Chapman Guitars - A quick My2Cents
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- Опубліковано 17 жов 2024
- After a million questions from the community what my opinion on the Chapman guitars is, I decided to spend a few minutes with them at Thomann and see what they have to offer. This is just a first impression with the guitars as they were in the store. This is not a full REVIEW, but rather the kind of testing you would do in the store before you buy...
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Here are some links to Thomann...
ML1 Midnight Sky
www.thomann.de...
Cap10 America
www.thomann.de...
ML3 Pro
www.thomann.de...
ML2 Pro Modern Dusk
www.thomann.de...
Ghost Fret Pro Dusk
www.thomann.de...
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Gear from this video at Sweetwater:
Here is tons of stuff I use in my videos...
imp.i114863.ne...
Current LIMITED TIME deals:
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This is actually a good way to review guitars, at least then the reviewer isn't getting a cherry picked guitar sent to him that has had extra work done on it to make it perfect.
Thank you for truly speaking your mind. Subscribed and recommending your channel to all the guitarists I know.
You sure caught those guitars off guard!!
Great video, Henning, thanks. I have an ML1 that I bought 4 years ago and I love it. It is so easy to play, as soon as I picked it up it felt like I'd been playing it for years. I recommend Chapman to anyone.
Shame about that ML2's electronics, but that can happen to any brand. The ML2 I just got in is freaking killer! Hopefully we can see your full studio reviews soon :)
Thanks Hunter... I would really like to check out the ML2 Pro with familiar amps and speakers.
Agufish ML2 demo coming up soon?
Agufish yes!! Finally!!
I recently got an ML2 Pro and everything checked out and I am very happy with it in all aspects. I suppose with Chapman moving their manufacture to India that the made in Korea Pro models are limited to what is in stock now. Mine totally matched my expectation for what I wanted in a high end Korean guitar, which was a motivating factor in my purchase as I wanted this guitar made by WMI.
I tried the CAP 10 America a few weeks back and I liked it, big chunky neck, easy to play. Would I buy one?.... I doubt it.
Thanks for the review, I am now buying a PRS SE instead of the Chapman.
Jeffrey telmo Best comment on here!!! 😂😂👌🏻👌🏻💯💯
Really like the off the cuff first reaction reviews. Good job. I'll be back.on your site again. in my view the quality of guitars today is quite good. Differences come down to voicing and looks. Thanks.
Ugh - I won't touch anything Chapman-related.
26 minutes is quick for henning
well... it was 5 guitars!
Benzenicide hahaha you beat me to it. That's what she said :D
I used to want one of these. But after playing 3 of them i went for a second hand fender american standard. Much better at around the same price of the cap10.
I like that your quick video is close to 30 minutes. Just feels good in a stressed out world where exterior goes over interior... 😎👍🤓
Why would Thomann have poorly set up / broken guitars on their sales floor? Yes, it's a big store, but I wasn't expecting a Guitar Center experience from them.
David Woods It can always happen everywhere. Just bad luck for Henning I guess.
David Woods thomann lives off it's mega online store and they do have a good customer service there. In the store ? Not so much to be honest. I live a 1.5hr drive away and visited it numerous times and the in-store guitar department really isn't what you'd expect. As a regular kinda guy you can't play any guitar priced over 7-800 bucks and even these are rare. Everything else you have to ask if they can bring you one which tends to take a solid hour...
The amp room is nice though but staff gets grumpy when you play loud. Which sucks, what volume do they expect me to try out on a 100w tube amp ? Not gonna use it im my bedroom. You're better off ordering online and just sending it back since their return policy is very good
I made the same expirience. Went there to check out Squier Classic Vibes. They were set up badly, had broken electronics and a broken blade switch. It is impressive to see, but if your`re trying to find the right guitar an get a right impression, do the ordermoneyback thing, or find a local, trusty guitar shop!
Robert Koslowski Too bad Thomann is like that ... was gonna drive a couple hours to go there during my last trip to Germany - good thing I didn't... thought they would allow people to try all the expensive guitars they have.. really too bad as it seems they have an expensive guitar room somewhere ... maybe only for people they "approve" - really crappy way to do business to people who take the time to drive to their store .. but they are out in the middle of nowhere and probably dont get a lot of visitors.
Tricko yeah you didn't miss too much. I'd recommend visiting Session music in Frankfurt am Main. They have really nice staff and let you play all guitars they stock.
