Review Of The Chapman Standard Ghost Fret From Guitar Center

Here are some other cool guitars I like from a reseller I trust more than GC
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[@trevorreniger5670]

RIP Riff City. Have a cookie in their honor. Good dudes.

[@chrischaf]

Well that sucks... I just find out about this place, and they sound pretty cool, and then I immediately find out they are closing ~~-_-'

[@avatarquinn]

They couldnt keep the shelves stocked, made poor decisions. And most people are going the online route, Guitar Center is dying too.

[@owenmoore1976]

Nah, rob chapman is the worst.

[@benharper4942]

@@owenmoore1976 why?

[@Alekkarl]

@@benharper4942 from what I can recall, rob transitioning to guitar center meant that no one wanted to buy Chapman guitars from Riff City anymore since it’s at a more common store. That and when he did those trips to different guitar centers, the owner of riff city payed for all the expenses. Just check out this vid kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXrOiZd-aMuSf6s. It goes a lot more in detail

[@TheAsdsdswww]

given my experience with guitar center "technicians" I'd say it's better that they don't even open the box to look at your guitar

[@dylanvogel4503]

I ageee I got a Duncan distortion put in my rhoads v and he fucked all the electronics up I actually had to go in my self and fix it better than wasting 60 dollars for one pickup installation that takes only 20seconds just to wire it I do it all the time

[@andrewgalloway7344]

@@dylanvogel4503 so the cnc's are actually better than the human ?

[@dylanvogel4503]

Andrew Galloway yea but I'm old fashioned and I personally like handwrierng and doing it my self but that's how I like it

[@richardtoland2624]

ouch

[@brandonanderson2066]

This is true in my experience as well. Plus they always act like "it's all good" and start giving bad vibes when you ask questions.

[@jeffjacobson59]

I love how Phil is an awesome guitar player but a WORLD CLASS bassist and is about the most humble guy around. You would never know it. He doesn’t flash his skills and is a very friendly and personable guy. That’s the secret to his success, an Everyman with an extraordinary talent that can relate to anyone. Stay classy, my friend!

[@mcquoid1r1]

I've bought 2 guitars from Riff City. A Chapman and a Reverend. Both came set up by Riff City with cookies and hand written thank you notes. I'd choose them over GC every time.

[@CosmicHippopotamus]

I’d love to still have this option, but alas. Those were the days.

[@yogieyo9935]

wait, a real cookies? or

[@blastofo]

What kind of cookies? Were they home baked?

[@ali2ndmail]

These might be perfectly fine guitars, but I don’t get why anyone would want to buy one with Rob Chapmans name on it.

[@andrewgalloway7344]

he's truly awful ....

[@Oyhus]

Agreed

[@qotsajr]

Aside from all that, the signature is hideous

[@Andyw1228]

Internet/KZbin is cruel- either they love you or they hate you, there's no in between... I bet none knows him in person but yet they love or hate him.

[@ali2ndmail]

@John Constantine you've missed the point. Not criticising the guitar. I wasn't even criticising Chapman himself.. I just don't get why someone would buy a guitar connected with someone known for a you tube channel. To me his name isn't famous because of his music.

[@rjeff753]

Thank you again for an honest and straightforward review. I have bought guitars from both GC and Riff City. Experienced the very same thing in Texas from GC you did. I can say very pleased with the service from Riff City. At least it was clear they opened the box and looked to have done a basic setup. Rock on!

[@fatkhetburnell]

Nice review. I've never wanted a Chapman guitar, and now I don't want a Chapman twice as much. There are better options in that price range.

[@matthewroach4729]

Thank you for this honest review. I purchased my Chapman from Riff City and it was flawless. You are so right about Guitar Center. I think their problem is a lack of employees with experience to actually inspect and setup the guitar correctly. That could be because they aren't willing to actually pay a proper guitar tech a decent wage, and put a comprehensive amount of actual guitar techs on their payroll. I was not happy with the last guitar that I purchased from Guitar Center, it had lots of issues with lack of care and poor setup. I almost bought an American Prof Tele from Guitar Center but it was so messed up that I went somewhere else to make my purchase. The same guitar at a smaller local shop was flawless. Guitar Center hurts our culture as musicians (the future of the electric guitar), and just because it's more accessible does not justify operating a company with a lack of respect for the product and culture that they pretentiously represent! Guitar Center cares more about the $ than guitars and guitar players!

[@matthewroach4729]

I should clarify that my Chapman guitar is the pro series made in Korea. It's possible that quality issues are also relevant to where it the guitar is manufactured.

[@Stratisfied22]

Guitar Center purposely has all their guitars not setup so you have to pay for one of their crappy setups. Also you generally have to take whats hanging on the wall which is a guitar that has been handled by many and banged around the store. I want to choose from at least 2 or 3 identical guitars if i'm buying brand new.

[@xamislimelight8965]

@@Stratisfied22 i used GC to play an instrument, but would buy it offline so i knew it was new. Wall guitars are you paying for a new guitar, but you get handed a used one.

[@MrChopsticktech]

@@Stratisfied22 My Guitar Center has every guitar and bass I have ever tried set-up, and usually in tune or close to it. Perhaps some previous customer whacked it around.

[@Stratisfied22]

@@MrChopsticktech Hey bud..your store may be the exception but the GC's i've been to are a joke. They've sold me used items as new(10's on a guitar that should have had 9's which means bad frets) and the list goes on. The store near me for sure backs off their truss rods so the instrument "needs a setup" for another $70 that generally their tech has no clue how to properly setup guitars anyway. I have to thank them however as it made me learn how to do everything i needed to fix issues including leveling and crowning frets.

[@chesapeake566]

For the same price Riff City does a pro setup with a checklist ... and a cookie 😀.

[@SirMonteCarlo]

Smitty Smith What's pro about it?

[@mjallenuk]

A professional looks at it? That's generally the idea with a Pro Setup isn't it? I mean sure they may have had thirty three seconds worth of training but there's no official Pro School so that's better than Mere Mortal Setup, right?

[@SirMonteCarlo]

Yeah. The pro bit means nothing. It's a buzzword. Riff City don't seem to have a proper repair shop, so the "pro setup" is probably done by one of the sales staff.

[@mal2ksc]

Even so, by the time that sales staffer gets his or her hands on the third or fourth copy of the exact same guitar, they're going to be more "pro" at setting it up than you or I would be. Likely, the only difference in the end will be in how long it takes, but still the "pro setup" is value added, at no extra cost. Also, Riff City generally just seems to give a shit, unlike Guitar Center, so between the two I'd rather support RC.

[@chesapeake566]

@Sir Monte Carlo: It's not an amateur like me doing it (even though I know how). It was intonated, action was great, gaps were even and it was even in tune when I received it. I don't care who did it. They did it right.

