# Chapman Guitars, What's the big drama all about.



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

TLDR: I'm seeing loads of youtube video's hit my notifications.
What's the

1
2
3
4
5

Simiplified version of what all this youtube pissing is about?


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## KnightBrolaire

1. chapman is a liar (lied about his connection to Snake Oil pedals- which is illegal, lied about his dealings with Riff City Guitar, lied about getting death threats from Levi Clay, lied about how successful his yt channel is, lied about why his Custom Shop line failed, etc).
2. He weaponized his fanbase to bully other youtubers that called him out, one guy got death threats and had his address/school leaked
3. He's an egotistical prick (bought a 5k PRS right after his band got their gear stolen, begged for money for his birthday, bragged about "being on the charts" 3x this year)
4. He tried to piggyback off the ALS icebucket challenge with his own challenge
5. Claimed he was going to give guitars to orphans (never did)

Dovydas' vid gives the basics, if you want to see more then watch KDH's vid

Levi Clay calling out and showing screenshots of when Chapman threatened him with legal action


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## TheKindred

Chappers is a selfish ungrateful prick that pissed all over the people that supported him, pitted his legions of slavering fanbois against some innocent people and generally stirred up a bunch of unnecessary drama.

tl;dr: meh not worth your time


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## HeHasTheJazzHands

Dude also threw Riff City Guitar under a bus after they worked their ass off to help make Chapman Guitars a thing in the US.


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## KnightBrolaire

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Dude also threw Riff City Guitar under a bus after they worked their ass off to help make Chapman Guitars a thing in the US.


YUP, this is a big one. He fucking acted like he was doing Riff City a favor when he'd do clinics/tours with them when bigger brands do that willingly.  It says something when Riff City posts a page long tit-for tat response to the shit he said


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## HeHasTheJazzHands

KnightBrolaire said:


> He fucking acted like he was doing Riff City a favor when he'd do clinics/tours with them



*FOR FREE.*


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Well, that tells me that I don't need to view the videos, & I can move on.

Satisfied with what I've seen, thanks guys. Soap Opera over.

Mod, you can lock it up now if you like.


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## diagrammatiks

KnightBrolaire said:


> 1. chapman is a liar (lied about his connection to Snake Oil pedals- which is illegal, lied about his dealings with Riff City Guitar, lied about getting death threats from Levi Clay, lied about how successful his yt channel is, lied about why his Custom Shop line failed, etc).
> 2. He weaponized his fanbase to bully other youtubers that called him out, one guy got death threats and had his address/school leaked
> 3. He's an egotistical prick (bought a 5k PRS right after his band got their gear stolen, begged for money for his birthday, bragged about "being on the charts" 3x this year)
> 4. He tried to piggyback off the ALS icebucket challenge with his own challenge
> 5. Claimed he was going to give guitars to orphans (never did)
> 
> Dovydas' vid gives the basics, if you want to see more then watch KDH's vid
> 
> Levi Clay calling out and showing screenshots of when Chapman threatened him with legal action




why'd his custom shop fail. I remember the announcement...then nothing.


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## spudmunkey

KnightBrolaire said:


> 1. chapman is a liar (lied about his connection to Snake Oil pedals- which is illegal



Wasn't it already known that he was connected? When i originally saw a video that was reference a couple of times, I took it as him joking around/being sarcastic. like if someone asked Ronald McDonald if he ever ate as McDonalds, and he said, "no", while chuckling.

Can't disagree with anything else, but..yeah.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands

diagrammatiks said:


> why'd his custom shop fail. I remember the announcement...then nothing.



 Chappers claims it's because the shop was closing and was going into retirement, when someone did some digging and found the shop is still working.


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## KnightBrolaire

spudmunkey said:


> Wasn't it already known that he was connected? When i originally saw a video that was reference a couple of times, I took it as him joking around/being sarcastic. like if someone asked Ronald McDonald if he ever ate as McDonalds, and he said, "no", while chuckling.
> 
> Can't disagree with anything else, but..yeah.


He made a vid a few weeks ago that was aimed at non-guitar players/spouses where he was peddling the pedals as great stocking stuffers for musicians. He claimed the vid wasn't sponsored and that he had no affiliation with Snake Oil pedal (when he clearly does). That's totally against YT TOS and illegal based off of recent legislature that mandates sponsored vids have to disclose that they're sponsored.


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## mbardu

KnightBrolaire said:


> He made a vid a few weeks ago that was aimed at non-guitar players/spouses where he was peddling the pedals as great stocking stuffers for musicians. He claimed the vid wasn't sponsored and that he had no affiliation with Snake Oil pedal (when he clearly does). That's totally against YT TOS and illegal based off of recent legislature that mandates sponsored vids have to disclose that they're sponsored.



Well at least the pedals are extremely well named based on their marketing strategy!!


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## KnightBrolaire

mbardu said:


> Well at least the pedals are extremely well named based on their marketing strategy!!


Yeah, it's a bit too on the nose considering chapman called them "some of the best pedals he's ever heard". Bruh they're literally just a TS clone and some other clones with fancy enclosures, they bring nothing new to the table soundwise


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## Lemonbaby

I wouldn't worry too much about any of those guys. They all got their issues e.g. Levi Clay pissing on Lucas Mann's playing. Just the daily YT/Insta/whatever freakshow...


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## KnightBrolaire

diagrammatiks said:


> why'd his custom shop fail. I remember the announcement...then nothing.