Thanks for an interesting and informative review. Sadly, you are not the first person to have this kind of experience of Chapman guitars. I have a 2 year old Korean ML1. It's flawless with average electronics which you want to change. But that was the idea: a very good guitar that you could make your own. Great. What have we got now? Overpriced Indonesian guitars with poor Q.C. and overpriced Korean guitars. When you go for style over substance in this industry you soon get found out. I value your reviews. Thanks again.
I absolutely agree. They should've just stuck with the mid range guitars made in Korea. Because those are absolutely great.
The first guitar isn't from the 2017 range, is it? My answer came later in the video.
hi Henning.. would you do comparison on different guitar cables?
Is it a maple cap or a veneer? Because from the side reveal, it looks like a maple cap. A veneer is typically much thinner.
I bought a ML-3 pro shadow blackJust like Henning played in the video. Mine sounds and feels great. No issues ( bought and setup by riff city). Surprised by the hating going on. Know that everyone has a preference, I guess mine for a tele style guitar ( with stainless steel frets, rounded edged fret board, brass saddles etc) is a chapman. Very pleased with my purchase and feel it was $$$ well spent..
Love the explorer-shape Chapman... and the exploring polecat at the end!
Good job Henning, I love to watch you video....
Stop judging the sound people ;)
its just a shotgun mic in the room...good video henning.
+Cory Mura thanks Cory! I clearly said that the sound will not be the issue here but rather me checking out the guitars because people asked me over and over again!
Can you explain Wireless guitar systems and how they work because I use a Y cable, cause i have a Piezzo, 1 in the amp 1 in the DI Box going to the PA Mixer.
IT's not full. It's thin... There is no umph to the sound... NOT ROUND. skinny.. Want skinny tone, get a Chapman.
I'd have expected Thomann to do a decent setup for guitars that are going out into their shop.
Can't really judge Chapman for shop guitars which may have had rough treatment and less than diligent setup.
The build faults like the misaligned tuners are clearly down to Chapman. The electrical faults could be manufacturing or handling, hard to say without getting the back off.
Yes, I agree and I hope that I communicated this in the video!
KozmykJ you can't polish a turd.
Jay Jackson You can but you have to varnish it first ;^)
QC= embarrassing on Chapman... on the other hand your videos are great!!!
I tried so many guitars, found the Vintage V100 L.P. and it ricks in all areas, very happy with it. I was thinking of a Chapman but... thx again for all your hard/fun work. Your attitude in general is tits up :-)
I went to Andertons about a year ago and played the Chapmans they had in stock. Sadly, I can't say that I liked any of them. Just not my thing, I thought the tones/pickups were lack lustre, they felt cheap (especially the satin finishes) and the neck and fret jobs were just uncomfortable (for me). I play Fender, Musicman and PRS, I like fat, C shape and thin necks alike, they just have to be comfy and work well. Personally, I couldn't get on with the Chapman thing.
Don't get me wrong, it could be what you're looking for, but I'd genuinely buy a Squire Classic Vibe Tele over any of these. Also, I love what Rob and Lee do for the UA-cam community, it's top banana.
Chapman guitars felt like Squier in all honesty. The Jackson JS22 I tried when I also tried a Chapman on that particular time, felt, and sounded better.
As I recall when he first started Chapman guitars it was to give you a good body at a good price with generic electronics because that's what people change to get a different sound. Somewhere along the way they went off on this different tanget and started with the more expensive models.
I could be wrong and I apologize beforehand if I am, but I feel you weren't completely sincere on this quick review.
Like some other people pointed out, almost all of these guitars had some kind of fault or impurities.
I have the feeling that if these guitars where Gibsons and not a brand of a fellow youtuber, you would be all over the place about how bad the quality control is and how these would be overpriced compared to some other brands.
I'm just talking about the build quality and the faults they had and not about how they sound, you indeed can't judge that with only a room mic.
I could be wrong but it seems I'm not the only one who got that feeling.
I have heard good things about Chapman guitars tough so... don't know, an in depth review from you would be welcome :)
I was careful because these were guitars that had been in the store for a bit... projecting certain problems on the whole brand might not be fair. I gave my first impression, nothing more. If you'd test them in the store you might also forgive an E-String that needs to be readjusted. If the switch doesn't work you might ask them to get you another one from the warehouse and point out that this one needs to be serviced. None of that stuff might turn you of and not make you buy the guitar.
Generally they seemed to be in the price range that they are in and there are some other brands that have similar problems or are in worse shape when they arrive.