[@AhDollar]

It's called a Ghost Fret guitar but I can still see them

[@mr.phil.a]

Ah Dollar I wished i couldn't, looks like a black tampon.

[@orlock20]

A ghost fret is suppose to mean that there is no metal frets on the guitar, just a painted line on the finger board. Rob was told of the extra cost to do that, he said no yet kept the name.

[@mrsurname9217]

orlock20 - What are you blathering on about? What use is a bare fretboard with frets painted on it? And how the hell is that supposed to cost more than putting frets in. Put the crack pipe down.

[@orlock20]

That's what Rob said. It would require a machine to do it since they won't be painted on by hand. Maybe the factory doesn't have such a machine.

[@mrsurname9217]

I'm certain you've badly misheard something. What use is a fretboard with no frets?

[@Bradp18]

I love that I know you're going to give us an honest review. It really makes the review worth the time and gives the viewer a good idea of what to expect if they decide to purchase. I loved that you touched on the experience from guitar center and I could not agree more that another retailer might actually be better suited for a smaller builder such as this. Thanks for your time Phil!

[@Damaged262]

I can't help but believe Rob Chapman is being sincere when he says "Greetings". Just seems like that kinda guy.

[@kennethdon3619]

"grrrrrrrrrrrreetings"

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

CCCCCCHEEEEETINGS!

[@scrotiemcboogerballs4967]

Funny I find that the most irritating thing about him!

[@urbanothepopeofdeath]

@@aidanmoore9652 I am believing Rob on all this nonsense. but i only know him (from u tube) and not Riff City. he just seems like a straight shooter to me.

[@cameron0porter]

Rob seems like a socially stunted narcissist. Needs to dial down the god complex

[@keysky7116]

"Lets put this knife away before we hurt somebody" *tosses knife on floor*

[@cdavidlake2]

Yeah. Phil's the man.

[@nolanmanley5359]

I'm glad you mentioned RIFF City guitars as they do check every guitar they send out as SOP (standard operating procedure) for their customers. I'd buy one from Riff before GC. I wish Sweetwater would carry them too. LOL Nice honest review Phil, as usual. 👍

[@danprentis]

Shouldn't be up to the retailer to compensate for poor manufacturing standards. Nice that some do but ultimately not their job. Chapman shouldn't ship shoddy QC guitars and just expect the retailers to get them sale-ready.

[@danprentis]

You want the lowest price, buy from a company that sells in bulk but they're not going to lovingly prep every single guitar like a small independant shop might.

[@colebowman2833]

Dan P In a perfect world it would go that way but that's just not how it is. Even high quality guitars will have issues being shipped across the world. It's happened to me every time to some degree and i have some nice guitars! Believe me, if the retailers weren't checking these guitars (any brand any pricepoint) and setting them up, most guitars would come with some issues.

[@danprentis]

Cole Bowman what garbage. It's common knowledge if you buy from someone like, say, PRS (even the SE range) it'll be pretty much ready to go out the box. Maybe a few personal set up tweaks for taste. If you buy a Gibson its a lottery. This is a general consensus from thousands of buyers. Every video of a Chapman guitar straight out the box or off the shelf says the same thing - the QC is shocking. It is not the shops job to finish building the damn things and when shops are shifting hundreds of units it definitely ain't gonna happen.

[@colebowman2833]

Dan P look, think whatever you want. I'm speaking of my personal experience over decades. Some guitars are fine but no company is impervious to it. I'm not defending or trashing Chapman guitars. I wish them well and if there's QC issues... Well it needs to be fixed then. I think you may have misunderstood what I meant. Either way, you don't have to agree with me. Idk if Chapman Indonesia has a problem or not. I was speaking generally. Also not saying all guitar brands are junk. I'm saying I've been doing this a long time and I've bought or seen problems, regardless of company, at every price point. Or, almost every price point. Also not interested in arguing about it. I'm fine with you disagreeing with me. I don't really care about that.

[@LUckybones25]

Thanks for a non-biased review. I’ve been wanting a Chapman, but didn’t know what to think about them.

[@RackhirTheRed]

Moral of the story is - If you're ordering online buy your Chapman guitar from Riff City because Guitar Center is, well, Guitar Center. Thanks for confirming what I already expected. A typical GC experience.

[@Eventual420]

A nice price point for entry level players, great looks and sounds. Explorers are very comfortable guitars, and this has the tummy cut. Congrats to Rob Chapman, happy for him, he inspires a lot of younger players, exudes a positive fun vibe. Always a smile with Chapman. Sounds great Phil!

[@johncrafton8319]

Not just for entry-level players. Many experienced players like the sub-$500 price point as well. We all want more gear, and it's hard to feed that addiction when everything costs $1000+.

[@JUNKO____]

A price point doesn't dictate your playing level. If you're touring, shit happens. If you're using a $500+ guitar (without a roadie and heavy cases) , you're an idiot. If a guitar sounds good and the issues with it are fixable and not a detriment to the build integrity, there is no reason to complain.

[@adrian5b]

Just get an Ibanez RG… get a better instrument and save yourself 50 bucks

[@erwocoolis9451]

Right. Ibanez, Yamaha, Harley Benton and Schecter are brands with great quality and good QC in the 400,- range. Chapmas are a lottery game (like Epiphones and Squiers) with more misses than hits. At least in my experience.

[@DerrickRG]

Not really.

[@jamiemacmillan4056]

Have both and the ibanez sounds and plays better. Also has a Floyd hiking the price up yet was only £60 more than the Chapman (taking inflation into account btw)

[@iBowlSpares]

Yeah but ibanez will lose half its value second hand. Chapman's hold their value pretty well.

[@adrian5b]

@@iBowlSpares this doesn't sound accurate

[@MrChuckd6]

Good fair review, it’s crazy to me that people see a fair review and have to take sides. $450 guitars are rarely perfect. Phil loved the Pantera and appreciate the lack of bias. If only the comments section could be as ethical as you

[@lescaster2179]

Agreed, all around. $450 and the negativity aimed at both Chapman and Phil seems to be disproportionate. Buy some $450 Epi's and see how many don't also run aground in similar ways (or, even far worse in some samples I've seen). I mean, it's an affordable price point competing against other MIM, MIC, MII instruments in order to sell into that upper-low end wheelhouse. Should we expect it to rival a $1,000-$1,500 instrument, or even an $800 one? Apparently, 'yes' is the answer based on some of the feedback. Some people are even pontificating over Phil's 'motives' for not saying more bad things about it, or stating what Phil's real (unspoken) feelings about the guitar must be. Reminds me of cheap politicians that like to assign motives to non-supporters that fit their own narratives vs. just accepting and realizing that some people just don't agree with you/policies/positions. So, here we have people telling us (and, phil, really) what he REALLY thought about the guitar, because... it fits their OWN narrative, therefore Phil must have been 'holding back'. Classic. And lazy.

