Chapman: ML-1

Chapman guitars are the brainchild of Rob Chapman or Chappers as he's more affectionately known in the cyber realm. These guitars are made in the acclaimed premises of Korea's World Music. In the mean time, they are available at Musicark & that's the reason I've played the ML-1 seen here.

Construction/ fit/ finish

Since the Ibanez Prestige days, I've no reasons not to like the workmanship of a World Music instrument. Subsequently, my Brian Moore, PRS SE, Spector, Schecter & now Chapman experience re-inforce this belief. The craftsmanship on show is well above average, so that asking price is, in my opinion, a fair listing. What you will hold in your hands, if you choose to invest in this guitar, is a well-cut instrument. It's well-pieced together as well. Not to mention, a well-finished article (but this version here hardly has a finish- OK you got me). I'm also very happy to see the well-routed pickup cavities in particular. For budget instruments of a similar make, this is where you can see the production skimpiness- nut slots included- but none are seen here. Thumbs up all round.

Playability/ tone

If you are looking for a Strat-alike substitute- not quite. Ditto an Ibanez, shred-type substitute- not quite. The ML-1 joins the LTD & Schecter camps in offering the players out there a personalized super-playable feel. The Strat-ish single coil tones are there alright but not the ones reinforced by an alder body & maple neck coupling. The unmistakable shred-worthy feel is present as well but not that skinny-neck enhancement. We are definitely thankful to the Chapman team for giving us that 'all access' neck heel to couple the very playable neck profile. What we have here is outstanding playability but strictly on Chapman terms. 

Moving on to the Chapman pickups, the Guitarnivore humbucker is there to please distortion mongers. The cleans are alright but wouldn't put the instrument in good stead in terms of transparency. The Extreme Victory single coils offer plenty of snap but lacking that inherent top end roundness. These pickups are not let-downs, by all means they are not. It's just that they are not there to re-create some familiar tones but they are treading on familiar grounds.

Conclusion
On a personal note, I'm glad the Chapmans are finally here. But what do those instruments bring to the table, anything new in particular? Not quite but they join the palette of good-guitar-for-the-money selection. The World Music QC is without doubt, one of the best (in terms of standard production models)  the only talking point (for me) are the tones. What do these instruments strive to be? Strat-alike but not really Strat sounding? Shred-alike but still sporting traditional tones? Whatever they are (or strive to be), they are worth considering. These are the very guitars pro-guitarists will consider short of heading for some custom options. Hmm... do I need one more guitar? :-)

Rating: 75%

Chapman ML-1

• Availability: Musicark
• Bag included
• List: $950