Generally speaking... the quality of guitars in the 1000-1400 Euro price range is going down.
The only company who impressed me lately was Fender... with Charvel, Jackson etc... they seem to be a bit above the competition. Who would have thought?
I most certainly would want to check out the Chapman Guitars here at home...
But would I want them direct from the factory or ones that Chapman Guitars checked and prepped???
Fair point!
I have to agree on Fender or even Squier for that matter. I had a classic vibe telecaster that was just awesome! Sold it to get an Ibanez Roadcore though so no huge regrets :)
I really hope to own a Fender tele with humbuckers one day tough, always intrigued me!
EytschPi42 Let's be real here. They were announced at NAMM this year and arrived at stores what, April? May? Barely 4 months in the store is by no means a long time or long enough for "abuse" to show, mind you store guitars are supposed to sell the product and thus often is kept in best possible condition.
I was wondering, those houses around the Thomann "plant", are they inhabited mostly by Thomann employees, making it a "Thomann village" or are the majority just people that lived there before Thomann was was implanted ?
This was interesting, if only because we rarely hear guitars on UA-cam played under the conditions that most ordinary people get to evaluate a new guitar: not much time, small room, low volume, manufacturer's choice of strings...
It sounds as though the camera mike was picking up a lot of sound directly from the face of the guitars, so they sound much thinner and brighter than they would purely from the amp. Judging by the way the strings were wobbling around, I'd guess that a change to a heavier gauge would also have a positive effect on the tone.
Absolutely... I think the guitars have 9s and 10s would be a better choice.
I was sitting in front of the amp and it was a shotgun mic... you can't really go by the sound in their video at all.
I always wondered about getting one of these. Its nice to hear someone play these without all the overdrive which can cover the flaws...I think they look great but there definitely seem to be some quality control issues here. Tuning keys out of line, strings buzzing, wiring issues...seems like the ghost may have been the only one without issues. Definitely wouldn't get one without getting my hands on it first... Thanks HP42
Set up is critical and the reason shops like Andertons, Riff City and Thomann have techs review the guitars before dispatch. Maybe the question here is why Thomann aren't on top of the store guitars, but hey you can always ask them to bring another one out from stock
the new standard line is a step down compaired to the old chapmans. I don´t get the pricing of the new pro line. Schecter offers similar spected guitars for a similar pricing, but doesn´t sale directly. So where are those 20 - 30 %, that can be safed in chappers sales concept. Woods, the capman hardware and Pickups. Is it the case?
Btw those pickups doesn´t sound conving in my opinion (I know it´s a sthotgun mike, but on Anderton´s channel there are some propper miked presentations available.)
Thanks for the honest review shame their are some quality control issues.
I never understand why a guitar shop would put on display a guitar that has not been perfectly set up and tested .. I'm there to test a guitar not to imagine how good it might be if set up correctly ... too many stores do this and it pisses me off.
Thanks for the great content. This is the way a quick review should be. I think that the store should have went through and give them a good setup before displaying them. I don't think Chapman guitars are bad. I do think there's probably a chance of having QC issues but that's the reason you buy them from a music store. When the guitars are constructed properly, they look like they could be very good instrument.
this was a really interesting watch to see you jam your way through 5 guitars, its a shame they were faulty in areas and not set up properly.
its also incredibly strange how the ml3 didn't have NYXL strings when every chapman is meant to come with them. honestly though, not to undermine thomann because the place is legendary, but i feel that MOST of these issues could have been avoided if they were examined properly before hand.
either way i think you just pulled a couple of short straws by chance for your proper first impression of the brand. great video my man.
Bet Rob is gonna love this video !!
+GuitarGuitar I think they are good guitars... why wouldn't he love this video? I said nothing against them..., they have to get their QC straightened out, that's all... the core of the instrument is good!
This probably isn't the best video to judge them but I've seen a few others including one that I think was on Andertons channel and the new models sounded underwhelming for the price, looked like they where really limiting the player, even the one that's almost £900.
All I can add to this is that I own a Traditional ML3 (from before there was the split into pro and standard, nowadays it would be a Pro series guitar) and not only is it absolutely gorgeous (which, to be honest, almost all Chapmans are) it also plays great. It also has a great traditional Tele sound, which wasn't all that important for me though, I just put a Bareknuckle in there. Didn't have any issues with it that needed to be fixed.