[@johnyboytown]

Although Chapman guitars aren't really anything I've considered buying, I'm quite surprised by the hate some people have for Rob. Why resent the guy for trying and succeeding? These far east companies churn out guitars and are a nightmare to keep on the straight and narrow. You see flaws on prs se, Ltd, fender, epiphone, etc etc. Some of the quality on Gibson is shocking. I don't really know or follow the guy, just seen a few Anderton videos while looking at reviews for certain items. Seems like a nice enough bloke, and is making a success out of Internet fame. Good on him. Can't understand Internet trolls and haters, what a waste of time and energy.

[@bobtheyob]

The only thing I can really think of that he has done "wrong" is to move the price point of his guitars, when they were originally popular due to being cheaper and haven't really changed the features to account for this. However, like you say some of the big names have shocking quality control, even when they charge considerably more but have rabid fan bases donating their hard earned money to some private equity firm... I wouldn't buy a Chapman, but much like Rob's playing it is something I can understand why people like but just isn't for me.

[@sundaynightdrunk]

@GMintheblood Exactly, and to add to that, we don't know what his costs are for Indonesian manufacturing. He may have seen increases there. At least he didn't move manufacturing to China, where he likely would find the cheapest prices, but lower quality.

[@johnyboytown]

@Abe Froman so it's just personal, and you're just a troll. Jealous little troll.

[@Glamosapien]

setsebbati completely in accurate description xD are u 12 or something

[@brianchoi9278]

@Abe Froman you're trying so hard to sound mature lmao

[@Craig_Fussell]

Great Review!!! Thanks for including the unboxing! My takeaways: -Pretty decent guitar for the price point, but that’s a very competitive space to be in...lots to pick from. -Too bad we have another random example of how Guitar Center is the IKEA (probably worse)of the music industry. -Hats off to Rob Chapman for building his “Grrrreetings!” Brand! 😉 Best of luck to him in business!

[@matthewc4255]

Craig Fussel

[@Fidozo15]

IKEA lol that's why I buy directly from the store. If I don't see a guitar on the store I'll not buy it (oe used)

[@jamesmulligan7413]

IKEA fucking rocks

[@drewsandefer2894]

Thank you for taking the time for a proper, non biased review. This is why I follow you. Far too many youtubers tell you how great a product is, then a month later dump it on reverb and talk crap in forums. Great job!

[@thomaszyvoloski3200]

As a Minnesotan I'd buy one from riff city they're all chill as hell. Plus free water and cookies ain't bad.

[@JohnFossbass]

Zyvoloski i

[@grantolson7200]

Woah where's there a riff city in MN??

[@TMmodify]

Grant Olson the main was, and always is, in Minnesota

[@slimjimmypage]

I appreciate how nobody from Chapman has commented on this or tried to correct any errors. That takes more integrity than reaching out to people with a much-watched video to improve reputation.

[@jamiemacmillan4056]

So the low down is it's a good guitar but don't buy it from guitar center

[@letmeooze]

Jamie MacMillan it might be a decent guitar but don't buy from somewhere that won't check the guitars they send you.

[@BrianSGuitars]

The low down is it has a bent knob, and ding on the body, and don't buy it from GC. Better yet don't buy it all. Get a PRS SE and call it a day.

[@davidmiller1218]

Sorry, I hit the down thumb by mistake. I just wanted to mention that the last time I shopped at GC, the salesman told me "NOT" to trust him or GC. I took him at his word and haven't been back.

[@richardharrold9736]

Why buy a PRS SE over this? If I wanted a PRS, I'd save up for a proper USA one. The Ghost Fret is its own thing - OK, it looks like an Explorer, but it's smaller and has that belly cut. I'd still save up for the Korean Pro version rather than the Indonesian Standard, though.

[@captainwhizz]

Richard Harrold also, Korean PRS and Korean Chapman guitars are made in the same factory, so the quality should be the same.

[@squatchh_]

I got a Chapman Ml3 from Riff City off pre-order. It's literally the nicest $400 guitar I've ever owned. It's really comfortable to play and mine came with no issues. I've been very happy with my purchase. And I have other really nice guitars.

[@cheeseUout]

1 month ago: chapman guitars are okay. Some are great, but for the most part they're average 2 weeks ago: chapman guitars are the worst. Gotta love the internet

[@numerouno4168]

Live by the sword die by the sword !

[@atothek302]

They’ve always been cheap Chinese junk

[@Doncergio]

A certain subset have hated them for a while. Chabbers is just getting hella attention for being a dickweed.

[@Doncergio]

Cod Zilla a pretty small channel did a video where he pointed out Chappers’ bad track record. He pointed out that Rob’s videos were rather vapid while having really clickbait titles, this is on his own channel. He pointed out it was strange he promoted a gofundme for his band and the next week he was flexing on his fans, showing a PRS (retail a few thousand) he had purchased for his son. As well as a strange relationship with riff city. Rob then made a very condescending video where he strawmanned almost every point the original video made as well as acting like everything he did for Riff City was “out of the goodness of his kind heart”. (Example of strawman: the original video claimed it was a douche move to flex on fans after asking for money, Rob said te money wasn’t for him and that the guitar was bought at discount, he didn’t address the fact that he was flexing) The video was painful to watch yet his fans took his side and bombed the original video. Riff city came out with an official statement that even though working with Rob was fine, the only time Rob ever did anything with them was when he could promote his own brands (guitars or band). Rob acted like he was doing them a favor with things like clinics. Riff City said artists never get paid for clinics, they just use them for exposure. That’s the gist. But you should check out the vids if you want more info. PS. Rob also laughed at the creator of the original video, saying his playing was trash and that he should practice more instead of making drama videos. The dude had not uploaded anything for a while and the last video was of him when he was 17. Rob literally shat in a teenager’s playing.

[@nath9233]

Yep the sheeple are out in force

[@arnolddealiii4259]

Just my opinion, but Riff City Guitar is a family owned mom and pop shop that has grown to be a one of the largest mom and pop shops in the United States that sales guitars. Their owner Joe, personally took out a loan in 2015 to pay for Chapman and Co. to come to America and be bused around to show off their guitars. I think Riff City Guitars in return has grown and is now a well know sales group in the USA because of those well documented adventures. I have nothing but good to say about Joe and Riff City Guitars, and if you are planning on buying a Chapman or anything for that matter you should check them out. My only negative thing I am going to say is Rob Chapman told us at the Charlotte location of the East Coast tour that he would never have Chapman guitars in Guitar Center, that it was just not in the model. I got to admit I'm disappointed that Rob changed his mind and kind of turned his back on the Mom and Pop shop model he said he was going to stick to. To summarize, buying from Riff City Guitar is good, Guitar Center eh I wouldn't, and Don't take Rob Chapman's words to the bank because in the end he's sold Chapman Guitars out for the mighty dollar that he told us wasn't his driving force.

