This should be a fun comments section 🙂 Massive thanks to Ridge for bringing you today's video! Streamline your life: ridge.com/agufish and use code AGUFISH for 10% off and free worldwide shipping!
Are Chapman guitars made for heavy metal thrashing, or can old fogies bash out seventies Clapton classics on them? I hope they survive. I wanna see a Brit-made T-shape & S-shape Marshall. I hope the JibJab Lockdown, Post-Brexit Blues, spiralling inflation and crazy fuel-prices hasn't done for them.
That X type guitar is practically Ola's dream guitar. He was a huge fan of Pantera, and the Dean ML series was iconic. You couldn't mimic that shape. Now look at Ola. He has his own guitar brand and I feel like he made his dream guitar in subconscious memory for Dimebag Darrel
To me, not so much. He has stated he did not want to make an ML shape or Dime tribute. His dream guitar is the Washburn Southern Cross, among other D3s, and he owns them. The X was supposed to be an added metal X shape, like the Jackson Warrior/Death Kelly, Ibanez Xiphos, ESP Random Star, and Kramer Voyager. It even looks a lot like a Voyager, but with measured scale mods, and Solar specific flair (pickups, inlay, bevels on one of the 2 models). I won’t say Dime was not in mind, but the X shape existed way before Dimebag become synonymous with the ML, and there are many death metal players having used Jackson, BC Rich, and ESP way before Dime was a household name. And Ola is a huge 90s and OSDM fan besides a Dimebag fanboy. No Dime Slime colored X yet, but I wouldn’t put it past him on a future model.
@@12breacher82 I literally have a 1984 Kramer Voyager hanging next to my Solar X and it's very similar. The scale length being 24 3/4 definitely makes it way slinkier than the Voyager that's at 25 1/2.
It looks like you were super tired too, and probably didn’t wanted to say anything wrong… but hey, it’s not easy to make videos and not a lot of people have been doing it as long as you do. We can’t always be at 100% ;)
I like the idea of 80s style shred guitars... But there are 80s style shred guitars in 2023 that are superior in every metric. For instance the neck heel on these guitars is that big.block restricting the upper frets. So you might as well count those frets out for me. Plus the floyd rose, I believe it isnt even the best kind, the gohtoh 1997. Plus why ha e a floating bridge that doesnt even float but can only dive bomb. And cant pull up on it? Meh.
for all the criticism and arguments, my opinion has always been if you want to do something and you can do that while it pays for itself, it's kind of a yeah you should do it sort of thing. If you can sell everything you make then there's no reason not to make it unless there's something else you want to do. And they did their homework - there is no US built guitar that slots right into the vintage Baretta spot. Kramer only has offshore models in that zone so if anyone wants a US built *blatantly* Baretta spec guitar (have you priced vintage/original Barettas lately lol they're not cheap) this is the place to get it. I wish they would be more transparent about who/where everything is getting built but that's their prerogative and again, if they're selling all the units they want to make already, then there is no motivation to do anything they don't feel like doing. I have enough free belt buckles already lol but I completely get if someone doesn't and wants one.
I wouldn't be surprised if the announcement from Chapman was just a PR smokescreen because they haven't sold half as many guitars as they hoped and they need to scale back production. Let's be honest it wouldn't be the first time they were less than truthful about their business dealings.
@@AWMJoeyjoejoe 🤦 keep drinking the kool aid. PJD aren't going to trash their own reputation, and that of all their UKGB clients, as a smokescreen to help Chapman's reputation. Cuz the internet has really taken this version of the news as positive for Chapman hasn't it. 🙄 If, as you suggest, Chapman Workshop series struggled for orders which of these causes them less negative PR: - keep quiet, look for orders, if that fails announce nothing and let the Workshop series slowly fade out of public consciousness over the next couple of years. - hot on the heels of the launch, bully the builder into shutting down manufacture for all UKGB client brands, incur the inevitable "what? again?" reaction, and KDH told-you-so. Instead of quietly saying nothing and letting the UK range slowly fade, you fake a smokescreen that makes you look like a bunch of hapless amateurs and score a huge PR own goal instead. Seriously?!
I have 2 Solar guitars (one a Washburn built super-strat, the other a Solar V2 in red) and they feel fantastic. The build quality is outstanding for high end 3 figure guitars and the attention to detail speaks volumes to Ola's success. I'm so glad to see how far his brand has come over the years.
What sucks most about the Chapman brand is how prolific it was at point, and for years now it's changed to being hush hush other than Chapman's failures. For years I've wanted the ghost fret and I hate that it's just over. That era of Chapman guitars and RUclips was just golden. They were killing it.
That’s life in the cancellation era I’m afraid. Imagine if Gibson were a new company just starting out, it’s only because they’ve got a legacy they survive, not that chapman is new but I think the point stands.
@@almostclement4975 unfortunately that was down to Chappers himself. Despite liking him, he was being a knob head and causing a PR disaster on top of QC issues. I'd love to see a resurgence of the brand.
@@barryb90 oh it was absolutely down to his behaviour but in this age of cancel culture a resurgence would take something special on his part and I just don’t think the internet is that forgiving unfortunately
@@almostclement4975 I'm not sure it's "cancel culture" so much, more a case of that there's so much choice in a saturated market that it's easier to let smaller things turn you off a brand. It's a double edged sword when you use your personality as brand identity, like both Ola and Chapman do, and it seems like the negative side of that sword is what's done for Chapman. If Gibson's CEO or someone associated with the company did something to anger people the brand are able to separate themselves from an individual but "youtuber brands" are intrinsically linked to an individual. If you don't like Rob or Ola, or Phil or the Tone King etc, then it's hard to look passed them as they ARE the brand.
I’m bummed really, because the idea is fantastic. Sell quality guitars built in their country at a good price point. I wonder how much of the problems is just doing business in England? I know there is a ton of regulations and all that.
Riffcity was such a cool company to order from. They went out of there way to ensure each Chapman they sold was top notch. Because they were getting the guitar direct from the manufacturer and not from Chapman they had to do the due diligence to ensure each guitar was worth selling. They did just that. Guitar center on the other hand didn’t give a fuck. They would sell less than stellar guitars which hurt the brand. No QC. And Riffcity had good cookies.