Thank you Henning. Good overview and the disclaimers (e.g. sound quality) were perfectly valid and right to mention. Ignore the ignorant trolls, they seem to just enjoy hating on the brand and I doubt they are really interested in how the guitars actually perform. I also doubt that many of them have ever even tried one in person before forming such ignorant opinions about the guitars.
I can't speak for the new line up, but I have a few of the "legacy" Chapmans I purchased from Riff City and they are awesome. The quality of those exceeded other guitars in their respective price range.
I bought a Chapman ML1 natural with bag (display) from the NAMM14 thru Ryan, of R&A Music.. it's made in Korea and quality is very good.. there were no signs of use and it's perfect all around.. of course Ryan did the setup for very good action.. I feel it is much better quality than the 2017 standard series.. and since Chapman Guitar had it at the NAMM, it should have been checked more over.. too bad I don't have COD of authenticity.. it's a great guitar.. has organic sound when coil-tap bridge
Alaric Tin thanks man!! We definitely went to great lengths to make sure every guitar we sent out was in great shape.
I've been following Chapman guitars for a while, this is the first I've seen with bad electronics/set-up/build quality. Henning, I think you should definitely do a full Chapman review in your studio.
Nice video. I could definitely work with any of those guitars and tweak them to my liking. I would love to see a Suhr Guthrie Govan model or perhaps the Modern similar review since i keep reading about how awe inspiring they are at the higher end of the market.Bet that would be a mega fun experience.
899 and made in Korea ? no thanks
Nice video as usual. Are you still playing the Chicken Picks?
+Rocco Tanoh yes!
The previous CAP-10 was cheaper than that, about 500€ more or less, was made in Korea and had Seymour Duncan Jazz and JB as humuckers. That was worth the price, but now, I wouldn't pay for it as the new line CAP10 is about 800€. I am a bit disappointed by the new line of Chapman Guitars.
I had a chapman cap10 blackout for a while. It always sounded really good, but the set-up was always wonky feeling even after taking it to techs it didn't feel right. So i had to sell it. I also had a buddy who sold them and constantly was having QC issues with what he got. And even as a small shop had no choice but to make orders in bulk (like 20 guitars or something at a time)
Is it me, or these guitars just don't sound too good?
The amp was not mic-ed and you are only hearing a shotgun mic in the room... you can't go by what you are hearing here... I also pointed that out!
Your voice sounds like your voice in the video - albeit, not a quality recording - but still acceptable enough to determine if something sounds really bad or not.
VoxPathfinder15R it's not you. It's the guitars.
well in his videos he is probably using a similar recording setup for his voice. In one of his last videos (the one about the rode mic) he shows you what he is using for voice. But his guitar sounds in the studio are either miced, or with a highly-priced cab simulation. Not room sound at all.
I think what I don't like about Henning, similar to a lot of other people on here, is that their recordings sound really processed to me and not organic at all. Close mic'd always using the same cab in a sound proof box then running tons of eq, and compression. Everything sounds the same after a while. I like to hear the room sound.
I think Chapman nailed it with the traditional tele-styles guitar and the ghostfret. My only concern is the ml-1 pro/normal traditional, which I wanted to play or watch an extensive review. Do you plan on making one Henning?
I would love to spend some time with them here in the studio.... we talked about that and it might happen at some point. I just needed to stop the many many messages that asked me for my opinion, so I took them off the wall at Thomann and checked them out there.
You should review the vintage by wilkinson guitars, I want to know if they would be a good upgrade from harley benton. Plz
I bought a Cap10 America and it's been great! Position 2 and 4 sound great. The only down side is that there's no coil split.
For the bridge? I wouldn't think that this is something that it needs to have!
EytschPi42 I'm just being picky, the Seymour Duncans sound awesome. It would've taken it to another level if the neck pickup was split.
Isn't it that with high action you should hope the guitar is easy setup-able? There's lots of videos on YT showing guitars of famous makes (F&G) that turn out to need one or several hours to get playable, buzz-free or in tune. So the reassuring 'matter of setup' is too easily said, imo. When you buy in a shop it is service, but when bought on the interent and you need someone to look after it for an hour, the guitar gets much more expensive.
I have an ML 2 (Natural finish) for 2 years now and I love it since the day I got it. Amazing playability and versatile sounds. The set up out of box was spot-on too. (My ML2 was a mail order from Thomann) There was never anything wrong with it and I would buy another chapman anytime.
I agree that ML 2 in the video should not come with a switch that doesn't work. Should never have managed to get through quality control. The sound in this video doesn't really represent the true tone of the guitar though.
