Chapman Guitars ML-B, Case anyone's interested ;)

[SolomonHelsing]

I just thought i'd post this here to try and get more bassists from the UK In the know about this,

Here's a link to the latest forum post about it, Apologies if this is bad form linking another forum, but I just wanted to get the word out as I said.
[url="http://www.robchapman.tv/forum/threads/mlb-1-price-point.28384/"]http://www.robchapman.tv/forum/threads/mlb-1-price-point.28384/[/url]

After a group of a 100 voted on the spec, of which I was a part of, the specs are:
(The group of 100 was to stop thousands of guitarists voting on a bass, when rob wanted to design a bass for bassists)

[size=3][color=#222222][b]Chapman Bass MLB-1[/b][/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]No of strings: 4[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]No of frets: 24[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Scale length: 34” long scale[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Body shape: "Asteria"[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Body wood: Bubinga[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Body Finish: Natural Oil see photo[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Headstock shape: Headstock C[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Neck and fretboard wood: Bubinga neck with Wenge fingerboard[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Fret inlays: Side dots, plain front with[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Infinity logo at 12th fret.[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Neck construction: Thru Neck[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Fret Material: Stainless steel[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Neck Profile: Modelled on one of Daves - 24 frets[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Fretboard Radius: 8[b]"[/b][/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222][b]Top Nut Width: 1.7[/b][b]"[/b][/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Truss rod adjusted at the headstock with a black cover.[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Bridge type: String through - A Type bridge[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222](capable of being strung through the body and top loaded.)[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Pick ups: x2 Coil split CG Humbuckers[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Controls: x1 Volume neck pickup[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]x1 Volume bridge pickup[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]x1 master Tone and coil tap[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]x1 pick up blend[/color][/size]

[size=3][color=#222222]Nut Material: Tusq [/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Jack socket: Side Input[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Machine head Type: Standard modern style[/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#222222]Hardware colour: Black[/color][/size]

In the next month or two the first prototype will be coming back from the factory
(Just an estimated time scale I don't know myself quite how fast they'll churn out the prototype, but the plans have been verified and sent off)

I must admit one of the main reasons i've posted this is to raise awareness of this bass to a forum filled more with bassists than guitarists wanting a bass to record with and such.

There's been certain resistance to the estimated £649 Price, which to me for the specification sounds incredibly good value still despite it being one of their more expensive offerings.
Which I am starting to save up for, for definite.


I don't have any affiliation with the brand other than being a forum member.

Mods, I apologise if it's bad form to link another forum, or anything i've said, or if this is in completely the wrong area of the forum.

Well Thanks for reading if you got this far

[Dad3353]

[quote name='SolomonHelsing' timestamp='1391726164' post='2360769']I just thought i'd post this here to try and get more bassists from the UK In the know about this...[/quote]

Good call, thanks for posting. All the more so as I, too, am one of the '100', and have yet to be made aware of these advances. The 'comms' from Chapman seem to be sporadic, at best.
No, the final design is slightly different from what I would have ideally liked (and voted for...), and I can't really comment on any price positioning without information from Chapman themselves, but it's an interesting step. The delays have been horrendous, but kudos for at least trying to get a 'bassist's bass' off the drawing board. I'd like to see/hear the prototype in action.

[SolomonHelsing]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1391731287' post='2360835']
Good call, thanks for posting. All the more so as I, too, am one of the '100', and have yet to be made aware of these advances. The 'comms' from Chapman seem to be sporadic, at best.
No, the final design is slightly different from what I would have ideally liked (and voted for...), and I can't really comment on any price positioning without information from Chapman themselves, but it's an interesting step. The delays have been horrendous, but kudos for at least trying to get a 'bassist's bass' off the drawing board. I'd like to see/hear the prototype in action.
[/quote]

Thought there may have been one or two of you here haha.

Aye yeah I understand about not commenting on the price positioning without more information, On that thread I've just defended the spec as it ended up so strongly because not many would have.

I voted for a different body wood also, and maybe one or two other things were different to what I wanted originally , but in the end i'm still excited, Maybe i'm too easy to please ha.

