Chapman Guitars recently shipped a fresh batch of Rob Scallon signature series models to its retailers in the United States, so now seems like a good time to see what all the hype is about!
Rob Scallon has made a name for himself via YouTube primarily as a “djent” player (I hate that word), so it goes without saying that his signature instruments are geared for the heaviest of metal. Some might argue that his shovel-guitar is the heaviest of all.
Rob’s specifications for both the six-string (ML1) and the eight-string (ML1-8) guitars include 24 frets on ebony and a mahogany neck-through design with double cutaway swamp ash ‘wings’, as he puts it.
The ML1-8 retails for $999 USD, while the ML1 sells for a more agreeable price of $799 USD (from Riff City).
It only comes in a natural finish option, which isn’t exactly a detractor considering how nice the mahogany stripe looks sandwiched between swamp ash. It’s a satin finish as well, which is (in my humble opinion) the best way to make sure the wood can be appreciated.
It also comes with some strap-locks, locking tuners, and some tastefully done ergonomic cuts. Looking over the full specifications, the only thing you might want to change is the pickups. The Tusq nut is a nice addition though.
The demo video didn’t do much for my opinion of the stock Chapman Passive Aggressive pickups, particularly for the heavy tones, but I won’t pass judgement without having played them.
“It’s like a classy piece of furniture that happens to sound amazing.”
–Rob Scallon
While Chapman announced the arrival of their shipment to the States on May 28th, some distributors have made it clear that they won’t be available until July. That’s not too far away, so go put some money down now if you want to make sure you’re getting one.
Full Specifications
| HEADSTOCK | Angled Lucky Six Headstock | ||
| NECK | Mahogany with Satin Finish | ||
| NECK TYPE | Mahogany Neck-Through | ||
| TOP | Front Carve with Satin Finish | ||
| BODY | Swamp Ash with Satin Finish | ||
| BODY CARVES | Front Upper and Lower Spoon Cut, Rear Tummy Cut | ||
| FRETBOARD | Ebony Fretboard with Rolled Edges | ||
| FRETBOARD RADIUS | 350mm | ||
| FRETS | 24 Jumbo Nickel Frets | ||
| FRET MARKERS | Pearl Side Dots | ||
| 12TH FRET INLAY | Pearl Infinity | ||
| SCALE LENGTH | 648mm (~25.5″) | ||
| TUNERS | Chapman Locking (18:1 Gearing) | ||
| STRING NUT | 42mm Graph Tech Black TUSQ XL Nut | ||
| STRINGS | D’Addario NYXL Nickel Wound Regular Light, 10-46 | ||
| TRUSS ROD | Dual Action | ||
| BRIDGE | Chapman String-Through Hardtail | ||
| NECK PICKUP | Chapman Passive Aggressive Humbucker | ||
| MAGNET: | Ceramic | ||
| OUTPUT: | 15.56k ohms | ||
| BRIDGE PICKUP | Chapman Passive Aggressive Humbucker | ||
| MAGNET: | Ceramic | ||
| OUTPUT: | 14.76k ohms | ||
| PICKUP SWITCH | 3 Way Blade Switch with Coil Split on Push-Pull Tone Knob | ||
| CONTROLS | Master Volume (500k), Master Tone with Push-Pull (500k) | ||
| STRAP BUTTONS | Chapman Strap Locks | ||
| CASE | Chapman Pro Hard Case | ||
| PICKUP | TONE KNOB IN | TONE KNOB OUT | |
| SWITCHING | |||
| POSITION 1 | Bridge | Bridge Coil Split (Outer Coil) | |
| POSITION 2 | Bridge + Neck | Bridge + Neck Both Split (Outer Coils) | |
| POSITION 3 | Neck | Neck Coil Split (Outer Coil) | |
| HEADSTOCK | Angled Lucky Six Headstock | ||
| NECK | Mahogany with Satin Finish | ||
| NECK TYPE | Mahogany Neck-Through | ||
| TOP | Front Carve with Satin Finish | ||
| BODY | Swamp Ash with Satin Finish | ||
| BODY CARVES | Front Upper and Lower Spoon Cut, Rear Tummy Cut | ||
| FRETBOARD | Ebony Fretboard with Rolled Edges | ||
| FRETBOARD RADIUS | 350mm | ||
| FRETS | 24 Jumbo Nickel Frets | ||
| FRET MARKERS | Pearl Side Dots | ||
| 12TH FRET INLAY | Pearl Infinity | ||
| SCALE LENGTH | 648mm (~25.5″) | ||
| TUNERS | Chapman Locking (18:1 Gearing) | ||
| STRING NUT | 42mm Graph Tech Black TUSQ XL Nut | ||
| STRINGS | D’Addario NYXL Nickel Wound Regular Light, 10-46 | ||
| TRUSS ROD | Dual Action | ||
| BRIDGE | Chapman String-Through Hardtail | ||
| NECK PICKUP | Chapman Passive Aggressive Humbucker | ||
| MAGNET: | Ceramic | ||
| OUTPUT: | 15.56k ohms | ||
| BRIDGE PICKUP | Chapman Passive Aggressive Humbucker | ||
| MAGNET: | Ceramic | ||
| OUTPUT: | 14.76k ohms | ||
| PICKUP SWITCH | 3 Way Blade Switch with Coil Split on Push-Pull Tone Knob | ||
| CONTROLS | Master Volume (500k), Master Tone with Push-Pull (500k) | ||
| STRAP BUTTONS | Chapman Strap Locks | ||
| CASE | Chapman Pro Hard Case | ||
| PICKUP | TONE KNOB IN | TONE KNOB OUT | |
| SWITCHING | |||
| POSITION 1 | Bridge | Bridge Coil Split (Outer Coil) | |
| POSITION 2 | Bridge + Neck | Bridge + Neck Both Split (Outer Coils) | |
| POSITION 3 | Neck | Neck Coil Split (Outer Coil) | |
Be sure to check out the Lee Malia signature Explorer model from Epiphone if you’re into natural finishes, or the Best 8-String Guitars Under $500 if you’re just here for the extra strings!