[@arnolddealiii4259]

Look I'm still a fan of Rob and wish him the best, and I get it. I'm glad the mom and pop shops are still getting to sell the guitars, but in 2015 he told all of us a different story. Some of the mom and pop shops feel the same way. End of the day it's about people for me, and the TONE :) Do on to others and you would have done to yourself, and make sure your guitar sings for as long as it can.

[@barra6709]

It's sad to read this about Riff City guitars because years later. They were great. It's clear to see Chapman done then dirty much to the annoyance of Joe who paid a lot of money for Rob to promote his own guitars and then lie about it.

[@GasNBullets]

Lovely guitar. I have never been overly impressed with my guitar center experiences. I certianly hope that Rob sees this and converses with guitar center.

[@BellTunnel]

“Can’t tell if it’s bent or crooked.” Perfect description of Chappers.

[@einoware436]

15:32 "Although that may not be exciting, at least they have to open the box and look at the guitar for a second to put the cookie in". That is how easy it is to one up Guitar Center

[@SpecialistGuava]

Lmao. Yup. I got a GC gift card for Christmas. I ordered online. 🤷‍♂️🤣🤣I'd rather wait a week and not have to deal with their customer service .

[@RoyalsVixen0619]

Guitar Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana is one of the best music stores I've ever worked with. They always try their best to make me happy as a customer (albeit, a repeat customer). If they screw up, they do everything they can to make it right for me. I know y'all may not like Guitar Center as a whole, but GC in Fort Wayne is a shining example on what good customer service is.

[@lilkris3008]

GC here in Arlington tx is cool kinda pushy with the warranty but I know that’s not their choice

[@thesuprisedbitch4077]

@@RoyalsVixen0619 i got shipped a broken bass that was labeled in working condition from that store

[@zephirol4638]

Seems like Rob's guitars are a lot like him as a person. Fake representation online and cheap trash in real life.

[@andrewbrown1936]

What are you trying to say here Rob is a great guy I'm guessing you probably dropped a little too much money on a Chapman and are venting to a guy who dosent care

[@PJmakesMusic]

Wow, that was a really thorough, scrutinizing review. The guitar going through all that and still getting a favorable review is the kind of thing that ups my confidence. Definitely would look into taking your advice about ordering from Riff City or similar if I were to buy a similarly priced Chapman online.

[@BobCrosley]

Hey Phil! Great review. It was clear your goal was to be tough but fair, and you pulled it off. I don’t think it will change anyone’s mind who had already decided in advance, but you’ve given people good, unbiased info. I think the takeaway is, that if you were considering a Chapman standard, they’re solid guitars, but you might want to consider getting it from Riff City. Looks like Guitar Center is just moving boxes.

[@murryw]

I ordered my ghost fret from Riff City, and I got in on the first shipment. To say thanks, Rob included Seymour Duncan pickups in his first shipment of ghost frets. I have to say too that mine was from the original Korean factory and is flawless. I think I paid about 900 but it came in a case.

[@duncanrhodes4873]

Enjoy your work Phil. A technique we use in broadcast sound to avoid popping and wind blasting of omni-directional mics, is to place it centrally on the chest, pointing downwards. In TV this avoids popping and captures the sound from the mouth from both sides as the head is turned. Hope this may help. Duncan

[@uncleaj87]

Did anyone else scroll to see if Rob commented?

[@dbarbz2089]

I bought the ML1-Pro (Korean) in New Zealand. Not a thing wrong with it. Such an awesome guitar to play. Worth every penny.

[@dimesciple1652]

Dude hit us with the PANTERA riff...nice!!

[@rosshorne4769]

When Phil pulled the guitar from the bag, I thought wow that is stunning, and it sounded great too, I don’t think I’ve heard Phil play better, and they do say a good guitar brings out something different in your playing.

[@chamathke]

This man is a national treasure and must be protected

[@jomesias]

Phil... correct me if I’m wrong! But most guitar sellers don’t setup every guitar for free! It depends on the priceline (like 900$ or above) or it can be requested at an additional price if the guitar doesn’t meet the minimum for a free setup! The guitar setup is the most important part (truss rod specially) so be ready to do some work on any guitar (the airplane pressure change will mess with it anyways) even if it was already setup! So what I’m trying to say is: truss rod and action are what make or break a guitar depending on your style, so learn it and don’t trust a guitar shop to do it best

[@brianricker1703]

Riff City rules! I’ve bought 5 guitars from them, and they were all flawless, including the setup.

[@rwcguitar]

GREAT REVIEW! This is everything I wanted to talk about on my channel and some of my fears with a big supplier like g-center stocking Chapman. Very tastefully done while still remaining honest... Love what Chapman has done for the guitar community and I hope g-center doesn't kill some of that.

[@tompoynton]

lol

[@cloughie1981]

RIP Riff City, a casualty of Rob Chapmans massive ego.

[@DefiningDave]

I made the mistake of ordering a "genuine" Gibson SG from GC. No setup, not even tuned for when I picked it up, fret buzzing, and cracked nobs. Didn't know enough about guitars back then to realize what I was taking home. Basically, I trusted GC. This year I ordered two pedals during the holiday sale. One was brand new in the box, the other was clearly a floor model that they repackaged and said nothing about. It's the last time GC will get a dime from me.

[@bradleestone5344]

You have to know exactly what to look for at GC and sometimes that doesn't even work because the guitar could be set up way better . As a beginner you're WAY better off at a local ma and pa store ✌

[@mike06250]

Meh...whatever since when do gibsons have gotoh tuners?

[@jimcamp2423]

This particular guitar, $ 500ish, the screwed up knobs, I wouldn't expect that from a $ 100-150 guitar. If they can't put a knob on properly, put them in a bag in a pocket and let me press it on when delivered. The ding, that looks like a factory repair, ? Again, for $ 500, I wouldn't expect that, & would anyone expect that from a $ 100 Sawtooth or Monoprice bottom end musical instrument even ? I wouldn't expect that from a Bullet (Squier) even and if it was GC stock, I'd expect a discount, marked as a blemished stock or a scratch & dent price reduction. When you buy new, you expect the first dent or ding to be from your own clumsy fumble accident. I appreciate them fixing it at the factory before sending it on, but it needed to be marked as blemished.

[@naterushlow7937]

Right. I bought a "scratch and dent" 5 string Squire bass from a fire house music in Grand Rapids Mi and I nor the sales guy could actually find what was wrong with it. We thought maybe the pick guard was very slightly popped in one spot by the neck but that's it. That's how quality control should be. If you find flaws in it the instrument you shouldn't be selling full price. They should be just as picky as the pickiest customer.

[@I-Libertine]

Baloney.