Probably extreme lack of demand. The custom shop that was ghost building for them was Sims Guitar Works (Uk version, not the other prick) and they're still building.


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## c7spheres

Uh, WTF?  I've only seen the Andertons videos of gear demos. This is really unfortunate to hear. They seem like nice guys on the demos. I don't see what motivates people to do these types of things. That sucks.


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## _MonSTeR_

I thought they were going to be Jaden Rose guitars? I still can’t believe Jaden wasn’t the next Blackmachine!


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## Louis Cypher

Watched a couple of the videos inc Robs truth one. For me it was the screen shot of the tweet of Robs not condemning and calling out one of his fanboys accusing one of the youtubers accusing Rob of bullying of having a statutory rape charge hanging over him that I was most shocked at


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## prlgmnr

Louis Cypher said:


> it was the screen shot of the tweet of Robs not condemning and calling out one of his fanboys accusing one of the youtubers accusing Rob of bullying of having a statutory rape charge hanging over him


Does this come with an explanatory diagram?


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## Zado

KnightBrolaire said:


> lied about why his Custom Shop line failed


Rumors said the unnamed superhypermegaskilled luthier retired just when the line was about gettin launched.
My mind suggested those guitars just looked awfully cheap for what they costed.

Tell me the truth please


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## odibrom

Louis Cypher said:


> (...) accusing Rob of bullying of having a statutory rape charge hanging over him that I was most shocked at



Say what? Rape charge?


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## Zado

KnightBrolaire said:


> 2. He weaponized his fanbase to bully other youtubers that called him out, one guy got death threats and had his address/school leaked



Oh so Chapman forum is still that batcave of obsessed superfuckers it used to be some years ago, how lovely.


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## Albake21

c7spheres said:


> I don't see what motivates people to do these types of things. That sucks.


Money and power can get to your head very quickly.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands

odibrom said:


> Say what? Rape charge?



Some dude posted a video criticizing Rob Chapman of various things (pretty much the catalyst to all this), which is what Rob's video was a response to. Rob's fans responded by bullying and death threats to the guuy. One dude apparently found the guy's old school, threaten to dox him, message his old school, and apparently found out about some alleged rape charge?

Rob replied to that comment with a simple "holy shit."


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## HeHasTheJazzHands

Zado said:


> Rumors said the unnamed superhypermegaskilled luthier retired just when the line was about gettin launched.
> My mind suggested those guitars just looked awfully cheap for what they costed.
> 
> Tell me the truth please



That's what Chappers claimed. But the shop is still working.


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## DudeManBrother

This is why I stick to channels like Uncle Doug, D Lab, and Mr Carlson’s Lab. No high school drama nonsense. Just useful amp information. Guitologist is cool when he works in amps too. I don’t bother with the other stuff.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands

DudeManBrother said:


> Guitologist is cool when he works in amps too. I don’t bother with the other stuff.



I kinda get a kick out of his "reaction" videos. Those 2 about the Restoration & Metal videos and he dissects WHY they're bad so you get an idea for what's so fucked up about it. 

Other than that, yeah, I really don't delve into his other """news""" shit. I wish he'd stick to repairs. But Youtube is gonna Youtube.


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel

So, basically, these video's are just reality TV for guitar enthusiasts....


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## HeHasTheJazzHands

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> So, basically, these video's are just reality TV for guitar enthusiasts....



Chapper's legit sounds like a douche

But yeah, it's just an easy topic for youtube revenue.


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Makes my choice of channel's to unsubscribe from easy.
Life has enough drama of its own, don't need to subscribe to more of it.


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## Frostbite

These series of videos were rough to watch for me. I kind of fell of watching Rob's stuff but his videos back in the day were the thing that convinced me to pick up guitar(It was mostly guitar hero/rock band but his videos were the nail in the coffin). Dude's videos taught me how to change strings and do pinch harmonics. Peak don't meet your hero level stuff


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## c7spheres

Though this stuff is unfortunate to hear, I can't personally know or say what is or isn't true. I don't have time to research this type of stuff. That being said, if I ever met Rob Chapman I'd treat him like anyone else and be kind and respectful and freindly depending on how he treated me.


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## dr_game0ver

Poor Rob Scallon surrounding himself with the worst of scum... First the Channel Awesome thing, Now we find out that Chapman is a douche (i remember some videos claiming that he is a dick back when he started Chapman guitar).
I think Rob (Scallon) should stay away from others Rob (Walker and Chapman).


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## Thaeon

c7spheres said:


> Thought this stuff is unfortunate to hear, I can't personally know or say what is or isn't true. I don't have time to research this type of stuff. That being said, if I ever met Rob Chapman I'd treat him like anyone else and be kind and respectful and freindly depending on how he treated me.



I tend towards cynicism with the whole thing. They're all covering what will draw people to their channels. We know from the hip-hop world, that a little tension between artists can go a long way in driving careers and sales.


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## cip 123

dr_game0ver said:


> Poor Rob Scallon surrounding himself with the worst of scum... First the Channel Awesome thing, Now we find out that Chapman is a douche (i remember some videos claiming that he is a dick back when he started Chapman guitar).
> I think Rob (Scallon) should stay away from others Rob (Walker and Chapman).


Why would he? Scallon is getting paid by chapman.


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## Spaced Out Ace

Not only am I not shocked about this in the slightest, but other YouTube goofballs are even worse than this Ballpark prick.