I've owned 3 Chapman's in the past and I wouldn't buy one again. Definitely spec'd out but the electronics are SHIT. I had to have all mine replaced with decent pots and wiring. I had an ML1 ASH, ML2 CLASSIC & ML3 MODERN. I can't say about these but from what you have demo'd I'm not impressed.
That's a pain dude, spending extra to make them usable. Did you get good money back when you sold them or were they hard to shift on?
Thankfully, electronics are very cheap to replace (not that it should be necessary, mind).
Robstafarian Well yes. But that must show they are cutting corners to begin with. And not everyone can change them themselves. Getting someone else to do it cost money.
B Thomas From the beginning Chapman have spent more on the guitar so the easily changed stuff, i.e. electronics, can be upgraded. Seems reasonable to me. But the challenge for Chapman is to make the standard range as good as the old models generally were, but I think they're having some teething troubles. Even Gibson can't seem to ship a £2000 guitar lately that is fully up to scratch on the QC.
Also, didn't Henning say these were models in the shop? So they've been used and abused by people, which may be where some of the glitches come from.
Pádraig Floyd I'm fully aware of the ethos of Chapman guitars. I'm damning the products because on 3 different guitars from 3 different batch's I had problems. I can forgive the ml1 as it was priced well. The other two, no unacceptable. Yes there will always be faulty items that slip through the net when mass producing items. But having electronics crap out 3 times is bad. But alas I will concede they were the old models, not these new one.
I'm shocked at the ML2 pro given its price point! Given how highly Chapman and associates have talked the new pro models up. Remember Lee and Rob both said the new pro guitar's were a little bit more expensive due to the guitars being the best the factory could make. Surely you would have put good quality electronics in as well as the other high end stuff? Let's hope the second batch's are better and improved. Yes some Gibson's can have their problems but it's economies of scale. If you buy a Les Paul for $650 there are going to be problems just based on the fact of how much they cost to manufacture in the USA. I recently owned a 2016 Les Paul studio HP and I couldn't have been happier. Cost 1k and the finish was flawless! Maybe i got lucky but she was a stunner.
As first impressions go it could have gone better. On the build quality issues, you can see every guitar has been played, covered in finger marks and probably needs a service. I'm surprised more attention hasn't been payed to the setup. But it isn't the first time guitars from Thomann haven't had a good setup. I'm looking forward to a long in depth review of these with Henning.
Apart from the bad QC, which should not exist considering how they say the quality is fantastic, none of the guitars seems to have a character. They should have added well regarded hardware and pickups. Really not into the colours. Also that headstock and inlay....no.
2017 Les Paul Tribute with reveal binding can be had in the UK for £600 new....2017 SG Standard with a hardcase £850-1000. I own both and I hate poor QC, but both are great!
PS - great reviews as usual! Thanks.
Adjusted , because people can break stuff could have arrived in good order but trough customer use it could have been broken , still saf to see immense prices on them .
Can we get a proper review?? That would be awesome Henning!!
Henning knows his shit.
I would like the CAP 10 model better if the middle pickup were height adjustable as it lowers the volume in positions 2, 3 and 4. I saw in another video it was designed that way but I don't think it was a good design "feature."
I have an ML3 RC which is a pretty neat guitar apart from faulty electronics, faulty pots to be precise.
Surprised at the electronics issues in a guitar of that price. Maybe this one slipped through QC.
Probably... maybe it broke while being used in the store and nobody told the sales staff... this can happen.
Had a Fender Jim Root Strat shipped from thomann with a broken poti, so yeah. Could happen with every manufacturer.
It should not break and should not develope this kind of issues when getting played in a store . Other youtuber had quality issues with this "Brand" too. These are low quality instruments with a price tag out of their league and you know this very well
to be faire a had a switch broke on a prs se too, so i think its to be expected of all those prs chapman ltd ect... from the same factorie....
By that logic a USA made fender is als "Brand" with low quality and a price tag out of its league
Rob Chapman has done well with his UA-cam career and he has hordes of teenage followers who dream of buying a guitar with their hero's name on the headstock. Apologies to these young fans who will rally to defend their hero, but I haven't liked any of the Chapman guitars I've tried. New guitar students are drawn to the cheaper models but don't keep them very long, and to me the higher-spec'd models aren't good value for money.
But isn't it how Gibson/Fender got their fame? Teens 30-40 years ago going after guitars their heroes were playing?
