!! It's just so awesome to see the whole process from start to finish, and inspiring to see the other big brands along side little Chapman ;-)
Lots more to come from me, hope you enjoy these videos - please share!
Annyonghi-geseyo (Chappers out)
Grrrreetings Rob! Argentina needs chapman guitars .. can you do something about that? it'd be great
Really cool seeing you excited about your brand being built. There are only 2 other companies that i see get excited when watching their brand being produced and it is PRS and Schecter. happy holidays.
Way cool video,it must be an exciting happening,we'll be waiting for P2!
great dude! nice to see what's happening there! more videos pls
Looks like a factory full of talent, nice to see the amount of work and care goes into each Chapman. Jealous of the food options too :)
this is great!! amazed by how many big brands are coming out from that factory, and yet none of them took the time to show the hard working people who make this possible everyday! nice job Rob, looking forward to the rest \m/
Thanks dude!! I'm working on something special that you will love ;-)
Rob you have given so much joy to so many people you will never get a chance to meet or know. It's very fitting that they are given the chance to hold one of your creations in their hands and express their appreciation to you and their artistry through it. Rock on and a thank you for all your inspiration.
Love the kinds of behind the scenes videos! Very happy to be one of the first USA Chapman Guitars Dealers!
I just love that you show us all of the wee intricacies behind the work of love that is 'Chapman Guitars'. Thanks for that. Your excitement is, as ever, quite contagious.
Really happy for you Rob! Hope Chapman guitars goes from strength to strength you deserve it man!
Rob! I'm a huge fan of yours! I'm glad you're enjoying my home country! Thanks for your frequent uploads!
Hope you are having a great time Rob! I can allready tell the Dorje album is going to be absolutely legendary. I found myself furiously headbanging the whole duration of the video! Cheers and have fun Rob and Nat!
So cool to see how much is being made by hand. Congratulations Rob, it's gotta feel real good.
See I told you World Musical Instrument Co.Ltd. Korea were building great instruments:
0:09 PRS SE Neckblanks
0:56 PRS SE Body Blank
1:20 Schecter Neck
1:26 PRS SE Singlecut
1:38 Dean Models
1:43 LTD Iron Cross SW
1:55 Schecter KM
1:59 LTD JK1 and MH/H models
2:03 PRS SE Singlecut models
2:21 LTD EC models finished
2:57 Dean Guitars Dave Mustaine VMNT Rust in Peace and Custom 450
3:05 Dean Custom 450 and a LTD EC
3:09 Dean Dimebag Series Stealth Floyd Dime Slime
3:11 Dean Dimebag Series and a PRS SE Zach Mayers
3:12 PRS SE Custom 24
3:24 Schechter KM and a PRS SE Singlecut
I also saw some Spector Basses as well as some Diamond/DBZ Guitars.
Saw an Agile headstock in there too ;)
Herrdesrings PRS SE Suck
They don't.
Herrdesrings they definitively does....
Always fun to watch a video like this - how guitars are made even in a nutshell. Grats, dude, you've more than earned your place among the giants that are being manufactured there!
Rob
What a great feeling must be to see your children been made…!
Greetings from Puerto Rico..!
Great vid, I love seeing behind Oz curtain so to speak, I love seeing the chapman guitars along side some big names too! Someday I think I'll pick one up; knowing they're from the same factory as my Ltd/ESP guitars tells me (without even holding one) the quality they're manufactured with, thanks for sharing this!
That was your best video yet, the factory itself told the story. Kudos to your camera person and the editing, whomever did that part. I own Korean-made Schechter and PRS SE guitars and I can definitely vouch that you've got the correct company making your instruments.
Fascinating video Rob.I just love this kind of thing.
Women have always played a vital role in guitar making.Check out the book "Kalamazoo Gals" who kept Gibson going during WW II.
So cool to be able to see the Chapmans being made in action, I love those basses! But my favorite part of this video was the Dorje song. Whenever you put little bits and bits of the new songs in your videos I just keep replaying them over and over again. I CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER. DORJE ONLY HAS 2 RELEASED SONGS AND THEY ARE STILL MY FAVORITE.
I think you do an outstanding job Rob. And the nice people who build those precision instruments are very fortunate to have your product to keep them paid. But it looks to me that they love what they are building, and the money is a byproduct of the pride taken in their work. You are an amazing human being chappers! I just wish I could get a Chapman guitar in New Jersey.
Nice to see the factory. Must have been really fun to see so many brands in the process of construction.