@@2ndEditionBryce as someone who bought their ML1 from Riffcity in person, i can attest to this. every Chapman (along with all the other brands) in the shop was set up, taken care of, and ready to go that day. its a shame it all went downhill
One thing I'm really a fan of when it comes to Solar is the initiative to release a line of budget guitars that seem to be of good quality on selected markets that are in serious need of those. Here in Brazil, the prices of the S by Solar guitars are genuinelly really attractive in the context of our market which has been pretty crap for the last few years.
There’s nothing affordable or quality about solar and there customer service are assholes.. returned 2 already and 2 of my friends had major flaws to the point were the guitar was unplayable. Harley Benton 200$ guitar line beats them any day
@@animosiity one bad apple in the bunch doesn't make the whole basket bad. Idk of anyone who has had any trouble out of them. Sucks you had that experience though. As for a $200 HB being better than a Solar....no...just no. Aside from the Black Label series from Ibanez, Solar is probably one of the most metal guitars money can buy and yes they do have great quality. Little in the upper price range but nonetheless they're fantastic guitars.
@@animosiity I have both, a Solar S1.7 and $200 Harley Benton Strat. They're not in the same legaue. Not even close. Saying that a low end HB is as good as a Solar is more than laughable. You're just talking out of your ass.
Honestly Chapman and Rob himself have had bad vibes with me personally for years Now solar and badlands appeal to both sides of my musical personality I love metal and extreme metal but also 80s hair metal
Yeah, I used to love the Andertons content but he always came off a bit cocky and snobby to me. I felt like he thought his opinions on anything guitar related was the "right" opinion. I remember he made a video on tonewoods (yeah, i know i'm poking at a nest here) and I remember his whole take was basically "It's mostly preference but I can tell that tonewoods are better". Regardless of your opinion on tonewoods, you have to admit that it is entirely personal preference (not mostly). If you can't hear the difference then there's no point in spending extra money on woods with different tonality, is there? I've always believed that since it's all personal preference, then there's no point in trying to change someone's opinion, let them be.
It's what's put me off buying one of their 28" baritones. He comes across as a complete tool and there's some shady (true or not) stuff that's gone on so I'm steering clear.
Agufish worldwide custom guitars!! Great video, very well said and good points. I wonder if Ola feels bad about the timing. I’m sure it sucks for Chappers to have to say they can’t make any more right as Solar comes out with a new line. I’m sure Ola wouldn’t have done that on purpose, he’s a good guy.
I was able to order a lefty Badlands guitar, Phillip said I was the first lefty order (out of four - 50 guitars in all) so the Badlands thing ought to be fun!
Haha love it 😂 it's insane how much hate Chapmans get in comment sections.. yeah I get it.. but also they are guitars! And it's just crazy how passionate people get with their hate.. I honestly feel sorry for some people, let go of it man! 😂
@@lewisgrant7622 oh I was talking about the guitars.. yeah I'm not a massive fan of rob chapman himself.. I did used to watch some of his videos but he just seems super self absorbed and yeah he's done some dumb things like that .
@@bruceMooseman from what I used to watch from past videos he always seemed a bit snobbish and cocky. I don’t play guitar my self. Some of his guitars do look cool. Just unfortunate the type of person he is
I think Solar helped legitimize themselves by giving signature guitars to bands like At the Gates. Also Ola really built up the guitar demo scene on RUclips and it never seemed like he was trying to shill for any companies. Rob was always kinda tied to Andertons, which felt a little weird since Lee has a part in Chapman guitars
YEAh dude, take a trip to china, shop around the factories, think up of a logo in the hotel room and put an order in for some Agufish fish guitars or something. 4-5 thousand will get you at leaste 100 gutiars,, you sell them for 5k each, preorder limited edition sale signed by, then 3k after and youre like half a million richer in not even a year. You take that money and try to hire a real guitar builder to make you custom shops. Good luck.
Listening to The Tone King make the announcement was so hard to listen to. It sounds like he is being held hostage and forced to read a statement or his family being held off screen will be killed.
The Badlands guitar should have all of its case candy inside of a Trapper Keeper binder. And I hope it comes with a little footsie stocking so I can test the fret ends.
@@paulhendershott667 and then, when I went to Phil McKnight’s RUclips video, where he was introducing the guitar, someone had already made that comment. Heck, they may have made it two weeks ago because that’s when his video debuted. 🎸👀
Those prestige Solars come out to around 4000$ after tax. Idk if I trust the brand enough to consider that money when you can get a top of the line kiesel or prestige ibanez for 2000 and you know for a fact you are getting the best neck and playability the world has to offer. Would like to see an in hand report of these solars.
The Solars are built by a well known French custom guitar builder, @Denis D, I'd own the hand built Solar over an American built Jackson any day.... I have a lot of experience with custom built guitars, and own a few....
@@MickH60 french builder? Is he one of the master luthiers at vigier? Or just some random luthier. Because I know we can trust a luthier from vigier. But idk... I havent heard of this builder or what guitars he makes. So its really hard to say if this guitar is worth it until we find out more. Fun fact one of the master luthiers from ibanez branched off and created his own company where he started making just 1 guitar at a time by himself and selling them for quite expensive price and there became quite a huge demand for these guitars for their craftmanship quality and shredability. and his company is called Caparison.
Solar's announcement came at a funny time for me as I've been waiting 2.5 months for a model I ordered, and was told last week by Solar that my guitar didn't pass QC and I would not be getting it and they didn't have any more coming so I got a refund. I own a Chapman ML1 Pro Modern Baritone and it's a fantastic guitar. I was super excited for the Solar model I ordered due to the combination of features, but it appears they aren't doing that anymore. I have no idea if I was just an unlucky customer or if they had larger batch issues. I own Schecter, ESP and LTD models and honestly for the same price point I'll just stick with those as I know what I'm getting, rather than taking a chance on a brand/model I've never seen in person.
It really sucks that Chapman is having such a difficult time right now. I’ve had two ghost frets that were amazing and one of the ML1 Pros that I had to have sent back TWICE because of QC flaws but the third one was good for sure. They are taking such a massive hit losing their two biggest artists as well. I pray that they get their feet back under them and they get their ball rolling again. They make GREAT guitars and have a great customer service department (they sent all three ML1s to me with two day shipping and made sure the last one they sent was PERFECTLY set up and packed good.)
I must be in the minority, but ive had an awesome experience with Chapman guitars so far. Its become one of my favorite brands to own along with ESP and PRS. Each of them have been awesome, but they are all in the pro or sig series, I haven't tried or looked at the standard series. Its a shame the company is not good about PR, transparency or consistency as a brand.