[@jimcamp2423]

@@I-Libertine Not really, I bought an Epiphone LP Special I P90 that was in better shape than the Chapman in this video for $ 149.99 & tax from GC. The volume knob was pressed on and wasn't level as I turned it to thru it's pot sweep to rub the deck. Eventually they had the price match sale and I was able to be refunded for a $ 129.99 sale price. Until that happened I was Meh about the instrument & purchase, but I knew someone would drop the price on the identical guitar enough to get a price match discount. That Epiphone had fewer flaws that the Chapman, so for $ 129.99 I was satisfied, but I still had to go thru the 90 day period watching for sales & go back to GC to get it, prove that I could get the same guitar for $ 20+ less. Fortunately for me, I go to that area enough that it would be less inconvenience to get a price match discount. As I learned more about Epiphone guitars and serial number date code they do, I ended up buying a 2017 Chinese guitar in the Summer of 2019. not deal killers, but you can see I ended up getting $ 20+ off for a sale for a stale LP that had been sitting in the back of the GC for as long as 2.5 years with just a volume knob issue & set up that needed to happen. I saw no blems in the finish for the neck and the frets were very close to clean without file & sanding scuffs. This $ 450 guitar in this video reminds me of the Monoprice Tele I bought that still had fewer issues than the Chapman. It was $ 99.99 discounted to $ 84.99 and when it arrived, had a similar blemish in the finish that I was sending the guitar back and exchanged in hopes for a fresher one. Contacting Monoprice I was able to negotiate an additional discount off the Tele. They didn't want the RMA, I didn't want to send it back and then we had what it was going to take to arrive at a factory blemish that I could live with. I know they didn't want a $ 99 guitar back that was damaged to sell as a open box refurb with an RMA. With the sub $ 199.99 guitars I expect brand new to be as perfect as possible. This Chapman, I can find these type of blemishes for a pre-owned instrument for 1/2 off if that's the level of settling. I have no problem paying MSRP at GC, but it better be pristine in a near virgin packaged box. I've learned what to look for with any guitar, what to expect, whether I miss it or not is on me as a consumer. If I have my checklist and do my due dilligence, I know what I can expect as a negotiating tool. Honestly, I've walked away from GC blems for scratch & dents where the discount wasn't enough. One Squier Bullet Tele was $ 20 discounted, it had a dime sized chip in the poly & paint finish near the neck pocket. To me that repair is easily worth a $ 50 discount and that's if I had matching paint and poly with the expertise to try to make it look close to what it should. Would you pay even 1/2 price for a brand new guitar that was missing paint & poly down to the bare wood ? I wouldn't, not when I can find a 2-3 year old preowned rarely to never used in better condition for 1/2 price or less even.

[@I-Libertine]

@@jimcamp2423 these are inexpensive guitars. Just not worth sweating over bent knobs, chips, etc. It would make sense if it were a grand or more. Otherwise, it seems ridiculous to sweat it over niggles on a cheap guitar. 🙄

[@jimcamp2423]

@@I-Libertine I get your price point is $ 1K & up for this level of QC, for me it's $ 150-200 where the details are expected. We're talking from going from Squier Bullet/Affinity territory to the $ 500-1K ? If I paid another $ 300+ for a guitar, is it too much to expect that one of the knobs wouldn't scrape the top of the guitar as properly installed pot & knob ? FCOL, I can grab a $ 179.99 Squier Bullet and not hear that scrape. I mean if you think about it, the tuners aren't going to be noisy, the pickups, pots or output are new and should be clean, what else is there left ? Some guitars (this one included) have only 2 or 3 knobs, not even 4 knobs and a single toggle switch. I guess eventually the pickguard will wear lower there and have that scratch ring underneath, but why would it have to come to that even ? The biggest difference a $ 500 guitar should have is Alnico vs Ceramic magnets. Maybe a better Tremolo bridge and the tuners upgraded to locking tuners.Ugghhhh, that neck blemish, I'd expect that on a $ 100 Sawtooth, Glarry or whatever, I wouldn't expect it on a Squier Bullet to any guitar that prices at what an Ibanez or Schecter, perhaps even a MIM Fender Player Series priced at whether it was 2018 or 2021. Maybe expect a ding here & there on a guitar at GC that has been on the demo rack for months & years & handled by the general public of those that don't care about the instrument ?

[@sethhereford7332]

All of your criticisms seemed very fair, and after this video I am more likely to buy a Chapman because the important parts of the guitar were done well. Chapman Telecaster or schecter Telecaster is the only question left for me.

[@Wildledroses]

Seth Hereford i have a schetcher pt fastback. Best tele I own, I have USA & MIM ones

[@urbexjohnny8633]

Are you seriously considering a Chapman over a Schecter? Really? I mean come on...

[@drittal]

Why shouldn’t he? The pro series are built run the same factory as the high end import schecters, come with hipshot tuners, graphtech nut, stainless steel frets, and a hard case for 2-$300 less than a comparable schecter. Get it from Riff City and don’t worry about the set-up either.

[@wildersparks9161]

G&L ASAT

[@richardharrold9736]

I'd go Chapman over Fender, I've seen too many Fender QC horror stories lately, including a £3500 CS Tele with a warped neck. Stick some Bare Knuckle Piledriver pickups in, and you're good to go.

[@kdrake777]

I agree with Cheddar, if I were to buy one, it would be from RNA or Riff City. Riff City will set the guitar up for you the way you want it and include a cookie.

[@raytorvalds3699]

RNA doesn't sell Chapman guitars any more.

[@RNAMusic]

We definitely do not.

[@Edward1312]

Chapman hasn't come up with a single guitar design that I like, unbelievable!!

[@innocentoctave]

A very fair review of the actual customer experience: tough, but reasonable. Judging by the intact packaging, this guitar slipped through final cosmetic inspection at the factory and was not reinspected by the retailer. If this is typical, then Guitar Center are using their customers to do their final quality control, and Chapman can expect a higher level of returns from`these stores. This raises the question of what a maker has a right to expect from a manufacturer at a particular price point. Thoughts, Phil?

[@thenotsoguitarguy9429]

Paul B - I used to work for Sam Ash. At the time (several years ago, now) every guitar sold at this price point and higher ($399.00 and up, I believe) included a free setup by our in house tech. The setup was pretty basic - intonation and middle of the road action, check for buzzy or dead frets, that sort of thing - but it was included. I can't remember whether that extended to online purchases (I believe so, but don't remember for sure so I can't say), but I know for a fact it extended to over the phone purchases shipped from our store (ours was the only location for a few hundred miles, so we did a fair amount of over the phone business). I'm just saying, it's not too much to expect for your guitar to come out of the box ready to play, you know, barring any special or specific setup needs that you'd have to pay someone for, anyway. If Sam Ash could do it (not exactly mom and pop) then I see no reason why GC shouldn't be expected to do the same.