Hey rob congrats on your line of guitars you have gone a long way since when you first stared . Man best video ever
Cant wait to see what you design next
It makes me very happy that you can see your dream realized and that everything is going well.
Wow that is so cool! I recognized so many guitars there! Very nice!
Good for you Rob glad you had fun! your awesome keep it up man :)
Awesome to see Chapman models right alongside VERY well known brands... Proud to be an ML-1 player :)
That ML-3 trad is really catching my eye at the moment, but my bank account is telling me no haha
Way to go chapper! Thanks for the tour
of great guitars at great prices.
Man it must be a surreal experience to witness the making of your own guitars! Enjoy your time in korea and keep'em coming! \m/
Wow awesome video! Must be so cool to see your guitars being made in the same factory as ESP and PRS and so many other amazing brands!
Congratulations. It's good to see it all working out for you.
Really cool video! I bet it was absolutely amazing to handle the guitars bearing your name while most of them were still being assembled. I can't imagine how gratifying it must be for you! Congrats!
So what I got from this little bit of video... at the end of the day no matter what brand that's made in that factory, it's the same woods... the same soldering... the same paint... all being done by the same skilled workers. Meaning it all just boils down to the design of the guitar and the choice of parts done by the company that places the order for their guitar design to be made in the same factory as where the other companies make theirs.
For some reason brands don't seem so special as 'brands', they all just bring forth different design ideas and that's all. Rather than "inspiring" I find it to be a "sobering up" up experience watching this. Even though I didn't believe all brands had their own factories that worked explicitely for them.
Very well said. You get it. Now go research why a Les Paul costs 10 times for the same amount of work!
CaribSurfKing1
How many times are you going to comment on this video man? Haha
Really brands are only important when it comes to the custom shops and hand made stuff.
CaribSurfKing1 A Les Paul costing 10 times more is one at least "Made in the U.S.A." and probably in the Custom Shop and not even the mass production factory there.
We are shown here a guitar factory in South Korea that is making guitars at mass for multiple brands at a lower price than their U.S.A. counterparts.
So please compare apples with apples. Compare what is made by other brands in this factory and look at the quality difference between them and a Chapman guitar. I doubt you will see any apart from the design and component differences, and maybe one brand having different quality ensurance specifications than the other.
there would still be differences in trem, pickup tuner quality etc depending on brand and model, but I agree anything you buy from that factory is going to be well made.
You clearly deserve your success man. All the best Rob.
Chappers! You rule for making this video. It's awesome to see a brand with transparency, and proud to acknowledge their foreign build. Korean guitars are amazing instruments. I own 2 LTD's and they're some of my favorites, in my collection. Also, it was a huge eye opener to see that many brands being made in the same spot. I knew about Schecter and LTD, but was amazed by seeing PRS and DEAN. Keep up the great work with music/the brand and of course, your channel!!
Really cool that you're doing this Rob!
Awesome video. I own a few PRS SE's (and soon a Chapman or two) and have always appreciated the attention to detail and quality these guitars display. "World Musical Instruments" has been quite the abstract concept, but seeing these amazing craftsman, its easy to see why they turn out such excellent guitars.
This is not only a good thing for Chapman guitars, this is a good look into other brands as well. everyone always bashes guitars made in korea for no reason. This will show them that Korean-made guitars are still held to high standards of craftmanship, no matter the brand. err- at least the ones at that factory. Regardless, awesome video! Can't wait to see more!
Yep - One of the reasons I wanted to do this and show other brands is that we are all just one big family being made in the same place by the same people, with the same materials - it's the designs, spirit and ethos that are just different ;-)
Rob Chapman
;) Are you sure that Ltd, Schecter, Dean , BC Rich etc. are happy with this video ?
Man what a dream come true play guitar any style you want as many as you want and own the company that's ausem that's the American dream ausem never would of believed it if I hadn't seen this video good job Sir Chapman thanks for sharing....Roland
Great video Rob!! Not every guitar brand would show this kind of video and it's very nice to see it seems like a good factory and not some sweatshop.
I respect rob's assurance and upfront nature of the workers in factories that make his products. Can't say the same for like 80-90% of ANY company that have overseas outsourced work with any other goods.
I have a korean Ibanez from the 90s and its one of the nicest instruments Ive ever touched
Congrats bud! Thanks for the clip.
Hey Rob If you come to Seoul you should have a little meetup for fans and such. I'm one of many people in Korea that love your videos and appreciate what you're doing as far as guitar manufacturing.