I think everything going on right now is really cool. I own a Chapman ML-1 Pro and it's amazing. I almost got in on the Badlands GX1 and might jump on their next one. I wouldn't mind trying a few Solar guitars but those new offerings are seriously high dollar.
Yea I don't do the politics...all I know is those chapman guitars look great, never had the chance to play one...but that would be the deciding feature if I parted with my cash.. definitely not internet politics.
If Chapman isnt at Andertons making vids and also isn't really putting out anything of note on his own as well then then there's no brand. To me it was always if you liked the Andertons thing and wanted these decent spec budget guitars then it made sense. Other then that it's just some guys name on a headstock. That said I really, really, really like my ML3 Pro in hot blue.
Im always amazed how many new models solar can pump out! And apparently stay afloat and keep growing. Im an Ibanez guy but i did buy a solar in about 2019 and at least at that time i was really impressed with the finish and QC. I just favour the Ibanez necks but the solars are DAMN good looking.
Chapman insisted that uk series was going to be built “in house” by chapman. KDH revealed it was likely an independent builder - as soon as it hits the fan they start naming UKGB as unable to complete their order?! So shady.
Solar has unique design, good communication and Solar plans things out so it can do the things it promises. Even as a non-metal guy, the barnyard wood looking T Type is something I would buy.
Not sure about this. There has been some controversy around them with fretboard issues. To my knowledge they never adressed this. Not sure about the return policy either.
@@rockarena666 they have outlet store selling guitars people have returned and if you go see there was guitars with crack on fretboard so they have addressed it. But what I have heard its past now. I just bought Solar and its ebony fretboard does not have any issues
I think you nailed it pretty much. I am optimistic about Badlands because Phil is such a down to earth guy (I've emailed with him once, I sent him some random artwork I'd done while listening to his channel that was themed to his channel and he went ahead and used it, totally understood I just made it as fan art, was very appreciative etc). He says they have the next five Badlands guitars planned out already, like designed and ready to roll, so it will be interesting indeed.
I still have my Chapman ml1 mik and those guitars were amazing. I hate seeing Chapman guitars slowly decline cause I grew up watching the Chanel and saw all the progress that happened. It’s a totally different Chanel now and sad to see how it’s current state.
Yeah, love my ml1-7 pro, was my first seven string guitar. Just needed to switch out the pups and that thing rips. Played it tons of times live and all I ever get is love. The online world of opinion is hilariously detached from real life.
Solar is covering all bases with the Europe guitars and the 'S by Solar' in Brazil There is a vid on the Solar Guitars Brazil channel and I have seen one review on RUclips
The sentient/Pegasus combo has to be one of the best sounding passive humbuckers on the market. I have a set that came in my 2021 LTD EC1000 burl poplar blue fade and I absolutely love them. Such a workhorse for the studio
@@Xiphos1349 sound is subjective. Everyone will have different tastes. That being said, even being similar they both have their different use scenarios they shine at. I have a nazgul in my 7s ibanez gio. Easily my go to bucker for lower tunings. The pegasus just works best for me using drop d and c tunings but also because it seems to sit better in a mix
Harley Benton Custom shop guitar - Single tree carved into a true one piece guitar carved by an artisan with finger nail file. Ivory tusk nut, Platinum perfectly polished and shaped frets, Solid gold plated EM shielding, etc etc etc etc etc,.,,,, $799.99
Loads of small companies in the UK are having big financial issues right now; basic utilities are absurdly expensive, importing from the EU can be problematic, unaffordable ground rent, small suppliers closing up shop, interest rates the higher they've been since the 08 financial crisis... I was surprised Chapman announced the premium British line given the above. I hope they find a builder that can deliver what they need. In fact, I hope all these brands do really well.
So Ola made a smart move. Like you said these were capable of being pre-made before release and not custom orders. There were 10 Euro X guitars available to choose from with variably unique tops and back wood, which you could view each of them like Sweetwater does. They sold out in less than a week. I think if he does these Euro guitars in limited batches with some unique woods and colors, they should do pretty well. Also if the quality holds up because there have been a lot of gripes surrounding QA/QC of the imports.
I'm 100% in on the Badlands concept - I'm bummed I missed the cutoff for the first release. Chapman Guitars never recovered after the Riff City fiasco and I've always had 0 interest in Solar
Ola practically introduced Evertune to the market. It was very smart and good move. I own one for the half price other companies were able to provide. I played Chapman guitar and it was probably the nicest guitar I had in my hands.
Lee Garver (GMW) Karl Sandoval, I think Wayne Charvel (Wayne Guitars) are all still building. If you want insane build quality, you might as well get it from the guys who built guitars for everybody in LA.
Great video! I'm excited for Badlands because they are RUclipsr 2.0, in that they saw how Chapman did things and want to build & improve on that. (I have no affiliation with any guitar brand.) I wouldn't spend $2500 on the first Badlands guitar but as a teen of the 1980s, I'm very interested in seeing the next iterations.
I want to like Solar guitars so bad. i've been looking for something to Chugg on. But ive heard so much about QC issues with their fretboards its made me very leary to get one.
Hunter,you got me into wanting a few of the Gibson 80s/90s cheaper guitars like the marauder,challenger etc.I really want an L6s,Peveay T60 or a DBZ Royale/imperial.🤘😎👍
Yeah no shit Chapman is running the same if not identical specs to MIK LTDs and Schecter . They're made in the same damn factory! Lol. They led the charge way back around 2016/17 for killer specs and booted up the other brands to take notice of what players wanted. You can still snag them used on Reverb or any guitar website really for a good deal. Because although their reputation is in the bin. The instruments aren't. Even the lower end ones are still insane VFM.
Since the topic is RUclipsr and brands, maybe a video on how RUclipsrs don't do more to talk about brands that are less-than ok (maybe because it means sponsor trouble? Not sure)... like Fender suing a wind instrument company that could not take its business if it wanted to. Loved the balance of this video... not at all disgruntled or sanctimonious... well done.
Another Canadian here. Causually watched chapman in the andertons music vids. As an mid age player I prop never by a sight unseen unplayed internet guitar. Always wanted to consider a chapman for purchase, but no points of retail in most of Canada. Same w many of the biggie manufactures. Have you ever done I video on the issue of point of sale for instruments Agu? Honestly, my first electric guitar would be very different if I was able to lay hands on the guitar before spending money vs internet recomendations and hoping that I could connect w the guitar that shows up in the mail. I aint rich son! lol
Solar is one of the moderm "holy grail" for metal guitarists. It's a weapon honestly, I've watched Ola's videos but I never knew it was his brand lmao.