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## Flappydoodle

c7spheres said:


> Uh, WTF?  I've only seen the Andertons videos of gear demos. This is really unfortunate to hear. They seem like nice guys on the demos. I don't see what motivates people to do these types of things. That sucks.



Funnily, I never thought he's a "nice guy" in the videos

He always hogged the attention, acted like a child, and clearly enjoyed having his ego stroked



Albake21 said:


> Money and power can get to your head very quickly.



And the hilarious thing is, he probably makes a couple hundred grand a year. Big deal. It's dentist money. Not an amount which should go to your head unless you have an extremely fragile ego and weak character.


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## c7spheres

Flappydoodle said:


> Funnily, I never thought he's a "nice guy" in the videos
> 
> He always hogged the attention, acted like a child, and clearly enjoyed having his ego stroked
> 
> 
> 
> And the hilarious thing is, he probably makes a couple hundred grand a year. Big deal. It's dentist money. Not an amount which should go to your head unless you have an extremely fragile ego and weak character.



- I always just took it as a couple guys messing around having fun. If I made a couple hundred grand a year I would feel like a trillionaire. I could implement my plans for world domination with that type of funding. : )


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## Flappydoodle

c7spheres said:


> - I always just took it as a couple guys messing around having fun. If I made a couple hundred grand a year I would feel like a trillionaire. I could implement my plans for world domination with that type of funding. : )



Nah, even back in the early Andertons days he always seemed like he was hogging the spotlight. He’s been a desperate attention seeker ever since. 

And really, it isn’t that much money. Not so much that it should go to your head and you become a total cunt because of it.


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## Mboogie7

Flappydoodle said:


> Nah, even back in the early Andertons days he always seemed like he was hogging the spotlight. He’s been a desperate attention seeker ever since.
> 
> And really, it isn’t that much money. Not so much that it should go to your head and you become a total cunt because of it.


I mean, I’d love to be pulling in a couple hundred thousand a year. That’s a pretty good paycheck.


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## StevenC

Frostbite said:


> These series of videos were rough to watch for me. I kind of fell of watching Rob's stuff but his videos back in the day were the thing that convinced me to pick up guitar(It was mostly guitar hero/rock band but his videos were the nail in the coffin). Dude's videos taught me how to change strings and do pinch harmonics. Peak don't meet your hero level stuff


Uhh, no. Peak have better heroes stuff. I met Steve Vai and he was nothing but lovely.


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## diagrammatiks

StevenC said:


> Uhh, no. Peak have better heroes stuff. I met Steve Vai and he was nothing but lovely.



Seriously right. You're hero probably shouldn't be the dude that runs the 3 card monty game down at the park.


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## Flappydoodle

Mboogie7 said:


> I mean, I’d love to be pulling in a couple hundred thousand a year. That’s a pretty good paycheck.



Yes, I’m not saying that it’s terrible or anything. But in perspective, it’s not some ridiculous amount of money which should transform you into a colossal cunt with an attitude problem. Like I said, it’s dentist money. Some YouTube ‘celebrity’ (famous among 15-40yr old men in their bedrooms) shouldn’t be having an ego trip about it. 

That’s assuming he IS making much money anyway. YouTube itself doesn’t pay that much. A million subscribers maybe gets you $100K of ad revenue per year. Then there’s sponsorships, and his own merch and products. I can’t be bothered to look up whether his guitar company makes any profit, but it’s certainly not going to be a multi million dollar company either way. 

My main point is that I have very little respect for Youtubers in general. Especially attention seeking drama queens like Chapman, Dines etc.


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## Hollowway

StevenC said:


> Uhh, no. Peak have better heroes stuff. I met Steve Vai and he was nothing but lovely.


I have a friend that won a private lesson, and said the same thing. Super nice guy. I think the take home lesson is that if you're really, really good at what you do, there's no reason to be an ass about it. You're already one of the best, and it's obvious. It's the fragile ego guys, who are not particularly good at what they do, that go around telling everyone how awesome they are.


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## c7spheres

^ 
What is Peak?


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## Randy

Hollowway said:


> I have a friend that won a private lesson, and said the same thing. Super nice guy. I think the take home lesson is that if you're really, really good at what you do, there's no reason to be an ass about it. You're already one of the best, and it's obvious. It's the fragile ego guys, who are not particularly good at what they do, that go around telling everyone how awesome they are.



I hear Paul Gilbert is a horse's ass fwiw.


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## Spaced Out Ace

Randy said:


> I hear Paul Gilbert is a horse's ass fwiw.


Uh, right. I've never heard that from anyone, ever. George Lynch? Yeah, I could believe that, though I've heard he's been either really cool, or kind of standoffish/dickish. But Paul? Eh, yeah... no.


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## Randy

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Uh, right. I've never heard that from anyone, ever. George Lynch? Yeah, I could believe that, though I've heard he's been either really cool, or kind of standoffish/dickish. But Paul? Eh, yeah... no.



Guess is depends on context. I've told the story before but a guy on here some years back mentioned PG did a show with him and was castigating the opening band, and kept referring to himself in the third person. I know there was some videos of him playing with Les Paul's band on YT and he stops and restarts a couple songs (infront of a live crowd) because he wasn't happy with the mix. He seems like a funny guy but a primadonna 

I actually had a very positive experience meeting Lynch, the most negative thing I can say is that he seemed to have a notable drinking problem at the time but was otherwise especially friendly. I got to play Skull & Bones, which is probably my fondest music related memory.


