Rob Chappers: signature guitar announced, 500 guitars for monkey minions!!

Rob Chappers says:

Wow this is bloody exciting, I don't have a clue where to start...

*Takes deep breath*

Ok... So I have a tradition of being open about my career so that others who follow will have an easier time of it. You guys are the first to hear of this, I will be making a Youtube video about this very soon but I wanted you guys to know now

So here is my story. Last week I played my first ever Faith Guitars clinic, actually made it this time ha ha... I was supposed to be joined by the marketing manager but unfortunately he couldn't make it, so his boss the director of Barnes & Mullins was there in his place. Barnes and Mullins is a huge distributer to Europe and Asia, they distribute Faith, Lag, Hofner etc www.bandm.co.uk

Anyway... The director was very impressed with my work at the clinic, and had been keeping tabs on my "Youtube career". After a few long hours of acoustic widdling and meeting Essex Minions he took me to Mac D's for lunch. I was just munching some fries when he said that he believed I was the beginning of something new... a "Youtube personality", he had seen it before when Radio Caroline came out, and again when TV introduced channels 3, 4 and 5. I was the new thing that the industry needed and he wanted to work with me to mutual benefit.

So he looked at me and said, "I'd like to make you a signature guitar, anything you want. We'll start off with 500 guitars at around the £250 price range and if they sell ok we can make some more models"

I almost shat in my pants, took a deep breath and accepted immediately Bruce, which is his name, totally understood exactly what Orange did not! The internet is where business is now conducted, and the pioneers on the social networking sites are the future of the music industry. So...anyway, Barnes and Mullins own a guitar brand called "Gould" which is a very low end beginners brand. They basically slowed it down and only make strat and Les Paul copies... They intend to relaunch Gould with a Rob Chapman Signature Guitar. Brand new website, image, marketing campaigns, guitar magazine reviews... the whole works. And I will be at the front of it all with my brand "Chapman Guitars - By Gould".

Fender, Gibson, Chapman ha ha ha

This is clearly a huge deal for me, this will basically develop into my own brand... I intend to get Eddie involved in the follow up models. I am going to launch with a Strat type guitar and in the nature of me I would very much like to involve you guys, and since it has basically given me a career Youtube as well, in the design process.

So far I have decided on a Maple neck and board, Swamp ash body, Wilkinson Strat trem (I will include a wooden block with each guitar in case they want to block it off like me), Volume pot/Kill switch combined, Bolt on, no tone controls, Bridge humbucker (A brand), and two single coils. But what would you guys like to see?? Seriously I will read everything you suggest and some of it may influence me because you guys are smart. For example color, headstock shape, Fret type, neck profile?? I am working on the design with Alex from BandM who is also manager of Faith guitars for them... he is very pro Money Lord and even suggested we had the MLF logo on the body somewhere or even as a sticker included with the guitar

Now as a result of this and due to the fact that B&M now have me on a wonderful retainer to demo their gear up and down europe, I have had to leave ESP. I was sorry to leave them, they were an excellent company to work with and extremely generous... I am keeping Ziggy & Cokie (Thanks ESP) and sending back Rain and Secret. Obviously this is no refelction on their gear.. it is still killer, I just cant be contracted to them and selling my own brand of guitar.

I am NOT contracted to anyone else, nor will I be. Even though I have my own signature guitar in the making, it is very important to me that I am able to play what I want, when I want especially when working with Eddie is concerned. So you can look forward to seeing me with Gibson, PRS, fender etc in the forthcoming DVD (Mostly Eddies vintage collection of Gibo and fender )

If I play my Chapman guitar it will be my own choice and not through contractual obligation.

Anyway, a huge thank you to you guys for your support, to Barnes and Mullins for their vision and to ESP for their understanding.

Let the fun begin

The "Rob Chapman/Monkey Lord" signature guitar