Rob you're like a proud papa, happy for ya brother!
Ok this is awesome!
Makes me feel so much better knowing that i own two (maybe three) guitars that come from this factory! :D
I can imagine how much of a surreal experience that must be!
I have to admit, it was actually very emotional... it's been such a trip for me these past three years, going from nothing to owning one of the biggest guitar brands in the UK.
Seeing them being made and more importantly meeting the amazing people that do it has really been incredible ;-)
Id feel the same way dude! Enjoy the rest of your time there cant wait to see more videos ! Been using my Ml2 as a daily workhorse since I bought it a year and a half ago!
Im really happy for ya!!! Congrats!!!
Got my ML1 pro day before yesterday and it is amazing (I've got a few other expensive guitars). The build quality is nearly as good as my custom Charvel from the 80's that was 4 times the price. Rob....THANK YOU for building such high spec guitars for so little money.
Oh myy that's so cool Chappers!
Dude, well shot factory tour and very informative!!!
This is how stuff gets produced. If you think that a custom shop guitar starts life with a guy walking into a forest with an axe and ends with the same guy playing an E chord and looking down the neck to assess his genius for £2500 then good luck. Some custom stuff is worth paying for but for me that's all upgrades that you do as you grow into an instrument. The best thing I ever did was learnt how to set up a guitar properly. I have an American Standard Tele which cost me £400, the guy was convinced he had a dog. It now plays like a dream four times the price. I also have an epiphone dot which was £300 brand new. Out of the box it was good. Set up correctly it is unreal. If you have two or more grand spend it on amp(s) in my view.
Happy Birthday, Rob! :)
hey man i just saw my iron cross JH signature been made woooooooooooooow i never thought they were all made by hand TOTALY so thanks to make my day :))
roozbeh dilmaghani
O.O that bass, and the headstock veneer on that one was insane.
Good Stuff Chappers. You can see the accomplishment in your face.....Capt has to be all jelly
Loving the White Dove instrumentals. Excited, waiting for the real song. :D
Robert! I am from Argentina, I am waiting for Champman Guitars!!!
That's really interesting dude everything looks like it's super high quality craftsmanship!
It's quite strange and profound to watch this video, and know that one of my guitars was on that production line a while back. Great video!
Great steady filming. So often factory tours pan so fast you can't see much but this video is really good. Looks like this is where my EC1000 is from, great guitar with zero flaws...
If some guitar shop owner from Mexico is watching this:
Quiero una guitarra Chapman, hagan lo posible por traerlas!
Nice video, enjoy the trip Mr. Chapman!
Wow, one of those ML- 2s might be the one I get next month!!!! So excited...
Wait so let me get this straight... ALL those brands go to the same factory. MIND BLOWN. Holy crap how huge is the place?!?! Also - the people in this factory do some wonderful work - some really excellent guitars. And the flame top on that unfinished V...
Awesome video man, thanks for sharing.
Fascinating! Surprised how many skilled people are involved, I'd assumed the 'factory' would be a largely automated affair? I'm delighted to see this isn't the case.
It's cool to see your guitars next to all these other brands
Glad u did that Rob. I bought a 'Cort ' electric guitar once. Unbelievable build quality and parts for the money. Then I saw a You Tube video where a Korean employee had complained about the awful working conditions for the employees. I felt so guilty , I struggled to play it after that. Hope things have changed and people have become more aware of exploitation since the emergence and empowerment of social media.
ML1 with a maple neck...? Yes please!
awesome... now I understand where the superior build quality comes from... makes me consider to buy another one ;)
really happy to see how they are made, I think I'm gonna get one when I'm good enough, I'm not worthy right now
Thanks for this great video!
Oh man... I don't know how to feel about it: I bought a PRS Tremonti SE in a wonderful whaleblue colour (and sure, that's a very nice guitar). But two days later I found you, Chappers, and your amazing guitar company. I'd love one of those guitars, they are sooo awesome!
Great backing track!
Hey Rob, since Chap guitars is basically one of the very few british brands out there, would you ever consider making guitars painted with some "british racing green" love? i mean, green guitars are sooo rare but so beautiful...you could be one of the very few guys out there offering green guitars, beeing british, and racing green all at the same time...it would be awesome...someone agree?
Looking forward to seeing dorje in Newcastle at the think tank in 2015. Can't wait. Loves the vid rob
Will you guys be doing your own merch? I'd love to have a quick chat
Good for you man!