I can't wait for the prototype either, I'll update this thread with any more news that happens

Yeah delays were a pain, funny to see how it's been about a year and a half since the 100 was first collected together, Then the 7 string guitar seemed to swoop in, and the signature and special runs. Not complaining but we did get a back seat maybe :/ ha.

[SolomonHelsing]

Well just thought i'd update this, incase anyone's interested.

The first prototype has arrived! =]



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4tAGDubfmE

Two changes have happened without telling those who voted, The neck is now Maple with wenge strips, still a neck thru. Instead of bubinga (Sucks to me personally )

And for some reason maybe the bridge can still do string through body, but they haven't got the prototype drilled for that.

[jgmh315]

A bit disappointed with this at the moment, had high hopes for it as I like the new guitars he's just done. See what happens next.

[Lee-Man]

I like it, sounds pretty good. If its priced as well as their other instruments it should sell no worries. Some good stuff in the latest video:

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ0VG2pIv3M"]http://youtu.be/bZ0VG2pIv3M[/url]

Edited April 22, 2014 by Lee-Man

[fender73]

Be interested to see a 5`er

[Bolo]

So this will be the poor man's warwick?

[hamfist]

Interesting, but a 1.7" nut width ? Really ? for a 4 string ?? That's pretty extreme and would be an instant deal-breaker for me. This "type" of bass generally seems to be given a 38-40mm nut, which seems to attract the type of player who does not want to be struggling with the neck.
I was actually also just about to suggest building it with a large control cavity for people to fit aftermarket preamps and then the video showed that they have done. Good call on that !

[hamfist]

[quote name='Bolo' timestamp='1398233912' post='2431809']
So this will be the poor man's warwick?
[/quote]

That'll be a Rockbass then.

[fretmeister]

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1398233962' post='2431810']
Interesting, but a 1.7" nut width ? Really ? for a 4 string ?? That's pretty extreme and would be an instant deal-breaker for me. This "type" of bass generally seems to be given a 38-40mm nut, which seems to attract the type of player who does not want to be struggling with the neck.
I was actually also just about to suggest building it with a large control cavity for people to fit aftermarket preamps and then the video showed that they have done. Good call on that !
[/quote]

Blimey!

My 5 string Marleaux is 1.77 inches // 45mm

Can't imagine that on a 4 string!

[fretmeister]

The bridge is really far forward.

Neck dive?

[SolomonHelsing]

[quote name='fender73' timestamp='1398210005' post='2431772']
Be interested to see a 5`er
[/quote]

Would be interesting, won't be happening for now, only being released as a 4 string currently,

[quote name='Bolo' timestamp='1398233912' post='2431809']
So this will be the poor man's warwick?
[/quote]

Pretty much yeah, it was going to be a bubinga neck through too but they decided to cut costs even more and negate our vote and go for plain maple neck thru :/

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1398285224' post='2432590']
The bridge is really far forward.

Neck dive?
[/quote]

I think they're shaving quite a bit off the back of the body shape for the second prototype, aswell as weight relieving it,

Which I think'll probably inflict neck dive maybe. Not sure.

seems like the nut width isn't that much bigger than a p bass, though I know how for four strings a jazz bass seems favourable.

That's one thing about this, including the fact it isn't drilled for string thru (another change they did in secret) that means me converting one to five string will be easier.

It'll end up similar to my warmoth 5 string for string spacing I hope, maybe a bit tighter.

[fretmeister]

The bridge should really be all the way back at the end of the body so the neck doesn't need to stick out as far.

When I buy a bass neck dive / balance is the very first thing I check as it does my head in. If there is a tiny bit and heavy tuners are standard fit then I'll swap the tuners (on a 5 string that can make almost 1 lb difference!). But if low weight tuners are already fitted then I don't care how good the bass sounds - I'm not having it.

[SolomonHelsing]

Well as I say I think alot of the wood at the back is getting hacked off for the second lighter prototype, so probably be solved then.

[Graham]

That reminds me quite a bit of my old Mayones Be4, very similar vibe.