Regarding Solar EU series, moving to the Richlite fingerboards eliminates the fretboard cracking issues they were running into with their Indonesian run of guitars. I’ll definitely be interested in picking up X and EX European models.
Solar guitar originated back in the late ninties. Ola was an exchange student, and so was his wife. They were a grade or two higher. Thus older. Their both forty-five or older. I remember distinctly an older man telling me about solar guitars 1995. It was possibly just a concept then. But He also indicated that he had to return guitars from Solar that had the same flaws and cracked fingerboard.
I think Rob Chapman's personality online has caused a lot of damage in the past, although I haven't paid attention for a while. That said, I played one of the Scallon models at a store a couple years ago, and it was a solid guitar for the money. I wasn't really looking to buy anything new at the time, but it would have been high on my list if I had been. A friend has a Solar, although I can't remember which model. He loves it.
I think Tone King is so used to sort of winging it, and just talking about whatever guitar/amp/etc. he's looking at that day, when he has to stay on a script he sounds bizarre! lol Rock on, man.
Yeah welcome to the internet, ran by kids. 90% of people who ever had or even played a Chapman will tell you how good their guitars are. the rest is just modern cance(r) culture.
@@nicko7238 No it isn't. Chapman damaged his own image with his cringe "my truth" video. If he'd left it alone nobody would have known about KDH or his channel, he only had something like 1500 subs at the time. Nothing to do with cancel culture and everything to do with Rob being an egotistical thin skinned douche.
Main thing I’ve heard bad about both Chapman and Solar is QC. To be fair to both, Solar replaced their big issues under warranty and I think for Chapman it wasn’t always like that, it started up with the switch to guitar center and riff city closed down so that could be a guitar center issue partially since they weren’t doing qc checks there based on Phil’s video. I’ll be curious to see if badlands experiences qc issues. I’m also interested in seeing how well it does since they seem to be going for a similar model to brands like Abasi concepts or early strandberg, but without that unique factor to make it pop (weird shapes, unique necks, headless, etc.)
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This should be a fun comments section 🙂
Massive thanks to Ridge for bringing you today's video! Streamline your life: ridge.com/agufish and use code AGUFISH for 10% off and free worldwide shipping!
Are Chapman guitars made for heavy metal thrashing, or can old fogies bash out seventies Clapton classics on them? I hope they survive. I wanna see a Brit-made T-shape & S-shape Marshall. I hope the JibJab Lockdown, Post-Brexit Blues, spiralling inflation and crazy fuel-prices hasn't done for them.
Future RUclipsr guitars? More Agufish Hello Kitty?
@@nedludd3641 speaking as a primarily metal-guy, I can't imagine buying a chapman. so if anyone is buying chapman guitars it's people like you.
Badlands sucks
im gonna force dooo to make a guitar brand
Better come with a hello kitty inlay at the 12th fret or we riot.
Dooo the dooo brand with a mcnasty sig
It'd be awesome for Doo to Collab with Solar they'd definitely be happy to have him
Hi boxman
Do it
That X type guitar is practically Ola's dream guitar. He was a huge fan of Pantera, and the Dean ML series was iconic. You couldn't mimic that shape. Now look at Ola. He has his own guitar brand and I feel like he made his dream guitar in subconscious memory for Dimebag Darrel
To me, not so much. He has stated he did not want to make an ML shape or Dime tribute. His dream guitar is the Washburn Southern Cross, among other D3s, and he owns them. The X was supposed to be an added metal X shape, like the Jackson Warrior/Death Kelly, Ibanez Xiphos, ESP Random Star, and Kramer Voyager. It even looks a lot like a Voyager, but with measured scale mods, and Solar specific flair (pickups, inlay, bevels on one of the 2 models). I won’t say Dime was not in mind, but the X shape existed way before Dimebag become synonymous with the ML, and there are many death metal players having used Jackson, BC Rich, and ESP way before Dime was a household name. And Ola is a huge 90s and OSDM fan besides a Dimebag fanboy. No Dime Slime colored X yet, but I wouldn’t put it past him on a future model.
Those solar guitars have terrible quality control and poor customer service
@@12breacher82 I literally have a 1984 Kramer Voyager hanging next to my Solar X and it's very similar. The scale length being 24 3/4 definitely makes it way slinkier than the Voyager that's at 25 1/2.
@@ornerycuss5804 :(
Loved the video. You’re spot on with our goals. And I fully accept the roast😂. Thank you Hunter! 🤘🤘
It looks like you were super tired too, and probably didn’t wanted to say anything wrong… but hey, it’s not easy to make videos and not a lot of people have been doing it as long as you do. We can’t always be at 100% ;)
Gotta respect a man with humility. We all do weird shit time to time.
I must confess I ordered the Badlands. I was in my 20s during the 80s, and it hits the nerve of a guitar you wanted back then but couldn't get.
Did you get it yet? If not , what's the wait time like?
I like the idea of 80s style shred guitars... But there are 80s style shred guitars in 2023 that are superior in every metric. For instance the neck heel on these guitars is that big.block restricting the upper frets. So you might as well count those frets out for me. Plus the floyd rose, I believe it isnt even the best kind, the gohtoh 1997. Plus why ha e a floating bridge that doesnt even float but can only dive bomb. And cant pull up on it? Meh.
for all the criticism and arguments, my opinion has always been if you want to do something and you can do that while it pays for itself, it's kind of a yeah you should do it sort of thing. If you can sell everything you make then there's no reason not to make it unless there's something else you want to do.
And they did their homework - there is no US built guitar that slots right into the vintage Baretta spot. Kramer only has offshore models in that zone so if anyone wants a US built *blatantly* Baretta spec guitar (have you priced vintage/original Barettas lately lol they're not cheap) this is the place to get it.
I wish they would be more transparent about who/where everything is getting built but that's their prerogative and again, if they're selling all the units they want to make already, then there is no motivation to do anything they don't feel like doing.
I have enough free belt buckles already lol but I completely get if someone doesn't and wants one.
How much were they? Can't find a price anywhere.
@@wolfganghumboldt4830 they WERE 2499.00 but sold out.