[@thenotsoguitarguy9429]

Oh... Just re-read your comment. Maker/manufacturer: I kind of feel like the maker has the right to expect from the manufacturer whatever was agreed upon between maker and manufacturer, minus a very small margin of error. Same goes for the sales end. I believe Rob said in one of his videos on the subject of GC that Chapman requires each of it's dealers to properly set up the guitars they stock from Chapman. Maybe that doesn't include online purchases sent from a central warehouse. I personally don't see why the customer service experience should be much different either way.

[@richardharrold9736]

I know that every guitar shipped from Andertons, whether shop-bought or ordered online/by phone from their vast warehouse, gets a full pro setup.

[@thenotsoguitarguy9429]

I never buy a guitar I haven't played. I really hope this GC thing works out for Chapman so I can get my hands on one. The closest GC to me is still a long way away, but is much closer to me than the closest Riff City guitar. Like 1200 miles closer, ha ha.

[@virtue696]

There is no real final cosmetic inspection at the factory, almost every Chapman standard comes with at least 1 cosmetic flaw, mine had cosmetic flaws and the bridge plate was screwed in off-centre, as well as the input jack plate + small chips in the neck join. They cannot afford to be picky with QC or they would have to bin half their inventory.

[@DiegoRamirezrocks]

I just recently bought a ml2 pro from Riff City. It came set up and it plays like an absolute dream the action is low, and it sounds great through my dual rectifier. This past winter I bought a 2018 Les Paul standard at guitar center, and I had them set it up. When I compare the two experiences, I find that riff city really did a much better job and they gave the guitar a ton more TLC. The Les Paul setup was sub par and honestly, I had to set it up when I got it. My take away while guitar center is very convenient for when you want cable or strings last minute. I wouldn’t want to buy a new guitar from them unless it was used, exclusive, or something along those lines.

[@sandyturner1911]

Just got the ml3 modern standard from Riff City.. the setup was perfect, intonation is good, too.

[@leocubiasmusiclifestyle7460]

this is by far the most honest and helpful review I've seen and totally agree that Rob should have chosen a better store for distribution of his guitars hope Sweetwater gets an opportunity for distribution in the near future

[@Theylieohio]

This was an Awesome video , it holds the guitar company and the retailers feet to the fire and helps us consumers tremendously.

I’m gonna say this, I looked away for a second to grab my PBJ sandwich and I thought the one playing the guitar was The Chappers himself. Man, you play terrific and every review has a different sound and that’s what I love ♥️ I wish stores where I live carried Chapman’s 😔

[@FilippaArendt]

The Ghost Fret looks very cool 👌

[@michaelgratton1767]

Yeah it does look cool! Btw really looking forward to your next cover with Dave Simpson :D

[@kylemundy8871]

You're cool. Keep up the good guitar work!

[@BackBurnerDoug]

I ordered a Chapman ML-3 Pro Modern from riff city last week and It came perfectly set up and they even put my favorite Ernie balls on it. The 10-52 paradigms. I was blown away by the guitar. One of the best guitars I’ve ever owned.

[@TobyKBTY]

LTDs are my favorite among the import/midrange lines, but this has got me interested. It would be cool to have an ML1 or Ghost Fret as a drop tuned beater around for the apartment.

[@DavidRFIT]

yeah but with a LTD if you want to resell it, you are able to do it. good luck in reselling a chapman...

[@el34superlead]

David, It's a $500 guitar if you are worried about resale value then you need a job not a guitar.

[@DavidRFIT]

el34superlead if you buy a guitar online like Phillip did you can never know. Maybe you'll want to resell it after a few months because you don't dig it. Then, good luck in not losing a good chunk of your money or keeping the guitar forever, if it's a lesser marketable brand like Chapman. But then again, if you don't care about losing 200/250$ in a few months, good for you and your wonderful job.

[@el34superlead]

I wouldn't buy a guitar if I thought I was going to sell it in a few months. But if this is a big thing maybe I wait for that 2 month old guitar to be on Reverb for $250.

[@MB-yw3pv]

Yea LTD gets it right, even the cheapest $99 guitars are better then most up to 4 or 5 times the price, they have officials from Japan though in the factory checking on things

[@THINCOVER]

50% guitar 50% retailer. Great review mate.

[@rcoveyduc]

Every manufacturer has guitars that make it through production that have issues. These guitars go direct from the builder to the retailer. It's up to the retailer to unbox and check to make sure everything is proper. I'd be very surprised to see Joe at Riff City let a guitar with the issues this one has out of the store. If he did, it would be marked down as a 'blemished' one. What's more likely is he would have sent it back to Indonesia for replacement.

[@timfletch]

Got mine from riff city at xmas. Left a note in the comment section when I ordered for how I would like it set up, and came just how I wanted + COOKIE. This thing smokes my old ltd ec-256(was a bit cheaper, 350, but still). I love mine.

[@Will_M600]

i definately rate chapman guitars but i would say that at the lower price point there are better options. the more expensive lineup are waaaay better value to me. (if i hadn't bought a prs se before their release i would have likely got one)

[@trailofinsects1881]

Found you trough Andertons and I love your honesty! More Like you in the world makes the world better! Thanks for this channel and you have a new fan from Sweden. Take care.

[@willbilly81]

I think I'll order mine from Riff City. That dude seems like a solid Cat anyhow... And I cookies. Boom!

[@wharris7820]

I hate buying form Guitar Center, but I do because they have it, and it is cheaper there. I got the ML2 (Les Paul model) from a Florida Guitar Center the day after they got it for $450. I returned a new Epiphone Les Paul Standard PlusTop Pro I bought in February for $365 ($604 marked down to $429 plus 15% off). I played a lot of guitars before I bought that one, I considered it the best for the money. I am so glad I was in the 45 day to return. There is nothing, I mean nothing I can even possibly say as to why someone would buy an Epiphone over the Chapman. There is not one thing better on that Epiphone, and almost every component on the Chapman is as good as or better than the Epiphone. The weight alone is unbelievable. If you think a guitar that has a 1/2" lacquer on the neck and weighs pounds more with frets sharp enough to cut your fingers is better, then get the Epiphone. As far as the play-ability, I know this is subjective, but damn is it a nicer guitar to play than the Epiphone, I mean by leaps and bounds. I played the Epiphone extensively through my 3 main amps (Dark Terror, 1959SLP, Katana 50) and I can't use any other word for the Chapman other than better. More lows, more signal, more responsive to string touch, and just plain sounds nicer, both clean and dirty. And speaking of dirty, when I got the Epiphone I ruined a rag on just cleaning the frets. They were packed with axle grease, I mean A LOT OF IT. And the dye on the fretboard was nasty and came off also. I spent 2hrs just cleaning the fret board then it needed a complete setup out of the box. Now the Chapman I bought off the rack, only been there 1 day, that too had to be set up. I adjusted the truss to get a 9 sting height on the neck relief, the action was a little high, I raised the pickups some, and I put 10's on so I adjusted the intonation. No nasty cleaning as with the Epiphone. The soapbar and saddle can be upgraded, seems cheap, but stays in tune, and very easy intonation adjustments. 2 complaints, 1st why no locking tuners, I mean come on, and I know $450 is not suppose to be a lot of money these days, but every guitar I bought as a kid in the 80's and 90's, even a $99 Peavy came with a HARD SHELL CASE!!!! AAAHHHH! Now are you going to get the same sound from the Chapman as you would with Burst Buckers in a Gibson Les Paul, no, but you will get the best Les Paul style guitar for under $750 I ever played.