Could be good depending on price and what the puckups are like, seems odd they didn't plug it in though :-s

The maple neck seems like a bit of a missed opportunity, but I guess they have to get costs down somewhere.

[LiamPodmore]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ0VG2pIv3M

Full demo there. I can understand the change to a maple neck for cost purposes, to keep it in line with their guitar range. Still quite impressive specs for what i expect it to cost. The larger control cavity is a good idea too, something i'm surprised isn't more common.

Liam

[molan]

It looks like the strap button is sitting somewhere around 15th fret?

That's going to really throw the neck out to the left of the player. You generally see this on smaller bodied basses but this seems to have a 'regular' sized body.

This would be a major turn-off for me as it would feel 'wrong' compared to my other instruments. Could effect balance as well

[eude]

I agree with the comments above.
The bridge needs to be moved much closer to the end of the body, the left hand reach is going to be too far to be comfortable, I'd also slim that nut right down to a nice Jazz Bass width (37mm?)

On the whole, its a really nice looking bass at a very good price point, but I wouldn't go near it without the above being addressed, personally...

Just my 2p.

Eude

[Musicman20]

It probably needs more input from those who specialise in bass. It's great that Chapman are branching out, and I realise these are at a set pricepoint, but it needs some work.

[JazzBassfreak]

It's a nice idea & concept, but sounds really cheap and muddy. Plus if you ask me Chapman as a company won't be able to make basses fo shizzle. Purely because there will be complications here and there to make it "easy to manufacture" from "the Korean factory of wonder and joy". Still nice idea. Just waiting on the final price on one of these to make my conclusion...

Edited April 25, 2014 by JazzBassfreak

[SolomonHelsing]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1398424541' post='2433924']
It probably needs more input from those who specialise in bass. It's great that Chapman are branching out, and I realise these are at a set pricepoint, but it needs some work.
[/quote]

Well it was voted on by 100 who signed up for it. it was trying to not just have thousands of guitar metal djent.... fellows voting on it, and more bassists/ guitarists interested. I seemed one of very few of the 100 that had spent greater time on bass than guitar...

[Graham]

Hmmmm, the coil tap mode sounded the best by far, on the whole sounded rather indistinct; considering it's seems to be mostly aimed at metal/heavy players it doesn't sound (in this video) nearly clear enough.

I like the aesthetics of it, I like the wood combinations, but I suspect if I were to plan on buying one I'd need to budget a hundred to two hundred quid more for replacement pickups, and possibly a different wiring harness too - volume/volume/blend seems too complicated to me.

[GloopyJon]

I don't know where you guys got the information from on the nut width. I have an MLB - one of the first batch - and I've measured the nut. It's 37mm wide, and 29.5mm between the top and bottom strings (measuring at the centre of the string) - spreading out to 54mm at the bridge. Regarding the thickness of the neck, it's quite slim, around 18-19mm at the first fret, and about 25mm at the 17th fret, after which it curves gently up to the full width of the body. Top fret access is excellent, I can even easily reach the 24th fret on the E string.

It's a lovely bass IMO. I'm hoping to post a video review on YouTube in the next couple of days.

[PlungerModerno]

[quote name='GloopyJon' timestamp='1420414942' post='2649242']
I don't know where you guys got the information from on the nut width. I have an MLB - one of the first batch - and I've measured the nut. It's 37mm wide, and 29.5mm between the top and bottom strings (measuring at the centre of the string) - spreading out to 54mm at the bridge. Regarding the thickness of the neck, it's quite slim, around 18-19mm at the first fret, and about 25mm at the 17th fret, after which it curves gently up to the full width of the body. Top fret access is excellent, I can even easily reach the 24th fret on the E string.

It's a lovely bass IMO. I'm hoping to post a video review on YouTube in the next couple of days.
[/quote]

Cool let us know how it feels and handles - and sounds. The promo vids online are nice - but not enough time spent playing.
P.S. use fresh rounds to give the bass a chance. with two humbuckers it'll need bright strings to sound it's best, IMO anyway.