I'm really surprised that so many brands are made in the same exact factory, side by side.
This is just one rare moment that I'm proud to be a Korean for some reason XD
this video was awesome, i feel like you finally revealed the secret of these companies, ive been so curious on the factory my schecters are made in, and im pleasantly surprised!! do they do the inlays there also?
Saw the youtube video where you brought Nelly into the attention of the rest of the world, nice to see a real life Samaritan! Nelly is starting to reach his potential,you should give yourself a massive pat on the back,I know Nelly thanks you..but thanks from his subscribers and viewer's. .I wished i could've helped him as you have, he's on his feet by the looks of things, and a I think alot of that is down to you and your mates,I only really play acoustic guitar, never really had the opportunities to play electric, ive always played at night and if I tried electric. .I always ended up running over and turning it down..I sold my resonator coz I was skint but my slide guitar i use was going to the dump if I didn't want it!thats where slide gets its roots from anyway, the black slaves etcetera only had access to old beaten guitars where you could hardly push the strings down..i'm gonna have a look on Google to see where your shop is, I live in Southampton at the moment, I want to move but i'm trapped here at the moment, i've got problems that will follow me wherever I go..but if your in Brighton i'll come and say hello if its o.k.? Can't afford and don't really need any more guitars at the moment, would love another resonator. .but want to move first anyway! DON'T WORRY MAN! THIS ISNT A BEGGING LETTER- TEXT TYPE THING! I'm guitared up to my eyeballs. .I'm no snob about electric guitars-people think coz I don't have that calling at the moment. .I slate electric. .or as captain beefheart called them-machine guitars! They are wrong..luv nellys sound-wahwah funk is off the scale. Will find your shop, and will thank you for helping Nelly personally (nellys got a fan..not a stalker). .and probably score some strings. .I like the thicker ones, 10s are abit twangy for what I play, tryed 13s once..but I needed famous 80s strong man"Geoff capes's phone number, to get him to come and push them down for me..I go for 12s! Take it easy man.
Looks like that guitar factory caters to all Korean-made brand guitars. Cool!
I think this settles it once and for all that guitars and Instruments in general made in the far east and south korea in particular are fantastic quality.
Cool bro, im watching all the way from brazil.
I'm glad this factory actually upholds proper health standards - I once saw a video tour of some Chinese factory where the workers who were applying the paint jobs didn't have masks!
I don't even play bass but i think that bass is one of the nicest I've seen!
Greetings Mr. Chapman! I'm a fan of yours in Korea. I've never thought that you would be here in Korea. Are you having a great time in Korea with your lovely guitars? Can I ask you when will you leave Korea and go back to your home? 'cause I really want to get your autograph and you know meet my youtube guitar hero.
Hi Won-Yong, I am in Korea for the rest of the week - I will be in Seoul for a few days at the end of the week for shopping etc. Maybe I'll post up a meeting point while I am in Seoul ;-)
Thank you so much Chapman! I can't believe this!! Since I live in Seoul it would be great to meet you here! Have a nice day time mr. Chapman, I'll be wating for that day! Until then, I'll be enjoying your wonderful tour videos!
I was hoping to see one of the new V shaped guitars, but still was pretty amazing see the massive stock of templates in the factory \m/
great vid! lots of PRS SE too!
Got my Hot Rod today. Thank you!!!
Think i have no choice other than to order a Chapman guitar!!
Interesting incite into the world of guitar making
I think it's world music factory they work for PRS, Schecter,Ltd and Chapman, they make real greats instruments.
Greetings from Canada :)
so this is where my korean dean was made i saw a couple deans hanging its pretty cool to see that yeah there are different brands but when it comes down to it alot of them were touched by the same hands even if they are different brands thats cool
This video is turning me on.. so much wood... ;) .. Seriously thou 2 of my guitars were made in this factory :)
Crazy to think that two of my guitars have come from that factory
Looks great! :)
Korean manufacturing is the new Japan, you have a look at what they have done with guitars, cars etc in the last decade. Thanks for the insight as a lot of people don't realize that will most manufacturing is shared within certain factories within that particular industry. Food is a good example.
Nice guitars, the les Paul body shape that one sounds like an Epiphone les Paul with EMG pickups and the V shape sounds like an made in Korea stratocaster but made in Korea sounds like a Gibson explorer and same time made in Canada strat, Nice guitars bought one loved it😀
Please Rob, make sure those employees use ear plugs at all times. Really nice and interesting video. You must be proud.
That's awesome.