I wouldn't be surprised if the announcement from Chapman was just a PR smokescreen because they haven't sold half as many guitars as they hoped and they need to scale back production. Let's be honest it wouldn't be the first time they were less than truthful about their business dealings.
Pretty convincing smokescreen to get UKGB directors to resign and change registered company address and stop supplying Seth Baccus too.
@@PaulCooksStuff Don't underestimate Rob Chapmans online power! He could be forcing them to do all those things!
@@AWMJoeyjoejoe 🤦 keep drinking the kool aid. PJD aren't going to trash their own reputation, and that of all their UKGB clients, as a smokescreen to help Chapman's reputation. Cuz the internet has really taken this version of the news as positive for Chapman hasn't it. 🙄
If, as you suggest, Chapman Workshop series struggled for orders which of these causes them less negative PR:
- keep quiet, look for orders, if that fails announce nothing and let the Workshop series slowly fade out of public consciousness over the next couple of years.
- hot on the heels of the launch, bully the builder into shutting down manufacture for all UKGB client brands, incur the inevitable "what? again?" reaction, and KDH told-you-so. Instead of quietly saying nothing and letting the UK range slowly fade, you fake a smokescreen that makes you look like a bunch of hapless amateurs and score a huge PR own goal instead. Seriously?!
Don’t believe everything that moron KDH says. He has his own agenda.
Why are all these people soiling their pants over a 6 week delay? Very commonplace in ordering a custom.
I have 2 Solar guitars (one a Washburn built super-strat, the other a Solar V2 in red) and they feel fantastic. The build quality is outstanding for high end 3 figure guitars and the attention to detail speaks volumes to Ola's success. I'm so glad to see how far his brand has come over the years.
What sucks most about the Chapman brand is how prolific it was at point, and for years now it's changed to being hush hush other than Chapman's failures. For years I've wanted the ghost fret and I hate that it's just over. That era of Chapman guitars and RUclips was just golden. They were killing it.
That’s life in the cancellation era I’m afraid. Imagine if Gibson were a new company just starting out, it’s only because they’ve got a legacy they survive, not that chapman is new but I think the point stands.
@@almostclement4975 unfortunately that was down to Chappers himself. Despite liking him, he was being a knob head and causing a PR disaster on top of QC issues. I'd love to see a resurgence of the brand.
@@barryb90 oh it was absolutely down to his behaviour but in this age of cancel culture a resurgence would take something special on his part and I just don’t think the internet is that forgiving unfortunately
@@almostclement4975 I'm not sure it's "cancel culture" so much, more a case of that there's so much choice in a saturated market that it's easier to let smaller things turn you off a brand. It's a double edged sword when you use your personality as brand identity, like both Ola and Chapman do, and it seems like the negative side of that sword is what's done for Chapman. If Gibson's CEO or someone associated with the company did something to anger people the brand are able to separate themselves from an individual but "youtuber brands" are intrinsically linked to an individual. If you don't like Rob or Ola, or Phil or the Tone King etc, then it's hard to look passed them as they ARE the brand.
I’m bummed really, because the idea is fantastic. Sell quality guitars built in their country at a good price point. I wonder how much of the problems is just doing business in England? I know there is a ton of regulations and all that.
Ironically, the moment Rob Chapman started to sell their guitars through Guitar Center he killed his own brand
Riffcity was such a cool company to order from. They went out of there way to ensure each Chapman they sold was top notch. Because they were getting the guitar direct from the manufacturer and not from Chapman they had to do the due diligence to ensure each guitar was worth selling. They did just that. Guitar center on the other hand didn’t give a fuck. They would sell less than stellar guitars which hurt the brand. No QC. And Riffcity had good cookies.
@@2ndEditionBryce as someone who bought their ML1 from Riffcity in person, i can attest to this. every Chapman (along with all the other brands) in the shop was set up, taken care of, and ready to go that day. its a shame it all went downhill
Dude ruined it because he's a cringelord
For a dead brand it’s doing pretty well LOL. It must disappoint the haters that their line keeps expanding.
You’d think he was in it to make money or something, lol.
Can’t knock him for that. The guitars were total shit though.
One thing I'm really a fan of when it comes to Solar is the initiative to release a line of budget guitars that seem to be of good quality on selected markets that are in serious need of those. Here in Brazil, the prices of the S by Solar guitars are genuinelly really attractive in the context of our market which has been pretty crap for the last few years.
There’s nothing affordable or quality about solar and there customer service are assholes.. returned 2 already and 2 of my friends had major flaws to the point were the guitar was unplayable. Harley Benton 200$ guitar line beats them any day
@@animosiity one bad apple in the bunch doesn't make the whole basket bad. Idk of anyone who has had any trouble out of them. Sucks you had that experience though. As for a $200 HB being better than a Solar....no...just no. Aside from the Black Label series from Ibanez, Solar is probably one of the most metal guitars money can buy and yes they do have great quality. Little in the upper price range but nonetheless they're fantastic guitars.
@@animosiity I have both, a Solar S1.7 and $200 Harley Benton Strat. They're not in the same legaue. Not even close. Saying that a low end HB is as good as a Solar is more than laughable. You're just talking out of your ass.
Honestly Chapman and Rob himself have had bad vibes with me personally for years
Now solar and badlands appeal to both sides of my musical personality I love metal and extreme metal but also 80s hair metal
Yeah, I used to love the Andertons content but he always came off a bit cocky and snobby to me. I felt like he thought his opinions on anything guitar related was the "right" opinion. I remember he made a video on tonewoods (yeah, i know i'm poking at a nest here) and I remember his whole take was basically "It's mostly preference but I can tell that tonewoods are better". Regardless of your opinion on tonewoods, you have to admit that it is entirely personal preference (not mostly). If you can't hear the difference then there's no point in spending extra money on woods with different tonality, is there? I've always believed that since it's all personal preference, then there's no point in trying to change someone's opinion, let them be.
It's what's put me off buying one of their 28" baritones. He comes across as a complete tool and there's some shady (true or not) stuff that's gone on so I'm steering clear.
Same here. It seems like Chapman is more about showing off, than actually doing something. And then pointing fingers when reality hits.
kids in this comment section gotta get a life 😂
I concur
Agufish worldwide custom guitars!! Great video, very well said and good points. I wonder if Ola feels bad about the timing. I’m sure it sucks for Chappers to have to say they can’t make any more right as Solar comes out with a new line. I’m sure Ola wouldn’t have done that on purpose, he’s a good guy.
