Goodbye: Musicark

Musicark is closing their doors for good after 7 years in the industry. The instruments featured here are the final few they have in stock.

Do visit their website to secure the guitar online: Musicark clearance

Chapman mark-down @ Musicark

Some good discounts happening at Musicark for Chapman guitars- offer ends 31st July 😁

Standard & Pro

By now, you would have known that Chapman guitars are offered in Standard...

... & Pro versions. The guitars you see here are the ML3 Moderns.

The Standard is a bolt-on make with a non-angled headstock, pickups are ceramic. The Pro features an angled headstock, a set-through body-neck attachment. Pickups are Alnico 5 & for Pro versions, the instrument comes with a hard case. Both versions feature ebony fretboards so that's something out of the CITES grip & buying online should be issue-free. 

Chapman mark downs

Happening now at Musicark 😁

Selling: Chapman ML3 Modern (SOLD)

Letting go of my Chapman here, bag included 😌

• Chapman ML3 Modern (Chapman bag included)
• Condition: 8.5/10, currently sporting a low action set up with a set of 009s
• Pickups: Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6 (b/n)
• No trades/ reservations
• Strictly self-collect @ CCK mrt stn
• Queries/ confirmation: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• Price: $700 (final)

PS: Item sold off 29-12-'16

Chapman LBX

This morning's EVH 5150 III LBX episode saw my Chapman ML3 churning out some heavy tones. It's due to the guitar's hefty nature; it excels at manifesting low notes to such an extent that I had to lower the LOW setting at the amp (if you could see that) & dial up a little more presence. It's also important to have the 'right' pickups for the job, in this case, a pair of Seymour Duncan Distortions. Not saying they are the best but they are well suited for the task so that the tone won't get muddy over at the tone. I find that this is the reason why Les Pauls lack definition for heavy settings- the Gibson pickups aren't quite spec'd for the job.

Alrighty! Enjoy the final day of July & have a good Sunday (what's left of it).

Chapman ML-3 Modern: Duncanized

My Chapman ML-3 Modern; one heavy guitar. It weighs 4.2kg- what an unchambered Gibson Les Paul would be; not a friendly guitar when it comes to playing standing up. The default pickups were alright but they don't give me what I want to hear from this beast- more clarity.

So in went a pair of Seymour Duncan SH-6 set which is my go-to reference when it comes to distortion. They don't really pump up the bottom end but there's more of that presence with these pickups. I definitely like how the neck humbucker handles single notes under high gain settings.

Chapman: ML-3 Modern

The Chapman brand in guitar-dom is, by now, a notable name in mid-price guitars. While observing a strict QC discipline, it adds little to costs. The ML-3 Modern here is a Tele-style model with a reverse headstock & sporting a dual humbucker combo that departs from any traditional voicings of its inspiration reference. Having fused elements of both the traditional & contemporary, what’s in store for players looking for a deserving 6-string in this price bracket?

Quality/ fit/ finish

As this model hailed from the renowned World Music (Korea) factory which is currently handling other mid-priced assignments from respectable names in this industry, this category is a mere reiteration of the fact that production standards have been up there all along. An end-to-end inspection revealed much vigilance in crafting this guitar. We note how well-fitted the hardware are as all surface mounted appointments sit flushed against all surface tops. I’ve seen some skimpy workmanship in this aspect lately but the ML-3 is a safe bet. The finish level (or the lack thereof to be precise) is also impressive as the satin overcoat for both body & neck were evenly applied & proved to be inspirational at play time.

Playability tone

There is no overtly slim or tapered neck profile here to appease the excessively shred-inclined among us. Yes, there’s sufficient playability to bring us there but the overall neck carve is equally inspirational for bluesy bends as well. However, those X-jumbo frets make heavy metal & all things bent on destruction very enjoyable. A thing to note here is the instrument’s very heavy physique (mahogany!), weighing a hefty 4.2kg puts the ML-3 in the same league as the ‘50s Gibson Les Pauls. Those among us with physical frailty- you have been warned.

The manufacturer did well in including high output pickups here & the neck humbucker proved to be a proponent of clarity under high gain settings. The bridge humbucker was equally adept in this light; it could be more appealing in terms of cleans but I doubt anyone of us would want one for this application. It would perform better, in my opinion, if there’s a tad more focus in the lower frequencies. I expected more bass-end propulsion in tandem with the heftiness on offer but it didn’t materialize so get some external EQ implement ready to address the matter (if your amp doesn’t already feature a decent EQ section).

Thumbs up to that Hipshot-type fixed bridge in supplementing a very comfortable palm placement. It also added much ease to palm muting.

Conclusion

No Tele-type tones on board the ML-3 Modern, the coil-split facility would give you adequate single coil enjoyment from time to time, do not expect more. On the contrary, we should welcome the ML-3 Modern in view of what it was tailored to be; a great, drive-friendly instrument with a reasonable asking price. Weight issue aside, the ML-3 Modern is a deserving member in the Chapman line-up that offers a great contemporary voicing without wimping out but faces stiff competition from Ibanez, LTD & Schecter in this division. 

Rating: 80%

Chapman: ML-3 Modern (bag included)

Availability: Musicark

Price: $1,000.00 (list)

Chapman-ed

Em... Review soon. :-)

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