Yes, but in the case of Chapman Guitars there are really only two heroes: Rob Chapman and his mate Rabea. Plus those early Fenders and Gibsons were beautifully made and great-playing instruments. But Chapman has done a lot to get the kids excited about playing guitar, so big respect to him for that, and if I were younger I'd probably be caught up in the hype too.
gibson and fender were beautifully made? dude the cbs fender era is shit and gibson norlin era the quallity was shitty and still is
ForViewingOnly I'm 46 and I'll buy one, been playing since I was 15
the burst maple board 3 pu sounds if it has some intonation/ set-up issues. that G chord was beating excessively.
What happened to affordable Korean made Chapmans that felt totally VFM, like the 375£ ML1 or the older but crazier Chinese 199£ ML1? These seem rather pricey!
a few of these were the brand new PRO versions that are much nicer and have much better specs, like locking tuners etc.
EytschPi42 True that. But at the lower price points, are the current cheaper "standard range" Chapmans as good (and as consistent in quality) as the similarly priced Korean Chapmans they replace?
you wanted to do a dream rig with no budget challenge with robert baker. whats up with that?
the footage was corrupted
oh no!!! i was so looking forward to this. you have to do it again :D
I've played most of the range and think they are OK. Nothing about them stands out to me but they are useable guitars.
I've only owned the one Chapman guitar and 1 was enough. We've had to completely replace all the electronics in just 2 years of use. The pots and switch were completely shot and unusable. The neck pickup also shorted out for some strange reason (uncovered cavity - collects sweat and dust). From the word go, the guitar just pings all over the place. Just weird rattling noises everywhere. The nut was twice as thick as it needed to be, and square around the edges, making it uncomfortable to hit with your hand. It won't stay in tune. The reverse headstock is a huge pain in the a$$ to tune.
None of the above was inexcusable at the old price point. But now you're turning away the actual brands these copy. Now you're turning away US made guitars that have something Chapman guitars will never have. Resale value. If you're struggling to buy a guitar, I would point you at Fender every single time. And I'd further point you at the used marker FULL of high quality used Fender's and Gibson's.
I've been waiting for the new Chapman lineup and announcement at W-NAMM 2017. I even took part in the voting of some features. I really was positive about the brand and men behind it, but I'm getting more and more disappointed. My first shock was the prices of the new line. The affordable line is too rubbish to me, the pro line is overprized. When I complained about the high prices, they explained them with brexit and GBP and things like that. Well, the British voted for that and I'm not gonna pay for their decision. This video gave us some clue about the QC sloppyness too. I was never a fan of this Victory amp either. None of the guitars sound convincing with it. I think I'll let go Chapman guitars and search for an alternative for this price-range. As I see, the guitars don't sell too well, so Rob and the Team is on a worldwide roadshow to promote and try to visit the most viewed YT-channels. Thank You for the fast review, Henning, I'm still looking forward to see a detailed, usual good Eytschpi-video about these guitars.
im a bit sad about all the negative comments. In my oppinion the mic doesn´t do the sound of the guitars justice. I think we are all a bit to spoiled by amazing studio sound, especially from Henning...
I mean in order for him to judge these guitars he would kinda need to do more than play them in clean and out of tune with powerchords. Weird how everyone hates on them for how they sound here, again, clean and out of tune and on chapmans videos with proper settings (and literally any other review video) they sound absolutely amazing.
+Adrian Soul I fully agree with that statement... I didn't think they were bad at all and the sound in this video was never meant to form an opinion.. people wanted to know what I think and based on this experience I think they are pretty cool guitars and I didn't say anything other than that!
+1000usd explorers: Gibson or Ghostfret?
+Filipe Soares O think they will sound radically different... they are different concepts, it similar shapes
EytschPi42 still, pricewise at the same category. I do recognize that Korean guitars improved a lot, but fit more than a thousand euro/USD I'd rather usa/japan in general terms. No doubt it is a gorgeous guitar, I need to test one asap.
So the next video will be "Katana Amps - A quick My2Cents"?
I tried.... but the room was always occupied!
Well... what can you do. Although... their new Mini... I'd really be curious if it is really as good as people say it is. And if it holds up to something like the Yamaha's THR10 or the Blackstar Fly3. A small bedroom Amp comparison... that would be nice.
They're voiced on the bright side, most likely because Rob himself prefers a harsher brighter tone. Just a guess.
Mr Henning I think this is great ,spur of the moment stuff, walk into a guitar shop and actually try guitars, kinda natural to
me,I like to hear the sound of the guitar without the amp as well.
