Chapman Guitars Instagram Q&A with Matt Hornby!

All questions provided by you, our amazing Instagram followers. Without further ado, let’s begin…

Any chapman semi-hollow guitars in the future?

We released our first two last year (in Obsidian Black and Vintage Honey Burst) and we’re so proud of them. I’m sure there’ll be more to come at some point…

What model would you recommend and why?

We try to make sure there’s something in the range for everyone – both by spec and price point. My personal favourite is the ML1 Pro Modern!

Are you ever going to do neon-coloured guitars?

We’d love to! If enough people want to see it (and vote for it) we’ll do it!

Any news on the affordable ML3-BEA that Rabea talked about on his channel at the end of last year?

We’re working on it right now – this is probably the model I’m most excited about this year!

What are the best bang-for-buck Chapman models with a trem or Floyd?

New V2 Standard Series ML1 Traditional! With our awesome new factory up and running own, we’ll be working on a wider range of options for the Standard series in the future.

Who even uses tone knobs?

I was talking to Chapman Guitars design manager Dave (Hollingsworth) the other day about this, he swears by 7/8at all times – so at least one person!

Will there be a 22 fret ML2 in the future?

Yes!

Any cool new colours in the works? I love the purple ones.

So do I! Lots of new colours in the works – can’t say too much now, but keep an eye on the voting page on our site…

Any developments on a more affordable line of basses for us bass folk?

We will absolutely do this at some point. What would you like to see?

Any plans to come down to Australia again at some point?

Would love to – we have the best time! Great music, great people – I love the humour too!

Please open a store in London!

Cool idea…though Andertons is very close!

How can I get endorsed? I play my ML1 Baritone at every show…

We’re always looking for new artists – drop us a message via our site!

What’s the most popular model?

The ML1 Modern Baritone in Graphite. Always thought it was interesting that a baritone tops the list!

Chapman acoustics?

It would be cool to do. I love acoustics. Rob, Lee and I have talked a bit about it – there’s so many brands out there so I think it’s important to find a cool way to be different, not just do it for the sake of it.

Will there be any changes to the Pro Modern range? Specifically with the ML3 Pro?

Sure – what would you like to see…?

Are you going to do an exotic wood model – like Wenge neck, Ebony top?

We’ve been trying out some cool ideas with exotic woods recently. Some cool news coming soon…

Would you consider making any 8 string models?

Rob Scallon has an 8-string signature with us!

Is Chapman pedals going to be a thing?

We’re proud to have brought out two pedals and a new brand – Snake Oil Fine Instruments – at NAMM 2019! No immediate plans for Chapman pedals, but Snake Oil is a Chapman brand!

I hope to see an MLV with an optional hard tail soon!

This idea has been floated! See photo evidence below…

Are there many left-handed Chapman models?

Yes! We ran a lefty specific vote a while back – currently 5 in the range (3 Pro, 2 Standard) in colours different to the right-handed models.

Price range? Where are Chapman guitars built?

The Standard Series, built in Indonesia, is priced around £450. The Pro/Signature Series, built in Korea, is priced around £750-£1250.

Your all-time favourite Chapman vs your all-time favourite of any other brand – what would you choose?

Here you go – a sneak peek of my two favourites in one photo! (Chapman British Standard ML3, Fender Custom Shop Telecaster)

What’s the hardest part about deciding on specs for a new model?

Compromise! When you set out with a new design concept, you sometimes have to make changes to hit a certain price point. This can be the most obscure/uninteresting reason too, like import costs for a particular component or material.

The good thing is we’ve definitely become better at this over time. I’ve visited many suppliers over the last few years to understand all the processes, options and costs so we can always try to make the best guitars for the money.

If this isn’t a daft question, what is the advantage of the baritone models?

There are no daft questions! Baritone guitars are awesome – They just have a longer scale length than normal guitars, so they’re lower in pitch. They sound great.

Whatever happened to the Gold Top ML3 Traditional? Looked amazing…

You mean this one? I’m a huge fan!

I really want to try out a Chapman but I don’t know any dealers near me. How do I find one?

As well as Andertons, we work with retailers all over the world – check out our site for more details!

Hi and Bye! Thanks so much for all your questions – sorry I couldn’t get to them all! Get in touch with Andertons or ourselves at chapmanguitars.co.uk if you’d like to know more!

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