crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Apr 09 2014 11:48 AM
You’re probably looking at the photos and thinking what the heck has this got to do with surf music!
If you haven’t picked up on Rob Chapman Guitars yet then be prepared for an interesting story. This is a Chapman first run ML1 (Monkey Lord One) made in China. The collaborative result of over 5,000 peoples of the internets, a guitar made by the people for the people and winner of Music Radar best budget electric guitar.
The idea was to make as good quality guitar for little as possible. However, knowing that guitarists usually change pickups the ML1 comes with non branded value pickups.
Wikipedia info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapman_Guitars
Specifications for ML1 first run of 500 China.
Solid Mahogany body
Translucent ultra thin black coating
Ebony fingerboard
25.5 Scale
13-3/4” radius neck
Big frets!
Bone Nut
Grover Rotomatic - 18:1 ratio machine heads
Wilkinson 6 point Tremolo with steel block and stainless saddles (not roller type)
Push push kill/mute volume control (rapid fire on/off trick)
Push pull tone control - 6 pickup configurations including simultaneous half bucker/neck
My own opinion after only 24 hours: It’s like several Christmas rolled into one, i’m mesmerised. It lives up the hype in terms of quality build for sure and the fret work is second to none IMHO.
Ceramic pickups are remarkable considering they are Chinese non branded types, i’ll be keeping them on for a while.
Bought for £150 quid used – first run 36 of 500. This is about the going rate for a first run ML1’s at the moment but as collectors catch on and take them off the market used prices will escalate.
Amazing guitar - grab one ASAP.
Last edited: Oct 10, 2014 06:52:23
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JONPAUL
Joined: Apr 29, 2010
Posts: 2472
Venice, CA
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Posted on Apr 09 2014 12:25 PM
I'm still looking at the pictures thinking "what the heck does this have to do with Surf music?"
— Insect Surfers
The Tikiyaki Orchestra
The Scimitars
Lords Of Atlantis
Fiberglass Jungle - Surf Radio
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Apr 09 2014 12:46 PM
Haha. I'm grateful for your comment. Thanks man!
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IvanP
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10331
southern Michigan
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Posted on Apr 09 2014 05:38 PM
JONPAUL wrote:
I'm still looking at the pictures thinking "what the heck does this have to do with Surf music?"
Well, it's got a Strat-style trem and two single coils, so why not? See below for how good an Ibanez can sound for surf!
Looks like a pretty cool guitar, if you like those more modern post-Jackson designs. And that's a quite a story behind it, I wasn't familiar with any of that before.
— Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube
Last edited: Apr 09, 2014 17:39:53
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caddady
Joined: Feb 14, 2010
Posts: 802
N.E. Ohio
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Posted on Apr 09 2014 05:46 PM
I'm partial to the green and pink
And I like HiWatt and Sound City.
— http://www.reverbnation.com/thegreasemonkeyz
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Badger
Joined: Nov 16, 2013
Posts: 4537
Wisconsin
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Posted on Apr 09 2014 06:15 PM
Half-bucker & the neck SC is a tasty combo; favorite setting on a HB Strat wired into a superswitch at one time. Interesting story, thanks for the wiki link.
— Wes
SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel
DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices.
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tubeswell
Joined: Sep 24, 2011
Posts: 1424
Wellington, NZ
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Posted on Apr 11 2014 01:24 PM
Pretty cool version of Latinia there Ivan. Thanks for linking to that. (I'd seen the one with him playing The Wedge a while back - and that's cool too)
— He who dies with the most tubes... wins
Surf Daddies
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Apr 11 2014 02:02 PM
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Jun 16 2014 07:45 PM
For anyone who's interested Rob "Chappers" Chapman the Monkey Lord is out and about the area of Minnesota promoting himself and his guitars at Riffcity Guitar. Also he was interviewed by Rockin'101 Radio, it's a pretty good story and as with all things Rob Chapman - good fun.
Oops.. video no longer exists..
Last edited: Oct 10, 2014 06:57:09
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JObeast
Joined: Jul 24, 2012
Posts: 2762
Finknabad, Squinkistan
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Posted on Jun 17 2014 12:51 AM
I like the vibe Chapman puts out, and his ideas and methods for marketing are supercool. His support for 'mom & pop' stores, desire to eliminate useless distribution networks, use the web (YouTube specifically) to communicate both ways between artist/builder and users/audience.. all good!
— Squink Out!
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Jun 17 2014 12:19 PM
Thanks for taking time to view the video and commenting Jo, I wish I could say so much in so few words. As Rob Chapman say's himself .."You get it".
Interesting that he is one of the top most viewed youtube guitarist regularly pulling a million hits a month. At an estimated $2.50 per 1000 views which pays for his band to tour with no need for record company hand outs.
Last edited: Oct 10, 2014 06:54:26
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Oct 10 2014 07:06 AM
Congrats to Rob Chapman on his 5,000th guitar sale. This new model came about this week - "The ML-3 Traditional" @ 420 GBP.
A step closer to surf player requirements?
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horax
Joined: Mar 23, 2011
Posts: 518
colorado springs
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Posted on Oct 10 2014 10:01 AM
I am really liking that one!
Where can you find these in the states?
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Oct 10 2014 12:08 PM
horax wrote:
I am really liking that one!
Where can you find these in the states?
http://www.riffcityguitaroutlet.com/
youtube demo. http://youtu.be/Jyx8lF2rpqo
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Dec 22 2017 10:54 AM
Another quick heads up.
Ola Englund a Swedish metal guitarist/YouTube vlogger has just launched his own independent democratic guitar company called Solar Guitars.
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Surfadelphia
Joined: Sep 04, 2017
Posts: 437
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Posted on Dec 22 2017 12:32 PM
Getting closer with the Tele style models.
Now he just needs to come out with an offset model with a traditional trem (Jazzmaster, Strat or Bigsby would all qualify) and two (or three) single coil pickups.
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bamboozer
Joined: Jan 18, 2010
Posts: 672
Delaware
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Posted on Dec 22 2017 03:01 PM
If you haven't seen Rob Chapman's gear videos "Chappers & The Captain" check 'em out on YouTube, their a hoot and a half and the actual demo of the products is very good.
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Dec 22 2017 05:21 PM
Chapman guitars are doing well. I like the new baritone "S" style and the pro modern which come with stainless steel fret wire, very tempting to own a guitar with stainless frets fitted from new.
The video below is by Toska an instrumental progressive metal/rock band made up from 3 members of Rob Chapman's band Dorje. Both guitars are Chapman stock. They have probably never heard of the Mermen and yet you'd swear there was some sort of influence.
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