🎸🎸🎸
I've heard other Chapman guitars that sounded much better. It sounded like these guitars needed to be setup.
Obviously the electronics were having issues, but that can be attributed to many different things, and does not mean that the entire line is crap. There are a lot of videos out there with people unboxing and demoing their new Chapman guitars, and not having the same issues as the ones in this video.
16:56 My Chapman ML1 has this problem with the pickup switch... only works if you push it a certain way
Real shit show with the comments today Henning,way to poke the bear with a stick haha! Really would like to here these through the Revv and hopefully with a proper setup... Always have had an eye out for the ML-1 and it would be nice to see you giving it a fair run in the studio rather than the trusty shotgun mic. Kind of a bummer about the tuning head issues and minor electronic stuff, but there is no such thing as perfection in every guitar company. Shit breaks, bad bunches happen and people need to remember, can't bag it till you try it :-) Best as always!
I have a Korean ML-1 (now discontinued ). You do see them 2nd hand. They don't go for much money. You may need to look at the electrics but the rest of the guitar tends to be superb (apparently made in the same factory as the Korean PRS SE ).
Did I hear "Aucun problem" ? Your French is good man :)
I don't think I said that... I don't know that word.... but maybe my French is sooooo good that I don't even know how good it is!
EytschPi42 what did you say around 15:05? I'm sure that I hear aucun problem lol
After reading the comments it's obvious no one listened when you said the sound was the camera mic only. No fan of the man but his guitars come from the same factories that makes some very big names so they can't be too bad.If he spent another dollar on some pick up rings they would look a lot better :P
Well 3 out of the 4 original dealers in the US dropped them, the only one who still carries them is the guy who pays Rob now to do videos. Something to think about. If they were so great, how come dealers are not falling over themselves to sell them? Maybe a lack of QC and consistency could be at the heart of this brand. Just a thought.
Is that right? 3 of the 4 dropped them? I do remember Phil McKnight commenting on his channel that he found the Chapman guys very difficult to deal with when he was trying to stock them in his store. Gave up in the end. Makes you think they don't really want dealers involved and just sell direct over the net via the Riff City link up. Distribution costs also maybe.
I’ve tried a couple of these guitars in stores and I would never waste money on one. Squier, Schecter, and Ibanez have guitars of much higher quality in this price range.
Old Chapman - Professional quality guitar at a low price point.
New Chapman (Standard) Average quality guitar at an average price point.
Anyone can spec the shit out of a guitar if price is isnt a concern.
MAKE CHAPMAN GREAT AGAIN 2018!!
Seriously, none of these guitars sounds or looks worth the price. A mex strat puts the second one in the vid to shame by far. And is more beautiful. And has fender written on it. And you end up with 200€ change. WTF?
well... you heard a shotgun mic in the room and I said that...
All the more reason to want to do a proper review at his studio. Would like to see what some new fresh from storage guitars are like, and not some shop guitars with obvious imperfections.
You are right. Watch the videos over at Andertons, where they got expensive amps, mic etc. Doesn´t make it much better. Finally, it is up to everyone´s taste, but these guitars are not for me.
John O RA I'd love to hear that in direct comparison. Having said that, it would take much longer. Do it at home Henning pretty please!
EytschPi42 I love how relateable your vids are, regular awesome dude in less than perfect environment, head with just a hint of makeup... ;-)
I have always thought these guitars sounded pretty bad. those pickups sound like garbage...
the mike picking up the direct sound of the guitar didnt do the sound any favours and by the looks of the comments, has caused a lot of people to think less of them.
I am surprised the cap10 doesnt coil split as the original did. perhaps it is the cap 10 america that doesnt have the split.
look forward to a proper review.
That was a Cap10 America
I feel that Rob Chapman should watch this video and then commence with the knocking of some heads in the quality department of Chapman guitars.
Hmm, not sure what to think on these. I've always liked the idea of Chapman guitars, but they seem to be too much of a gamble. There's no way to make a good decision based solely on the mic, and I've always hated Victory amps, but they sound very dull. Like they're dead. That could all be the mic though. I just can't see why I would ever choose one of these over a more established brand. I suppose they'll have to learn from this mistake. Every company goes through growing stages. If they pay attention to their sales, and perspective buyers, maybe next year will be better.
The problems here are more like Thomann not making a proper QC or setup on the guitars. Can only say that the ML2 Classic is really great ... actually I still replaced the wiring - but only to get a coil split rather than out of phase on the stock guitar.