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## Spaced Out Ace

Randy said:


> Guess is depends on context. I've told the story before but a guy on here some years back mentioned PG did a show with him and was castigating the opening band, and kept referring to himself in the third person. I know there was some videos of him playing with Les Paul's band on YT and he stops and restarts a couple songs (infront of a live crowd) because he wasn't happy with the mix. He seems like a funny guy but a primadonna
> 
> I actually had a very positive experience meeting Lynch, the most negative thing I can say is that he seemed to have a notable drinking problem at the time but was otherwise especially friendly. I got to play Skull & Bones, which is probably my fondest music related memory.


You got to play Mom?! The REAL Mom or just a repro? God... I'd play Dream Warriors on that motherfucker, and likely laugh imagining a coked up Lynch trying to break through a gimmicked wall and snorting coke off of Freddy's glove.

I've not heard anything bad about Paul Gilbert. On the other hand, I've heard that Lynch can be testy and can tend to be a bit put out by interacting with people. He bitches in a NAMM video while playing because he didn't like the mix or some shit.


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## Hollowway

Spaced Out Ace said:


> You got to play Mom?! The REAL Mom or just a repro? God... I'd play Dream Warriors on that motherfucker, and likely laugh imagining a coked up Lynch trying to break through a gimmicked wall and snorting coke off of Freddy's glove.
> 
> I've not heard anything bad about Paul Gilbert. On the other hand, I've heard that Lynch can be testy and can tend to be a bit put out by interacting with people. He bitches in a NAMM video while playing because he didn't like the mix or some shit.


Yeah, first time I saw that guitar (in the video) it blew my mind. Coolest guitar ever! One day I’ll snag one of the Hembry versions just to have one.


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## Soya

Flappydoodle said:


> Yes, I’m not saying that it’s terrible or anything. But in perspective, it’s not some ridiculous amount of money which should transform you into a colossal cunt with an attitude problem. Like I said, it’s dentist money. Some YouTube ‘celebrity’ (famous among 15-40yr old men in their bedrooms) shouldn’t be having an ego trip about it.
> 
> That’s assuming he IS making much money anyway. YouTube itself doesn’t pay that much. A million subscribers maybe gets you $100K of ad revenue per year. Then there’s sponsorships, and his own merch and products. I can’t be bothered to look up whether his guitar company makes any profit, but it’s certainly not going to be a multi million dollar company either way.
> 
> My main point is that I have very little respect for Youtubers in general. Especially attention seeking drama queens like Chapman, Dines etc.


I'm curious, what do you do for a living?


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## Randy

Was definitely the guitar he was gigging with at the time (because it was after a gig and I saw him take it off 5 minutes earlier), he's not an especially tall guy but it was when he was hitting the gym a lot, so I just remember the strap being super loose, big leather thing with silver buttons and buckles on it, and the whole thing weighed a ton.

I played every Dokken riff I know and was considering running off into the night with it 

I remember reading online sometime around then (2004?) that the Dream Warriors guitar was long dead and this would've been a remake, not sure how accurate that story is since I can't find an account of it now but at a minimum ,afaik, it WAS the one that replaced it and was a J. Frog.

There used to be a Lynch gear site (maybe even his official page?) that had the full history of it but appears to be lost to time.


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## Spaced Out Ace

Hollowway said:


> Yeah, first time I saw that guitar (in the video) it blew my mind. Coolest guitar ever! One day I’ll snag one of the Hembry versions just to have one.


I'd rather get a Burnt Tiger from George if I'm gonna start spending stupid amounts of money on something like that.


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## Spaced Out Ace

Randy said:


> Was definitely the guitar he was gigging with at the time (because it was after a gig and I saw him take it off 5 minutes earlier), he's not an especially tall guy but it was when he was hitting the gym a lot, so I just remember the strap being super loose, big leather thing with silver buttons and buckles on it, and the whole thing weighed a ton.
> 
> I played every Dokken riff I know and was considering running off into the night with it
> 
> I remember reading online sometime around then (2004?) that the Dream Warriors guitar was long dead and this would've been a remake, not sure how accurate that story is since I can't find an account of it now but at a minimum ,afaik, it WAS the one that replaced it and was a J. Frog.
> 
> There used to be a Lynch gear site (maybe even his official page?) that had the full history of it but appears to be lost to time.


Oh, and random, but I HAVE GOT to ask George sometime if he is related to Steve Lynch. He's the guitarist from Autograph. They look native and both are from the Washington area.


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## _MonSTeR_

I’ve long said that Chapman is the Jeremy Clarkson (British Car journalist/TV presenter) of guitars.

Like him or not, he’s good at what he does to the extent he makes more money than he ever thought he’d make, simply by lampooning around in front of a camera. At least he hasn’t punched anyone for not having his tea ready when he got home.

Personally I find his stuff pretty much unwatchable these days.


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## USMarine75

Danish Pete >>>> Chappers all day every day. Only so many 3 NPS scalar runs I can listen to in a guitar demo.


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## 4Eyes

Nah...

Made up drama...seen Chapman's response video, I think he made all points clear, Riff city one was bit fishy...but accusing him from being responsible for company going down, just because he got better deal with other company? Like they were only selling just Chapman guitars and nothing else...

Liked his Monkey lord era, like the stuff on Andertons, not so much on his personal channel...