Aguitars!
I was able to order a lefty Badlands guitar, Phillip said I was the first lefty order (out of four - 50 guitars in all) so the Badlands thing ought to be fun!
@@Leftandyguitar we are just not as profitable 😿
I played a show with Darkest Hour using my Chapman. Weirdly, no one left.
Haha love it 😂 it's insane how much hate Chapmans get in comment sections.. yeah I get it.. but also they are guitars! And it's just crazy how passionate people get with their hate.. I honestly feel sorry for some people, let go of it man! 😂
Had I been there, I would've left! 😂
@@bruceMoosemanit is sort of deserved considering he did technically kind of bully another RUclipsr
@@lewisgrant7622 oh I was talking about the guitars.. yeah I'm not a massive fan of rob chapman himself.. I did used to watch some of his videos but he just seems super self absorbed and yeah he's done some dumb things like that .
@@bruceMooseman from what I used to watch from past videos he always seemed a bit snobbish and cocky. I don’t play guitar my self. Some of his guitars do look cool. Just unfortunate the type of person he is
The Ridge Wallet is also a great tremolo blocker for string changes ;)
Holy 💩 you’re right! Would have saved me so much time with my last Ibanez lol
@Agufish Dude, why do you use the Name Of The Lord in vain. So disrespectful! Didn't you learn not to use God's name in VAIN!
@ You mean the poop emoji lol?
@Agufish no the name of the Almighty God, "Jesus Christ." I like your channel, but it's a turn-off when you use the holy name in vain.
@ As a christian, I understand that it is just an expression in American culture. There is no ill will intended, and we should not be offended.
I think Solar helped legitimize themselves by giving signature guitars to bands like At the Gates. Also Ola really built up the guitar demo scene on RUclips and it never seemed like he was trying to shill for any companies. Rob was always kinda tied to Andertons, which felt a little weird since Lee has a part in Chapman guitars
Agufish Guitars incoming...
YEAh dude, take a trip to china, shop around the factories, think up of a logo in the hotel room and put an order in for some Agufish fish guitars or something. 4-5 thousand will get you at leaste 100 gutiars,, you sell them for 5k each, preorder limited edition sale signed by, then 3k after and youre like half a million richer in not even a year. You take that money and try to hire a real guitar builder to make you custom shops. Good luck.
Listening to The Tone King make the announcement was so hard to listen to. It sounds like he is being held hostage and forced to read a statement or his family being held off screen will be killed.
The tOnEkInG is an idiot. Buddy can probably barely read.
The ML2 Pro was my second guitar, and I still love it to bits. It was cheaper than my first guitar (a Gibson SG), yet it felt twice as expensive.
There's no voodoo curse on Chapman guitars, it's called karma. 🙌
The number 1 thing Chapman needs is a better marketing manager. They really do make such good guitars, but they are marketed horrendously…
The Badlands guitar should have all of its case candy inside of a Trapper Keeper binder. And I hope it comes with a little footsie stocking so I can test the fret ends.
Haha! Love it!!
@@paulhendershott667 and then, when I went to Phil McKnight’s RUclips video, where he was introducing the guitar, someone had already made that comment. Heck, they may have made it two weeks ago because that’s when his video debuted. 🎸👀
Yeh man so true
The stocking used to test your frets is included.
Those prestige Solars come out to around 4000$ after tax. Idk if I trust the brand enough to consider that money when you can get a top of the line kiesel or prestige ibanez for 2000 and you know for a fact you are getting the best neck and playability the world has to offer. Would like to see an in hand report of these solars.
🤦♂$4,000! 🤣
For 4000 bucks/ 4100 eu (yes, they cost even more here in Europe which where they are made out LMAO) a guitar better suck my dick while I'm playing.
Yeah, my thoughts exactly. For that amount of money, I would just grab a custom shop Jackson Warrior and be happy.
The Solars are built by a well known French custom guitar builder, @Denis D, I'd own the hand built Solar over an American built Jackson any day.... I have a lot of experience with custom built guitars, and own a few....
@@MickH60 french builder? Is he one of the master luthiers at vigier? Or just some random luthier. Because I know we can trust a luthier from vigier. But idk... I havent heard of this builder or what guitars he makes. So its really hard to say if this guitar is worth it until we find out more. Fun fact one of the master luthiers from ibanez branched off and created his own company where he started making just 1 guitar at a time by himself and selling them for quite expensive price and there became quite a huge demand for these guitars for their craftmanship quality and shredability. and his company is called Caparison.
One problem with Chapmen is the that he put his name on the headstock. So it’s difficult to separate the guitar from the personality.
The badlands, while not my style actually look good. They’re bringing hypebeast collectible style sales tactics to guitars and it’s well produced
I wouldn't be surprised if Rabea tried his luck with his own brand.
I just bought an ml3 modern and I love it. I don’t care what smoke they have going on. It’s still an excellent guitar
The EU made X-type guitars sold out in less than a week, and Ola just announced the Indonesian made X-type is available for pre-order now.
Solar guitars fretboards crack after a couple of years, i have 3 friends that it happened to them!
Solar's announcement came at a funny time for me as I've been waiting 2.5 months for a model I ordered, and was told last week by Solar that my guitar didn't pass QC and I would not be getting it and they didn't have any more coming so I got a refund. I own a Chapman ML1 Pro Modern Baritone and it's a fantastic guitar. I was super excited for the Solar model I ordered due to the combination of features, but it appears they aren't doing that anymore. I have no idea if I was just an unlucky customer or if they had larger batch issues. I own Schecter, ESP and LTD models and honestly for the same price point I'll just stick with those as I know what I'm getting, rather than taking a chance on a brand/model I've never seen in person.
I don’t like pointy guitars too but that Solar looks badass if only it’s not 3,000 plus
I own a Chapman ML1 pro modern, and it's a fantastic guitar. I have replaced the pickups for Bare Knuckle Ragnoraks, and it's sounds monster!
It sounds to me like people are just a bunch of drama queens tbh
I’ve had a feeling these guitar builders would have problems. Wood is hard to find. Good wood is even harder to find.
Would love to see u start a RUclipsr Guitar Brand. You design some wicked guitars with Harley benton 🤘🔥
Hunter i think you need the next youtuber brand, all single cuts all the time!