+Scott Wallace yes, I would say that is correct... I didn't really find any major flaws with the guitars other than a consistent misalignment of the tuners... but only very very small... nothing functional... just not super nice.
The guitars were good... could have been set up better!
Room audio is not as nice sounding but it gives a better idea of what the guitar sounds like in person to my ears. I don't listen to a guitar im playing though an SM57, i listen to the sound in the room while im playing. I prefer room mics for reviews.
Robert Ruiz but rooms can sound massively different, so most probably a guitar will sound different in your room than in the reviewers room. Doesn't make sense...
+Robert Ruiz With respect, it seems you are not familiar with acoustics.
Got to agree with you there Robert Ruiz, you can't hear how anything related to music will sound in room when using an sm57 (even if you pull it back), especially the SM57, there are mics out there that give a more realistic sound even when mic'ed up close (the e609 and similar are quite good for that). You just hear what the thing sounds like when going through an sm57. Though i'm not necessarily for room mic'ing because you can get vastly different sounding stuff with a room mic, just against everyone using an sm57 for reviewing when there are so much better mics for a natural sound out there, offer more recording consistency (the SM57 has got to be one of the least consistent mics out there, move it 0.5 cm and it sounds totally different) , and priced similar.
Jan Minor i have heard Chapman guitars in person and the videos when its a room mic sound like what i heard. With the can mic'd it sounds not very different from every other guitar demo that person does. I own a few PRS and when people do cab mic'd demos it does not sound like what i hear when i play mine. Iphone videos of PRS sound like what i hear when i play mine more than those. Im not a recording artist so cab mic'd demos sound nothing like what i hear ever.
To be fair, haven't played a Chapman but recently received a late 2000's Reverend Flatroc in trade - WOW! Always thought these Korean guitars were sort of overpriced gimmicks and more form over function. At least the Reverend blew me away... Beautiful neck, awesome Revtron pups and bass contour control. Seriously never imagined a guitar like that would sound and play close to my USA Gibsons and Fenders but the Reverend was a pleasant surprise. It was a mid to late 2000's Reverend though. At least Reverend tries to make some unique designs. Still nothing like a well setup and worn in Gibson or Fender... (regardless of what the Gibson haters say ... because they can't afford them) there is a reason everybody copies them. No guitar I have ever owned has been as good at QC as my USA PRS but just don't like the PRS style and geometry. Gibsons have their faults but when you find a good one and/or work out the kinks on an imperfect one - there is nothing like it.
OMG, they say BRO in Germany! There goes that country! 🎶🎸
I don't have a Chapman but I've followed them closely. on UA-cam. Several things have struck me a pretty poor in the past couple of years. Several reviews have had some not so great, me too, kind of reviews, This pretty much takes it off my must try list. I do hope that Rob and the Captain have continued success and improve some things, especially on the pickup front. Seems the biggest issues are with electronics and pickups... and of course the crooked tuners. In fact the tone on all of these is really horrid.
Before I watched this video I had the impression that Chapman guitars were made to a higher standard. After this though I kinda get the feeling that they're made more to the standard of low end Epiphones or Squiers but priced at a premium level. It's a little disappointing because if I had the spare cash I might have considered getting an ML2 Pro but now If I had the cash I'd think about spending it elsewhere.
+Dforce 10 You should give them a chance... the issues here were setup issues and not general issues the guitars had.
A charvel SAN Dimas pro mod would blow any of these Chapman guitars away and leave you with £300 extra in your pocket
Can't stand reverse headstock and since the Chapman line is 95% reverse headstock I'll probably never own one. I have OCD so it'll bug me to death, just my opinion. The $1300 guitar was broken OMG. Beas sig guitar and baritone are the best ones but still reverse head stock tho.
All the older Chapman guitars have that budget electronics like is found in most import guitars in that price range . Not the worst or the best .
These don't sound anything like my ML1...dear god, mine came set up perfectly (from Riff City) and it's a good guitar. It's what I expected and definitely doesn't sound like the guitars in this video.
What a shame, I was saving up for the ml2 pro but now I am having 2nd thoughts
+Danny Moisan check it out in a store before you change your mind!
EytschPi42 oh I would but I live on a small island in the channel "Jersey" no not the American one the original real one" and I would have to buy on line and it would definitely be a risk, unless you fancy setting one up for me and guaranteed it's greatness then I could bye it from you x