End result of this - guy will continue with his businesses and ...oh there was that guy who made poor journalistic homework and thought he could grow his channel that way...I nearly forgotten there was someone like that....nobody will remember that guy in couple of weeks...unless he want's to continue with this style of videos...but I doubt it's feasible long term


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## Fred the Shred

Randy said:


> Guess is depends on context. I've told the story before but a guy on here some years back mentioned PG did a show with him and was castigating the opening band, and kept referring to himself in the third person. I know there was some videos of him playing with Les Paul's band on YT and he stops and restarts a couple songs (infront of a live crowd) because he wasn't happy with the mix. He seems like a funny guy but a primadonna
> 
> I actually had a very positive experience meeting Lynch, the most negative thing I can say is that he seemed to have a notable drinking problem at the time but was otherwise especially friendly. I got to play Skull & Bones, which is probably my fondest music related memory.



To be honest, both Paul Gilbert and George Lynch are super nice blokes. Paul in particular is absolutely hilarious in person and doesn't really take himself seriously at all - he's well aware of his merits as a guitar player, but the guitar does the talking on that front. I've met the vast majority of my idols thus far and almost everybody were super kind, and the ones that weren't super kind were polite and never adopted any kind of prima donna posture, quite the opposite.

These dudes are just humans, though, and it's easy to be more distant, tired or just having a rough day and that coming across as being a tool. I know I probs have come across as some sort of dude with rock star issues (which would be hilariously stupid no matter what, let alone a super niche guy like me) due to exhaustion, jet lag, sleep deprivation or a random combination of any of those.


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## sunnyd88

dr_game0ver said:


> Poor Rob Scallon surrounding himself with the worst of scum... First the Channel Awesome thing, Now we find out that Chapman is a douche (i remember some videos claiming that he is a dick back when he started Chapman guitar).
> I think Rob (Scallon) should stay away from others Rob (Walker and Chapman).


wait hold up, what channel awesome thing? there was channel awesome/rob walker drama?


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## Esp Griffyn

This guy is the king of internet sleaze. Lying about Sims Custom Shop retiring is just false and a smear to try and save his own reputation. Sims is one of the best bass guitar builders in the UK and hands down has the best paint shop in the UK. They were at NAMM this year with their Enfield basses. So much for retirement.

All I can say is I probably won't shop at Anderton's in the future. The association of that business and a character like Rob Chapman makes me uneasy.


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## dr_game0ver

sunnyd88 said:


> wait hold up, what channel awesome thing? there was channel awesome/rob walker drama?


If you don't know about it, ho boy have you missed something. There is a video on YT " the downfall of channel awesome". It involved a bit more that just drama. CA is a good representation of "when internet drama, ego and money goes too far"
My comment has to be taken as a joke, nothing more.

About Andertons, Lee seems to have distence himself with Rob, who barely appear in the videos.
If you want some good old cringe, go watch the 80' Charvel parodie thing.


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## Tisca

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Dude also threw Riff City Guitar under a bus after they worked their ass off to help make Chapman Guitars a thing in the US.



Rob also lied about what happened and everytime RCG commented with the truth the comments were deleted. Chappers doesn't really have any credible evidence or arguments against his accusers.

Let's not forget Rob's biggest crime; having dreads as a white middle aged man.


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## r33per

Tisca said:


> Rob also lied about what happened and everytime RCG commented with the truth the comments were deleted. Chappers doesn't really have any credible evidence or arguments against his accusers.
> 
> Let's not forget Rob's biggest crime; having dreads as a white middle aged man.


I have a white middle, but am not yet an aged man. Dreads ok?


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## DickyTripleD

r33per said:


> I have a white middle, but am not yet an aged man. Dreads ok?


Short of being Rastafarian, in my opinion, it's never okay.


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## Kobalt

Thaeon said:


> I tend towards cynicism with the whole thing. They're all covering what will draw people to their channels. We know from the hip-hop world, that a little tension between artists can go a long way in driving careers and sales.


Not only that, but the Internet has become such a poison to anyone with any slight hint of popularity or notoriety or whatever - it's all drama and going after people to cut them down... Some lowlife will waste this precious Earth's oxygen spending countless hours tracking down that you pushed the redhead kid in the mud in second grade because that'll make the headlines and people will shout death threats at you.

Fuck offff, can we all just enjoy the fucking content and stop trying to guillotine everybody, it's 2020 not the 1800s.


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## gunch

I don’t want to be smug but this guy always had a greasy smarmlord vibe to me and his bands are named after sounds a broken washer makes


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## vortex_infinium

KnightBrolaire said:


> Probably extreme lack of demand. The custom shop that was ghost building for them was Sims Guitar Works (Uk version, not the other prick) and they're still building.



Is the Chapman CS the one that was only supposed to put out 10 guitars per year?

That's some pretty extreme lack of demand given his status...


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## JSanta

Kobalt said:


> Not only that, but the Internet has become such a poison to anyone with any slight hint of popularity or notoriety or whatever - it's all drama and going after people to cut them down... Some lowlife will waste this precious Earth's oxygen spending countless hours tracking down that you pushed the redhead kid in the mud in second grade because that'll make the headlines and people will shout death threats at you.
> 
> Fuck offff, can we all just enjoy the fucking content and stop trying to guillotine everybody, it's 2020 not the 1800s.



