Just wondering, has anyone actually bought a new Chapman guitar from the new range?

Ro_S

i've never been in the slightest bit interested in any Chapman guitar

impmann

Funkfingers said:

Legionreturns said:

Andertons have shit loads in stock now...because nobody will buy them new lol. I predict that their >£1k models will be on sale for about £600 by June to clear them out. Which of course will screw anyone who pays full price in the mean time, as used value will bomb to about £350. The budget models they have in at around £400 might sell, but then again you can get a PRS SE for not much more. 

Comparison to the PRS SE line is spot on.

PRS SE guitars used to be fairly simple affairs - unpretentious finishes, dot fingerboard inlays, straightforward control circuitry. Since 2016, many of the designs got fancy veneer tops and other non-essential - but, admittedly, attractive - features. These increase the MSRP. 

Chapman Guitars has noted this phenomenon and slavishly imitated it. 

Unfortunately, for the PRS SE range, the price hike means that a pre-owned example from the S2 range makes better economic sense. 

TBH, knowing what I do about guitar production and the costs involved of applying a veneer top per unit... its not these "attractive" features that have contributed to the price increases on PRS SE. Plus the original PRS SE Santana had a flame veneer top...

The basic costs of manufacture in general in Korea are rising - and have been for some time. If you visit South Korea you'd be amazed at the standard of living and the tech they have - when I was last there nearly four years ago, they had 5G as standard for example. Much like Japan before it, the "cheap" manufacturing costs have a limited time frame before the workforces start demanding more rights, more money and a better standard of living. Once that starts to rise, then costs in general start creeping up. World Musical Instruments make guitars for some pretty big guys - and the quality is off-the-charts good. I know, I've QC-checked the factory! When I saw that Chapman were using WMI for some of their manufacture, I was surprised - the only reason PRS could make their guitars at those costs were due to the HUGE volumes that they are made in. I don't think the Chapman guitars are made in that sort of volume.

As for the comment about an S2 vs an SE - its a valid thought. However, the S2s aren't "proper" Maryland PRS and the ones I've played haven't impressed me that much (sorry!). Some of the SEs are truly superb and bear in mind the same workforce make some guitars for other brands that cost four figures... I certainly wouldn't choose one over the other just based on origin - I'd be basing the decision on an individual instrument.

guitarfishbay

PRS have a cheaper line now called SE Standard.

They're closer to the vibe of the original SE's (less blingy) and I think are made elsewhere (IIRC Indonesia?)

They're about £400 for a plain colour guitar.

steer

Some of the sweeping generalisations against this brand on here are a little strange. I have not seen a single person on this thread who has actually played one, so perhaps people ought to do that before casting judgement? 

There are plenty of other brands who have guitars in this price range - where is the hate for them, when you could get a <insert name here> for the same price? 

I have an older, cheaper ML2, which I like. Not seen or played a newer one, so cant really add much more. 

Bridgehouse

Brand takes time to build. It takes effort to maintain it. 

It also requires the ability to demonstrate skill, innovation or technological advancement to capture a wide audience. 

At this point, a brand can lean on it's loyalty. See: Apple with stupidly high priced iPhone X - limited supply but they lean on brand loyalty. 

You could argue Gibson have been doing it for years with their CS offerings, and even their core range nowadays. Also note: lean on your brand loyalty too much or for the wrong reasons and you get Gibson 2015.

It appears to me that Chapman guitars have none of the above, but their brand is built on a bloke who makes videos commenting on guitars, playing some metal, and mucking about in a shop in Guildford. Given recent internet phenomena that sounds like the definition of ephemeral to me.

MagicPigDetective

And what about Shergold, has anyone actually bought one? 

They got a right slagging off here. The black HH looks very nice imho

http://www.peachguitars.com/guitars/electric-guitars/shergold-masquerader-hh-black.htm?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsZS75_SJ2AIV4p3tCh14iAWZEAkYASABEgIOiPD_BwE

impmann

I'm tempted by a modern Shergold to go with my old ones. Sadly, the price is prohibitive, IMHO

Bridgehouse

impmann said:

I'm tempted by a modern Shergold to go with my old ones. Sadly, the price is prohibitive, IMHO

Plus those old ones are rubbish and you should just throw them out. Actually, give it an hour or so then chuck them out at that car hanging around your drive

thegummy

Is there a benefit to having a bigger distance between nut and machine head on the lower strings and I've just remembered the wrong word Richard Fortus used?

Or is he just wrong about it? (He does seem pretty knowledgeable though)

rico

rico said:

The flipped headstock won't increase the tension in the strings. The only thing that will increase the tension (for a given frequency) is increasing the cross-sectional area (string gauge) which proportionally increases the mass of the string. What may change is the force required to fret a note (or bend to a note) based on the change in elasticity as a result of the increased total string length. 

To conclude my post above, there is minuscule difference. 

thegummy

rico said:

rico said:

The flipped headstock won't increase the tension in the strings. The only thing that will increase the tension (for a given frequency) is increasing the cross-sectional area (string gauge) which proportionally increases the mass of the string. What may change is the force required to fret a note (or bend to a note) based on the change in elasticity as a result of the increased total string length. 

To conclude my post above, there is minuscule difference. 

Would the string require more or less force to fret with a longer length between nut and tuner?

No sound difference I take it?

Might need to watch that interview again to hear what he said.

Octafish

thegummy said:

rico said:

rico said:

The flipped headstock won't increase the tension in the strings. The only thing that will increase the tension (for a given frequency) is increasing the cross-sectional area (string gauge) which proportionally increases the mass of the string. What may change is the force required to fret a note (or bend to a note) based on the change in elasticity as a result of the increased total string length. 