It really sucks that Chapman is having such a difficult time right now. I’ve had two ghost frets that were amazing and one of the ML1 Pros that I had to have sent back TWICE because of QC flaws but the third one was good for sure. They are taking such a massive hit losing their two biggest artists as well. I pray that they get their feet back under them and they get their ball rolling again. They make GREAT guitars and have a great customer service department (they sent all three ML1s to me with two day shipping and made sure the last one they sent was PERFECTLY set up and packed good.)
Damn, the chapmans coming in with the seymour duncans ive been putting in my guitars for almost 10 years, pretty compelling NGL
I must be in the minority, but ive had an awesome experience with Chapman guitars so far. Its become one of my favorite brands to own along with ESP and PRS. Each of them have been awesome, but they are all in the pro or sig series, I haven't tried or looked at the standard series. Its a shame the company is not good about PR, transparency or consistency as a brand.
I think everything going on right now is really cool. I own a Chapman ML-1 Pro and it's amazing. I almost got in on the Badlands GX1 and might jump on their next one. I wouldn't mind trying a few Solar guitars but those new offerings are seriously high dollar.
Yea I don't do the politics...all I know is those chapman guitars look great, never had the chance to play one...but that would be the deciding feature if I parted with my cash.. definitely not internet politics.
If Chapman isnt at Andertons making vids and also isn't really putting out anything of note on his own as well then then there's no brand.
To me it was always if you liked the Andertons thing and wanted these decent spec budget guitars then it made sense. Other then that it's just some guys name on a headstock.
That said I really, really, really like my ML3 Pro in hot blue.
Im always amazed how many new models solar can pump out! And apparently stay afloat and keep growing. Im an Ibanez guy but i did buy a solar in about 2019 and at least at that time i was really impressed with the finish and QC. I just favour the Ibanez necks but the solars are DAMN good looking.
Chapman insisted that uk series was going to be built “in house” by chapman. KDH revealed it was likely an independent builder - as soon as it hits the fan they start naming UKGB as unable to complete their order?!
So shady.
It’s not just a problem with Chapman, a lot of guitar companies are having troubles with production, they’re just not that public about it.
Dig the Solar guitar's. Dig Ola and the styles they have. Want a 7 string X now.
Nice to see younger guys rock gibsons!
Solar has unique design, good communication and Solar plans things out so it can do the things it promises.
Even as a non-metal guy, the barnyard wood looking T Type is something I would buy.
Not sure about this. There has been some controversy around them with fretboard issues. To my knowledge they never adressed this. Not sure about the return policy either.
@@rockarena666 that was a while ago and has since been resolved, got mine in Decemeber and its great. No problems
the problem with solar is QC, it's ungodly random, and from what i know the ebony fingerboard in solar loves to crack ;/
@@rockarena666 they have outlet store selling guitars people have returned and if you go see there was guitars with crack on fretboard so they have addressed it. But what I have heard its past now. I just bought Solar and its ebony fretboard does not have any issues
6:45 it’s worth $800. Artificial, needless inflation makes it $1,150. The people saying it’s too expensive aren’t wrong.
String breakes on a RUclipsr guitar
**looks at the tuner**
IT'S REWIND TIME!
When there are GearGasms guitars the ride is officially over!
Niche specific supplies will always be needed and appreciated.
I think you nailed it pretty much. I am optimistic about Badlands because Phil is such a down to earth guy (I've emailed with him once, I sent him some random artwork I'd done while listening to his channel that was themed to his channel and he went ahead and used it, totally understood I just made it as fan art, was very appreciative etc). He says they have the next five Badlands guitars planned out already, like designed and ready to roll, so it will be interesting indeed.
I'm waiting for RUclips to just put out their own guitar 🎸
I wouldn’t be at all surprised at this point. I mean there’s already a stranger things Netflix guitar.
A RUclips guitar would rock!!!
That would be annoying #shortscale guitar with ads all over it
Yeah, and the minute you played any famous riffs, you'd get a copyright claim e-mailed to you...
@@wadeguidry6675a RUclips guitar but you have to pay for RUclips premium to use it
I think the problem with Chapman guitars is Mr. Chapman himself.
Facts.
I think the problem is a hyper critical audience
I still have my Chapman ml1 mik and those guitars were amazing. I hate seeing Chapman guitars slowly decline cause I grew up watching the Chanel and saw all the progress that happened. It’s a totally different Chanel now and sad to see how it’s current state.
Damn bro, thanks for the info! Well put together and concise, subscribed!
Yeah, love my ml1-7 pro, was my first seven string guitar. Just needed to switch out the pups and that thing rips. Played it tons of times live and all I ever get is love. The online world of opinion is hilariously detached from real life.
Solar is covering all bases with the Europe guitars and the 'S by Solar' in Brazil
There is a vid on the Solar Guitars Brazil channel and I have seen one review on RUclips
The sentient/Pegasus combo has to be one of the best sounding passive humbuckers on the market. I have a set that came in my 2021 LTD EC1000 burl poplar blue fade and I absolutely love them. Such a workhorse for the studio
I've never tried a Pegasus, how would it compare to a Nazgul?
@@Xiphos1349 similar to the nazgul but has more mids and clarity.
I might need to try but tbh, in my own personal opinion, Nazgul sounds cooler than PegaSUS.
@@Xiphos1349 sound is subjective. Everyone will have different tastes. That being said, even being similar they both have their different use scenarios they shine at. I have a nazgul in my 7s ibanez gio. Easily my go to bucker for lower tunings. The pegasus just works best for me using drop d and c tunings but also because it seems to sit better in a mix
Harley Benton Custom shop guitar - Single tree carved into a true one piece guitar carved by an artisan with finger nail file. Ivory tusk nut, Platinum perfectly polished and shaped frets, Solid gold plated EM shielding, etc etc etc etc etc,.,,,, $799.99
Loads of small companies in the UK are having big financial issues right now; basic utilities are absurdly expensive, importing from the EU can be problematic, unaffordable ground rent, small suppliers closing up shop, interest rates the higher they've been since the 08 financial crisis... I was surprised Chapman announced the premium British line given the above. I hope they find a builder that can deliver what they need. In fact, I hope all these brands do really well.