I don't disagree with the sentiment, but in Rob's case, he's quite obviously a prick. Seems like this was a long time coming. And to be fair, I really enjoy the Anderton's youtube channel (sans Rob), and I never got the same feeling about Lee or Pete, who seem like nice people. I don't care for the Anderton's/Chapman partnership, but I get it.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

vortex_infinium said:


> Is the Chapman CS the one that was only supposed to put out 10 guitars per year?
> 
> That's some pretty extreme lack of demand given his status...


yup, he wanted to sell 3500 £ guitars but wouldn't say who was building them, which rankled most people from whst I've seen. Pretty sure the overlap of people that both liked his guitars and had those kinds of funds were turned off by not knowing who was building them. 
Plus that kind of money would get you a legit custom from proven builders like Daemoness/Carillion/Waghorn


----------



## Thaeon

KnightBrolaire said:


> yup, he wanted to sell 3500 £ guitars but wouldn't say who was building them, which rankled most people from whst I've seen. Pretty sure the overlap of people that both liked his guitars and had those kinds of funds were turned off by not knowing who was building them.
> Plus that kind of money would get you a legit custom from proven builders like Daemoness/Carillion/Waghorn



Dude, that's around $4500 USD. That's Oni territory. I know where I'd be putting my money.


----------



## Fred the Shred

You mean like the "British luthier" that built the protos and the commemorative artist guitars that was Jaden Rose yet was all but ommitted from the picture the first time and then completely obliterated from any exposure when things went south? It's really not a problem of credibility of the luthier itself, but rather a mix of making it fully "Chapman only" and preventing people from skipping the middleman and going to the luthiers themselves, I'm afraid.

In this industry, people having some rather questionable attitudes and decisions is just the tip of the iceberg, to be honest.


----------



## GraemeH

Maybe the cunt is going to build these £3,500 guitars himself? You know, the guy who regularly demonstrates he doesn't know what "coil tap" or "baritone" mean.

Wasn't it on this forum that there was some kerfuffle caused by him claiming his guitars came with Hipshot bridges when they were clearly chinese knock-offs? Pretty sure someone here contacted Hipshot over it. Wonder if those people who bought them ever got a part-refund?

I don't mind Lee Anderton or Bea at all, I hope they're just associating with him for the exposure to his audience at this point.


----------



## diagrammatiks

GraemeH said:


> Maybe the cunt is going to build these £3,500 guitars himself? You know, the guy who regularly demonstrates he doesn't know what "coil tap" or "baritone" mean.
> 
> Wasn't it on this forum that there was some kerfuffle caused by him claiming his guitars came with Hipshot bridges when they were clearly chinese knock-offs? Pretty sure someone here contacted Hipshot over it. Wonder if those people who bought them ever got a part-refund?
> 
> I don't mind Lee Anderton or Bea at all, I hope they're just associating with him for the exposure to his audience at this point.



He's like...the only person around that actually knows what a baritone means though. 
crying emoji


----------



## Frostbite

StevenC said:


> Uhh, no. Peak have better heroes stuff. I met Steve Vai and he was nothing but lovely.


I meant for me but I forgot everything has to be a competition on the internet and opinions are stupid lmao


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Esp Griffyn said:


> This guy is the king of internet sleaze. Lying about Sims Custom Shop retiring is just false and a smear to try and save his own reputation. Sims is one of the best bass guitar builders in the UK and hands down has the best paint shop in the UK. They were at NAMM this year with their Enfield basses. So much for retirement.
> 
> All I can say is I probably won't shop at Anderton's in the future. The association of that business and a character like Rob Chapman makes me uneasy.


"The king of Internet sleaze." Hyyyyypeerrrrbolleeeee. Lol. Dude, there are lots of people on YouTube that are sleazier than this ballpark frank imbecile.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

DickyTripleD said:


> Short of being Rastafarian, in my opinion, it's never okay.


Yeah... tell that to the celts, mate.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

Thaeon said:


> Dude, that's around $4500 USD. That's Oni territory. I know where I'd be putting my money.


exactly my point. If he was targeting metalheads, then he failed as there a ton of reputable metal centric builders in that price range.
If he was targeting blues lawyers then he failed, since you can get a 10 top PRS, a 509 or any number of nice gibson/fender clones from proven shops at that price point. From a marketing perspective it was basically doomed from the start by them not mentioning the ghostbuilder and the very stiff competition at that price point.


----------



## JSanta

KnightBrolaire said:


> exactly my point. If he was targeting metalheads, then he failed as there a ton of reputable metal centric builders in that price range.
> If he was targeting blues lawyers then he failed, since you can get a 10 top PRS, a 509 or any number of nice gibson/fender clones from proven shops at that price point. From a marketing perspective it was basically doomed from the start by them not mentioning the ghostbuilder and the very stiff competition at that price point.



The outcome implies that his market research was effectively ego.


----------



## Thaeon

KnightBrolaire said:


> exactly my point. If he was targeting metalheads, then he failed as there a ton of reputable metal centric builders in that price range.
> If he was targeting blues lawyers then he failed, since you can get a 10 top PRS, a 509 or any number of nice gibson/fender clones from proven shops at that price point. From a marketing perspective it was basically doomed from the start by them not mentioning the ghostbuilder and the very stiff competition at that price point.



Yeah. Especially considering he's a relatively new name in the market. You'd think that by letting the public know who was ghost building for him, he'd have drawn some people in. Like Friedman being perfectly open about Grover doing his builds. Dunable is also open about Grover doing some of the necks of his guitars. People don't hold that against those builders. They actually feel more confident about investing the money knowing who's hands did the work.