[@wharris7820]

Cant say about the DOT, never played one much, but a friend of mine says the same.

[@mindcrimes1979]

The only place to shop is Sweetwater. 55 point inspection on guitars and bass’s. You get a bag of assorted candy. The people are knowledgeable... Dave Dunsire is my sales rep.

[@kestocycling]

Sweetwater's customer service is ridiculously awesome. They really know what they're doing!

[@mindcrimes1979]

Kevin Stones They’re not just sales reps... There’s a bunch of kick ass musicians there. Who’s going to understand musicians better than other musicians ? Check out the new Schecter’s.

[@rb032682]

Sweetwater seems to go above and beyond when it comes to online guitar sales, but, sometimes, even Sweetwater forgets to put in that little bag of candy. lol. Every guitar I've ever gotten from Sweetwater has been setup correctly.

[@mindcrimes1979]

RB If they forget the candy... Your guitar should be free. Hehe

[@Shoot_and_Scoot]

Sweetwater is about the same I’ve ordered two higher end purchases through them and they were both shipped with flaws in them as well as finger prints and smudge marks all over them from their “inspection” they are also slow to ship and they are higher on price than most other retailers. Ordered a set of focal monitors only to have to return one because it had a uncentered woofer surround and the cone was off set. Fairly certain that they sell b stock items as new.

[@evelasq1]

Thanks Phil for the review and I got to meet Rebea and Rob Chapman at the Guitar Center in New York City with an autograph, One Hour Video and photos. Those guitars do sound good. The Video would be on KZbin soon after my second review of the video. Peace, Flood!

[@ZippyLeroux]

Dimebag forevarrrrrrrr!!!!

[@danilobatista1329]

Absolutely man! Dime lives on through his playing legacy. Greetings from Portugal

[@easilyentertained1975]

HETIFLED FOREVRER

[@erickleefeld4883]

I saw one of these in a store, and decided to do something unexpected with it: Instead of the distorted metal sounds, try to play something clean and jangly. (Say, an R.E.M. riff.) And hey, in the middle position on the pickups, it sounded great!

[@michaelcosta7235]

I wish Chapman would have tried to secure Sweetwater before dealing with GC.

[@jeremiahwilson6037]

I just gotta say..yer music instrument vids are hands down the best on KZbin.

[@stephengent9974]

Would be interested to hear what Rob thinks of your review. Obviously GC are taking money for essentially doing nothing. If I was Chapman I think I would be upset big time. This is a big deal for them, ads it is their step into the big time. I don't know what their contract is with GC but maybe they should try and court Sweetwater. I have always found them to be exemplary in customer service.

[@HJimm]

Got my Ghost Fret from Riff City and it's perfect! I couldn't find anything wrong with the guitar. Sounded great right out of the box. It was even kind of intune!

[@SqueezyLemon]

Really loved the heavy breathing and you blowing up the mic every 2 seconds

[@stevenirons8564]

I can attest - both the Riff City set-up and cookie are very good quality! I bought an ML3 Modern Standard from them last Dec, and it was set up nicely. Also, the cookie was tastier than your typical bag of Sweetwater Halloween candy pack.

[@mactipiak]

I hope Riff City gets plenty of views/purchases from here. From the videos they shot with Chapman, they seem genuinely human and kind as opposed to a big corporation like guitar center. Yet, I'm not really concerned, as I don't live in the US... Is that a 7 string Ibanez Saber behind? Love the saber series, (proud owner of an S540, a SC420C and an SB900LE)

[@murderface15g13]

The photo on the Guitar Center page gives the impression that the finish should be satin/matte, not gloss. The specifications on the site say that the neck and body should be matte finish as well. It's disappointing that Guitar center is not ensuring these guitars meet those specifications that the customer is expecting. It also does a disservice to the Chapman name because they are not likely getting feedback on quality control issues. I was planning to buy this guitar. Thanks for saving my money, Phil.

[@DroneShotFPV]

I know this is 4 years ago, but great review. LOVE the Pantera riffs! Go Phil!

[@swingset1969]

Typical Chapman, from my experience. I've handled about 10 of them, and EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. had numerous quality control issues. Every one. I can't make that claim about Squier, or Jackson, or pretty much any current popular brand from the factory. I have no opinion on the guy himself, good or bad, but his guitars are lackluster.

[@cnutella9947]

Stuff some foam around the string tree. Can hear the strings ringing after every chug. Awesome review man, thank for this, great audio and brutal honesty.

[@JedSprague]

Those Riff City cookies are delicious

[@Utube-g3g]

Jed Sprague stale and thrown out.

[@1066wastrel]

the FIRST person I`ve EVER heard who can pronounce D"addario properly

[@stirlingarcher2141]

A good, honest, and fair review.

[@shanekelley3064]

OMFG... You're the only dude I've ever seen do "By Demons Be Driven" in a guitar review... Or anything for that matter! One of my all time favorite songs!

[@cullenjames7542]

I have been eagerly awaiting this video. I own one of the pre-2017 Ghost Frets which is closer to the pro model now, and I think the stock pickups in this guitar sound better than the old stock pickups. I am not shocked at all that Guitar Center didn't even open the box to look at the guitar; that kind of thing seems to be Guitar Center's MO lately.

[@talkychris]

I wouldn't buy another Chapman. I had a ML1 Pro - for a few minutes anyway. That was all I needed to see the less than perfect finish. I sent it back and have no regrets that I did.

[@jazzman5uk]

I tried to buy an ML1 Traditional Standard from Andertons in the UK very recently. 3 guitars later and they were all sent back due to poor quality issues. Scratched rear of neck, Machine Heads sticking up from the headstock due to poor positioning of the pin holes and rough spots in the trem block causing the e string to break when bent a half tone. 2 of the guitars had the machine head issues, some of which had 3mm gaps underneath them. I really wanted to love the ML1 and it was a beautiful guitar to look at and play (it also sounded lovely) but the quality issues were too many. Ended up with a MIM Strat and couldn't be happier. I believe the Pro series would be much better (being built in the WMI Ltd factory in Korea) but the standard series is a no go for me. I was even told by an employee of Andertons that the Chapmans are notorious for these issues and that you need to play about 4 or 5 before you get a good one. I'm sure many people have had positive experiences with the Standard range and I was very eager to see this review. I'm still a big fan of Rob Champman and Andertons (their customer service was outstanding throughout all of my returns) but the QC on the standard range needs a good overhaul!