To conclude my post above, there is minuscule difference. 

Would the string require more or less force to fret with a longer length between nut and tuner?

No sound difference I take it?

Might need to watch that interview again to hear what he said.

As I posted in response to your original post, scale length (nut to bridge) and string gauge effect tension, D'addario's string tension calculator asks you to specify just string gauge and scale length to work out tension.

A bigger or lesser distance between the nut and tuner for any given scale/string gauge shouldn't make any difference in respect to the force required to fret as the overall string tension (tuner to string ball end) will need to remain the same if you want be in standard tuning.

GoldenEraGuitars

No, but I’d like to try one. Would I buy one? No. They’re heinously overpriced now especially to someone like me who isn’t a metulz player.  

Apart from rehashing the comments already made there’s nothing else I can add really

GoldenEraGuitars

John_A said:

Legionreturns said:

I'm not sure that's true. I think they give the illusion of collaborative design, but I think they still build what they want to build. Otherwise you'd end up with a Franken-guitar! 

Think the issue is the 'collaboration' is with 14 year olds who may well like the design, but have no money to buy one.  You could collaborate with a bunch of 40 somethings but you'd end up with a telecaster

The problem I noticed when I was a member of the RCF was the traffic coming through the site who wanted a purple and orange flying V Guitar with hipshot hardware and (insert brand) pickups. That’s great... the “collaborative design” aspect is a rouse to get people to feel as though they’re part of the process. It’s well known that many votes were changed once they went to design highlighting that the general public know shit all about design. Hence why larger companies employ designers to create their products. 

Octafish

lonestar said:

John_A said:

Legionreturns said:

I'm not sure that's true. I think they give the illusion of collaborative design, but I think they still build what they want to build. Otherwise you'd end up with a Franken-guitar! 

Think the issue is the 'collaboration' is with 14 year olds who may well like the design, but have no money to buy one.  You could collaborate with a bunch of 40 somethings but you'd end up with a telecaster

The problem I noticed when I was a member of the RCF was the traffic coming through the site who wanted a purple and orange flying V Guitar with hipshot hardware and (insert brand) pickups. That’s great... the “collaborative design” aspect is a rouse to get people to feel as though they’re part of the process. It’s well known that many votes were changed once they went to design highlighting that the general public know shit all about design. Hence why larger companies employ designers to create their products.

thegummy

Octafish said:

thegummy said:

rico said:

rico said:

The flipped headstock won't increase the tension in the strings. The only thing that will increase the tension (for a given frequency) is increasing the cross-sectional area (string gauge) which proportionally increases the mass of the string. What may change is the force required to fret a note (or bend to a note) based on the change in elasticity as a result of the increased total string length. 

To conclude my post above, there is minuscule difference. 

Would the string require more or less force to fret with a longer length between nut and tuner?

No sound difference I take it?

Might need to watch that interview again to hear what he said.

As I posted in response to your original post, scale length (nut to bridge) and string gauge effect tension, D'addario's string tension calculator asks you to specify just string gauge and scale length to work out tension.

A bigger or lesser distance between the nut and tuner for any given scale/string gauge shouldn't make any difference in respect to the force required to fret as the overall string tension (tuner to string ball end) will need to remain the same if you want be in standard tuning.

That's what I'd have thought before I saw that interview.

Good to know really that my traditional Strat headstock isn't actually inferior after all!

Ro_S

steer said:

Some of the sweeping generalisations against this brand on here are a little strange. I have not seen a single person on this thread who has actually played one, so perhaps people ought to do that before casting judgement? 

i dont wanna play one, they are all fugly

Legionreturns

steer said:

Some of the sweeping generalisations against this brand on here are a little strange. I have not seen a single person on this thread who has actually played one, so perhaps people ought to do that before casting judgement? 

There are plenty of other brands who have guitars in this price range - where is the hate for them, when you could get a <insert name here> for the same price? 

I have an older, cheaper ML2, which I like. Not seen or played a newer one, so cant really add much more. 

I haven't seen sweeping generalisations. Most people have talked about price, likely resale value and where they've tried to position themselves in the market. Those are all fairly specific and verifiable. 

It's a fact that there are brands with a more proven past, and a track record of producing good guitars at that price point that people will buy. It's a reasonable observation, going by a very rough straw poll of tFB users, that these are not selling well and many people have stated the reasons why they wouldn't buy one. 

Let me put it to you another way. If you were given, say, £1000-£1500 that you had to spend on a brand new guitar, that was in stock at Andertons today... Would you consider buying one of these? I'd have to go a long way down the list before I'd consider a Chapman. 

Here's the filtered list: 

https://www.andertons.co.uk/guitar-dept/electric-guitars?#facet:11211410599101957166809549484848515840123494848483249534848125324953484841&productBeginIndex:0&facetLimit:&orderBy:5&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:&;

adamm82

Legionreturns said:

Here's the filtered list: 

https://www.andertons.co.uk/guitar-dept/electric-guitars?#facet:11211410599101957166809549484848515840123494848483249534848125324953484841&productBeginIndex:0&facetLimit:&orderBy:5&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:&;

damn it now i'm browsing! 

I didn't know I needed a Fender Tele DLX SHAW RW Sonic Grey until a few minutes ago

Ro_S

Legionreturns said:

I haven't seen sweeping generalisations. 

I just made one before your post.  They're all fugly.   But that's cos they all are.