----------



## DickyTripleD

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Yeah... tell that to the celts, mate.


I was a way bigger fan of the braids.


----------



## protest

_MonSTeR_ said:


> I’ve long said that Chapman is the Jeremy Clarkson (British Car journalist/TV presenter) of guitars.
> 
> Like him or not, he’s good at what he does to the extent he makes more money than he ever thought he’d make, simply by lampooning around in front of a camera. At least he hasn’t punched anyone for not having his tea ready when he got home.
> 
> Personally I find his stuff pretty much unwatchable these days.



Clarkson is at least aware of the fact that he's an asshole, and it's his shtick to be polarizing. He's also a lot more entertaining.


----------



## High Plains Drifter

I should prob feel embarrassed or dysfunctional that the internet is just a way for me to search things relative to my needs and wants... my actual life. But holy shit... skimming thru these pages, I feel fortunate that none of this is a big deal to me. I don't even bring popcorn anymore. Okay... back to the insanity..


----------



## ArtDecade

In other news, here is Binga bowling to Piers Moron.


----------



## Andromalia

I'd bet all those youtubers are members of a secret evil mafia and all work together to make the noise needed for the ad revenue to flow. I never liked nor hated the guy, I just wish Lee Anderton would hire a competent metal player for metal-oriented guitars. Just chugging properly would do.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

Andromalia said:


> I'd bet all those youtubers are members of a secret evil mafia and all work together to make the noise needed for the ad revenue to flow. I never liked nor hated the guy, I just wish Lee Anderton would hire a competent metal player for metal-oriented guitars. Just chugging properly would do.


They had 2 very competent metal players at their disposal for years (Rabea/Joss). But yeah they really need a new metal centric player to help them demo stuff.


----------



## Señor Voorhees

Truth be told, I don't think he's any more or less shitty than your average person. He's done some questionable things, and he has a bit of an ego, but most people do at some point and to some extent. Outside of him being a little snobby about his guitar brand, I generally like the videos I've seen of him. (though I don't really search them out, they just pop up in recommended every now and again.) The whole ordeal seems like, as others have said, grasping for relevancy. I've made it a point not to watch most of the videos out there because I hate giving views to people who are starting shit just for the sake of getting attention. The same way I refuse to even glance at overly flashy cars driven by smug dude-bros or midlife crisis havin' folks. I don't like giving people attention for shitty behavior. I graduated from high school far too many years ago to give a fuck about what is ultimately just minor drama and shitty behavior.


----------



## Sumsar

I enjoy him many years ago with the Andertons stuff, but his video has always been super half assed - "hanging and old towel in front of the window will surely not look like shit on video, and why use anything else than a camera mic when you have 500000+ subs".

At the same time all the people creating the drama just seems to be on the 'the more drama i create the more I can benefit' train, which is just as bad as being the asshole getting exposed. Basing your content about destroying other peoples lives doesn't really make you come across as a hero, regardless of who is the target.


----------



## c7spheres

- I think what's really odd is that many manufacturer's (not all, maybe not even most) don't have any good demos of their own. It's like the said screw it and just figure everyone else will do it for them on YouTube. 
- Most of the time I just want to see the dang front and back panel closeup picts and hear it. That's sometime s chore. 
- Turn the damn knobs and go through the clean and dirty/heavy channels. Use it as a real person uses it to perform music on. This means pushing the button when you actually would in a song etc., with your foot, not, stop playing then push button with finger while not playing to cover up the giant pop/click noise your product makes while switching. Not turn guitar volume down when stop playing so you can hear what a crappy shielding job the product has etc.


----------



## cip 123

Andromalia said:


> I'd bet all those youtubers are members of a secret evil mafia and all work together to make the noise needed for the ad revenue to flow. I never liked nor hated the guy, I just wish Lee Anderton would hire a competent metal player for metal-oriented guitars. Just chugging properly would do.





KnightBrolaire said:


> They had 2 very competent metal players at their disposal for years (Rabea/Joss). But yeah they really need a new metal centric player to help them demo stuff.


The majority of Andertons sales (From Lee himself) is Fender, Gibson, followed by PRS. They don't need a metal centric player. Why hire someone new when you can sit down anyone play a few half baked chugs and call it a video? Jackson isn't suddenly going to outsell PRS because they did a good video.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Rabea is at the point where companies send him free shit to demo. Probably why he ain't going back to Andertons.


----------



## ArtDecade

cip 123 said:


> The majority of Andertons sales (From Lee himself) is Fender, Gibson, followed by PRS. They don't need a metal centric player. Why hire someone new when you can sit down anyone play a few half baked chugs and call it a video? Jackson isn't suddenly going to outsell PRS because they did a good video.



Well, seeing as how Jackson is Fender, they already kinda do outsell PRS.


----------



## cip 123

ArtDecade said:


> Well, seeing as how Jackson is Fender, they already kinda do outsell PRS.


Perhaps the wrong example then


----------



## mbardu

Soooo....can I get a discounted Ghostfret pro now? I don't mind scraping the name off of the headstock!


----------



## Kobalt

JSanta said:


> I don't disagree with the sentiment, but in Rob's case, he's quite obviously a prick. Seems like this was a long time coming. And to be fair, I really enjoy the Anderton's youtube channel (sans Rob), and I never got the same feeling about Lee or Pete, who seem like nice people. I don't care for the Anderton's/Chapman partnership, but I get it.