[@martinscholes9314]

Conan 1812 fucking 100% yes yes yes. Agreed

[@wodenoftheangles3339]

Agreed. People seem to be massively influenced by brand. These are just cheap Indonesian guitars - don't expect great.

[@thomask.9850]

Ordering online has its limitations it seems. A friend of mine bought 2 Fenders and 1 Gibson online and they had no issues, was he lucky. ;) I would never buy a guitar without trying it in a shop.

[@thomask.9850]

@Brutus 632 I live pretty close to one of the huge stores ('music store' cologne) in germany + a couple medium to small shops in the city aswell. I bought a LP trad. and a G&L Tribute in the big one and if i had to guess i'd say they had like around 50 Gibson Les Pauls alone on display including a bunch of custom shop models and a huge number in storage. The G&L was one they got me out their storage. I got to try dozens of guitars into a lot of amps (went there a couple of times) and could easily dodge the bad ones. In Germany there are quiet some of these gigantic stores, i.e. from thomann, session, musicstore, musikproduktiv .. dont know the situation elsewhere ? If it would take me 3 hours to get there i would still do it. I wonder if Phil will send the guitar back to get a nice one. Something to add: even guitars of the same exact year and model, they seem to sound and play different. maybe it was just the colour. ;)

[@ToxinInMyVeins]

Grüße an den Mitkölner :D Der Musicstore hat echt eine Riesenauswahl und wenn man etwas dort nicht bekommt kriegt der Uli von Ulis Musik Alles aufgetrieben. Wenn's um Gitarreneinkäufe geht, ist Köln echt ne hammermäßige Stadt.

[@nathonalexavier1505]

Appreciate the review Phill! A lot of the other reviews I found of Chapman products tended to be a little bit bias as they either know Rob or work with him. So it’s nice to have a fair and unbiased review of his stuff

[@sublyme2157]

Ha! Didn't expect Pantera :) Great job as always man.

[@joelund8385]

450? sold. With all the climate changes that a guitar can go through in storage and shipping, the initial setup does not concern me. The feel, sound, and quality of materials are most important to me. Phillip, thanks for doing great reviews for everyone.

[@schecterseven3894]

Thanks Phill' think I'll wait for one from Riff City.

[@shawnreese6538]

Phillip, just my vote of confidence. I have received and taken advice from you, and heard you play. I also have watched many videos of Chappers. He is very much into American rock guitar, but he is still from the UK, and although he is a born talented guitarist he doesn't have near the depth of knowledge of American gear that you, and many of us more experienced (older) American guitarists do. The guitar sounded about what you'd expect for the price, and isn't bad, but at the end of the day it's probably not as good as a Mexican tele or strat. I'm not hating on him, I find his videos informative and entertaining. It's just true that 5-10 minutes listening to you is worth more than listening to Chappers and Lee for like 5 weeks, lol.

[@LIHPIT]

So this guitar scored about 3 out of 10

[@gtr1952]

I have to really respect Rob (Chapman) and Lee (Anderton) for what they have done w/Chapman Guitar's in a few short years! From startup to selling a lot of units, and getting them into Guitar Center is a big accomplishment! I believe the designs, or at least design changes are 'crowd sourced', direct from customers input via their web and social media. Great example of 'give customers what they want'! (hear that Gibson!) I believe they also go from the factory to a 'staging shop' in the UK. Inspected for QC and setup, then sent on. The "Greetings" with the 'rolled tongue' is Rob's trademark of sorts to start a conversation or open on web sessions etc. LOL The only reason for my comments is my respect for what they have done in our guitar community, and of course are JMHO... Thanks... --gary

[@gtr1952]

I posted this comment 3 days ago. At that time I knew nothing about the negative video about Rob, his business and his channel, and/or others posted about that since. I only saw that this morning. This was just my humble opinion based on what I believed to be true and nothing more. If this causes me any headache, or heartache I will remove it immediately. (There was a reference to this video in the "Chapman negative video") Again, this was JMHO, nothing more. Thanks much... --gary

[@jefb3705]

Even if you order a guitar at Guitar Center and have it shipped to the store they don't open it. When you get to the store they bring you a shipping box unopened just like it would have been mailed to your house. That's one of the reasons I prefer Sweetwater, but I did have an instance with them once where they didn't touch the guitar either, but they made it right so that's ok.

[@JazzzRockFuzion]

You're absolutely right in an objective sense - however, I once ordered a MIM Charvel from Sweetwater that showed up with a tone knob so loose it was literally jiggling. I also ordered a MIM Standard Strat from Guitar Center that was perfectly set-up with zero issues out of the box. Conventional wisdom would say my experience should have been the opposite...just goes to show!

[@jefb3705]

JazzzRockFuzion did you call Sweetwater on the Charvel? They have excellent customer service, they would make it right. I've ordered multiple guitars from both places, and Sweetwater is by far the better experience.

[@JazzzRockFuzion]

Jef Bartelt I immediately sent a follow-up E-mail to my sales engineer at Sweetwater regarding the loose tone pot. I'd already tightened it, so to be fair, there was really nothing they could 'do' for me at that point, other than apologize and assure me they'd pass this issue on to their service dept. As I said in my initial comment, I'm not categorically saying Guitar Center is better in any way; just that my experience was the opposite of what conventional wisdom would tell you.

[@deedub744]

I just received an ML1 Modern Standard yesterday that I bought for my son as his first guitar. I was fortunate not to have any issues with his, with only one very minor finish flaw in the binding near the input jack, which requires you to look really hard to even find it. Overall for $399 I would say its a fantastic first guitar, I was actually pretty impressed. That said, I also noticed that the packaging was untouched, and the guitar clearly was not inspected before shipping. I was lucky, but it was yet another reminder of why I don't normally shop at Guitar Center. I think if I do end up ever buying another Chapman I'll go with Riff City in the future. It would be nice if Sweetwater carried these someday.

[@Rollermanfromspace]

after the multiple experiences with my local GC I will never be doing business with them again. I will however use them to test out guitars and steal a few pics ;)

[@AlexPriceMusician]

I always love how honest you are with your reviews. Thanks for being real, Phil

[@Mik870]

I’m glad he told me what re-taping a box meant, twice.... next time I see a taped up box that’s been opened and taped back up, I’ll be thanking my lucky stars that this guy told me that’s it’s been taped back up