So Ola made a smart move. Like you said these were capable of being pre-made before release and not custom orders. There were 10 Euro X guitars available to choose from with variably unique tops and back wood, which you could view each of them like Sweetwater does. They sold out in less than a week. I think if he does these Euro guitars in limited batches with some unique woods and colors, they should do pretty well. Also if the quality holds up because there have been a lot of gripes surrounding QA/QC of the imports.
That X type Solar is SICK
10:00 just when I thought Ibanez model numbers were crazy. 🤣
I'm 100% in on the Badlands concept - I'm bummed I missed the cutoff for the first release. Chapman Guitars never recovered after the Riff City fiasco and I've always had 0 interest in Solar
Ola practically introduced Evertune to the market. It was very smart and good move. I own one for the half price other companies were able to provide. I played Chapman guitar and it was probably the nicest guitar I had in my hands.
this video is meat
Lee Garver (GMW) Karl Sandoval, I think Wayne Charvel (Wayne Guitars) are all still building. If you want insane build quality, you might as well get it from the guys who built guitars for everybody in LA.
I see a lot of complaints on the Facebooks about cracking fretboards on solar guitars . How true is this ?
Great video! I'm excited for Badlands because they are RUclipsr 2.0, in that they saw how Chapman did things and want to build & improve on that. (I have no affiliation with any guitar brand.) I wouldn't spend $2500 on the first Badlands guitar but as a teen of the 1980s, I'm very interested in seeing the next iterations.
I'd just spend the money on a good used guitar that is already recognized - Charvel, Jackson, Kramer etc.
I can't imagine why anyone would buy a Chapman guitar.
I want to like Solar guitars so bad. i've been looking for something to Chugg on. But ive heard so much about QC issues with their fretboards its made me very leary to get one.
It sounds like a backhanded compliment, but propts to making well made videos and not being annoying.
I have a solar and a chapman guitar and I love them both loads❤
Who would buy a Crapman guitar when you can get real brands for similar prices?
Hunter,you got me into wanting a few of the Gibson 80s/90s cheaper guitars like the marauder,challenger etc.I really want an L6s,Peveay T60 or a DBZ Royale/imperial.🤘😎👍
7:44 Damn that’s some Linus tech tips type segues
Yeah no shit Chapman is running the same if not identical specs to MIK LTDs and Schecter . They're made in the same damn factory! Lol. They led the charge way back around 2016/17 for killer specs and booted up the other brands to take notice of what players wanted. You can still snag them used on Reverb or any guitar website really for a good deal. Because although their reputation is in the bin. The instruments aren't. Even the lower end ones are still insane VFM.
Since the topic is RUclipsr and brands, maybe a video on how RUclipsrs don't do more to talk about brands that are less-than ok (maybe because it means sponsor trouble? Not sure)... like Fender suing a wind instrument company that could not take its business if it wanted to. Loved the balance of this video... not at all disgruntled or sanctimonious... well done.
Very cool! Thank you!
Thank you for your comments on people leaving stupid made up comments. Just stick to reality folks. Thanks.
I’ve been watching you from the beginning and I literally just now hit the sun button 😂
Another Canadian here. Causually watched chapman in the andertons music vids. As an mid age player I prop never by a sight unseen unplayed internet guitar. Always wanted to consider a chapman for purchase, but no points of retail in most of Canada. Same w many of the biggie manufactures. Have you ever done I video on the issue of point of sale for instruments Agu? Honestly, my first electric guitar would be very different if I was able to lay hands on the guitar before spending money vs internet recomendations and hoping that I could connect w the guitar that shows up in the mail. I aint rich son! lol
Solar is one of the moderm "holy grail" for metal guitarists. It's a weapon honestly, I've watched Ola's videos but I never knew it was his brand lmao.
Those Chapman guitars from 2016 you mentioned. Where were those being made?
That Badlands looks sick AF. Too bad it's not a neck through.
If you showed up at a gig with a Chapman guitar ... I would laugh at you, hehe.
I'm not sure who you are but you should probably start your own guitar brand.
I have a Chapman MLV PRO. It is an absolute beast. No issues whatsoever.
im waiting for a agufish fishy guitar co
Regarding Solar EU series, moving to the Richlite fingerboards eliminates the fretboard cracking issues they were running into with their Indonesian run of guitars. I’ll definitely be interested in picking up X and EX European models.
“Fart in the wind” … perfect description of Rob Chapman.
Solar guitar originated back in the late ninties. Ola was an exchange student, and so was his wife. They were a grade or two higher. Thus older. Their both forty-five or older. I remember distinctly an older man telling me about solar guitars 1995. It was possibly just a concept then. But He also indicated that he had to return guitars from Solar that had the same flaws and cracked fingerboard.
Hey dude I have been saving up for a while any idea when you’re signature comes out and how much it might cost because it looks sick
Hey Hunter, do you have any idea if it's possible to find that ML2Pro anywhere?
I think Rob Chapman's personality online has caused a lot of damage in the past, although I haven't paid attention for a while. That said, I played one of the Scallon models at a store a couple years ago, and it was a solid guitar for the money. I wasn't really looking to buy anything new at the time, but it would have been high on my list if I had been. A friend has a Solar, although I can't remember which model. He loves it.
I think Tone King is so used to sort of winging it, and just talking about whatever guitar/amp/etc. he's looking at that day, when he has to stay on a script he sounds bizarre! lol Rock on, man.
great insights, didn't know about the Chapman drama so far. Really sad how this all went.
Yeah welcome to the internet, ran by kids. 90% of people who ever had or even played a Chapman will tell you how good their guitars are. the rest is just modern cance(r) culture.
@@nicko7238 No it isn't. Chapman damaged his own image with his cringe "my truth" video. If he'd left it alone nobody would have known about KDH or his channel, he only had something like 1500 subs at the time. Nothing to do with cancel culture and everything to do with Rob being an egotistical thin skinned douche.
I see why Ola started Solar in the first place, he was an employee of Washburn I believe? We need more USA boutique guitars!!! 🎸 😊
Main thing I’ve heard bad about both Chapman and Solar is QC. To be fair to both, Solar replaced their big issues under warranty and I think for Chapman it wasn’t always like that, it started up with the switch to guitar center and riff city closed down so that could be a guitar center issue partially since they weren’t doing qc checks there based on Phil’s video. I’ll be curious to see if badlands experiences qc issues. I’m also interested in seeing how well it does since they seem to be going for a similar model to brands like Abasi concepts or early strandberg, but without that unique factor to make it pop (weird shapes, unique necks, headless, etc.)