Oh, I agree, he's an ass and a snob, but he's an entertaining ass who moves gear.

Honestly cannot watch an Anderton's video without Rob, but that's personal opinion. I don't count on his opinion most of the time because while he always pretends he's on the "most people don't gig" side, he's first to make illogical suggestions for said crowd.


----------



## c7spheres

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Rabea is at the point where companies send him free shit to demo. Probably why he ain't going back to Andertons.



- So I'm old and out of touch with reality. I just found out about Dorje and That Rob and Rabea are in it. (hey, I said I'm out of touch)
- So I'm curious what these YouTuber's make and what's funny is when you google the net worth of each of them.
- I don't have a hard believing Rob is worth about $288,000
- I have a really hard time believing Rabea is worth $77million, but accroding to Forbes and Wiki he is. What am I missing here? He got some other investment or project going on?

Edit: Oh, It's under review. I'm guessing more around the $77k mark. Not that it matters, but I was thinking if this is all from Youtube and a band I gotta start thinking about a YouTube channel or something : )


----------



## spudmunkey

Does your search say Rob is worth $288k, or his channel?


----------



## c7spheres

spudmunkey said:


> Does your search say Rob is worth $288k, or his channel?


- Typing it into Google again it says his channel is worth that. So obviously that's different then. Still these people are making money. 
- What's a shame is I'd bet their band makes less money but it takes a ton more effort, and probably deserves more money than YouTube brings them. I don't know but just a guess. It's a shame (I think) how certain work (especially manual labor and dangerous jobs) can bring low income, and stupid crap like YouTube videos of a cat or a smoking baby can bring millions.


----------



## diagrammatiks

c7spheres said:


> - Typing it into Google again it says his channel is worth that. So obviously that's different then. Still these people are making money.
> - What's a shame is I'd bet their band makes less money but it takes a ton more effort, and probably deserves more money than YouTube brings them. I don't know but just a guess. It's a shame (I think) how certain work (especially manual labor and dangerous jobs) can bring low income, and stupid crap like YouTube videos of a cat or a smoking baby can bring millions.



Ya man fuck people for pursuing a career path that actually makes money.


----------



## Lemonbaby

Don't worry. There are soooo many jobs where you earn the same money easier than with a YT channel. Not a great career choice if you want to be on the safe side with regards to both a stable income and mental health...


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Lemonbaby said:


> Don't worry. There are soooo many jobs where you earn the same money easier than with a YT channel. Not a great career choice if you want to be on the safe side with regards to both a stable income and mental health...


YT isn't the career (via Google AdSense) that it used to be. There is a reason Ola pushes his guitar brand and his membership so much. Back in the day, YT through Google AdSense used to give out quite a bit of money early on, and made people millionaires, most of whom were ungrateful and undeserving. 

However, now the ability to make money on YT is really difficult. That is why Patreon came about. YT isn't really a career anymore, unless you can get paid off by companies like Paul Henning (and others) to make demos. YT made the membership option in order to collect some of the $5 or whatever people spend per month because it was all going to Patreon.


----------



## c7spheres

diagrammatiks said:


> Ya man fuck people for pursuing a career path that actually makes money.



- I didn't mean it to come off that way at all. I'm all for people doing it.
- What my point was is basically that it's a shame how some people are so underpaid for the work/labor they do. Not everyone can do the things that earn even a basic living. YouTube is great for that type of thing but not everyone can do it.
- I just am of the belief that if you work and contribute your time and energy that you should be able to have things like a place to live, food, health care etc. and have some time off to pursue other things in life other than recuperate from the exhaustion of the labor as your health dwindles from it. A life/work balance. 
- Someone has to do the minimum wage jobs at 7.25hr (though many citys have higher minimum wages) and they are providing a very important service and part to the system and people. If you're killing yourself fulltime you should have your basic needs met, which in many citys you can't. It's not right. 
- I feel larger companies take advantage of this and that it's unethical to expand so large, profit so much and pay their CEO's millions of dollars while the employees can't make a basic living without government assistance, which burdens the taxpayers as well. We all benfit from companies like the Amazon's and Walmart's as they shit all over their employees, refuse many full time status, pay and benefits as they work them full time hours and they collect gov't assistance in the meantime to make needs met. They work hard and deserve more, especially the elderly.
- I'm not saying fuck anyone for trying to make more money.


----------



## diagrammatiks

c7spheres said:


> - I didn't mean it to come off that way at all. I'm all for people doing it.
> - What my point was is basically that it's a shame how some people are so underpaid for the work/labor they do. Not everyone can do the things that earn even a basic living. YouTube is great for that type of thing but not everyone can do it.
> - I just am of the belief that if you work and contribute your time and energy that you should be able to have things like a place to live, food, health care etc. and have some time off to pursue other things in life other than recuperate from the exhaustion of the labor as your health dwindles from it. A life/work balance.
> - Someone has to do the minimum wage jobs at 7.25hr (though many citys have higher minimum wages) and they are providing a very important service and part to the system and people. If you're killing yourself fulltime you should have your basic needs met, which in many citys you can't. It's not right.
> - I feel larger companies take advantage of this and that it's unethical to expand so large, profit so much and pay their CEO's millions of dollars while the employees can't make a basic living without government assistance, which burdens the taxpayers as well. We all benfit from companies like the Amazon's and Walmart's as they shit all over their employees, refuse many full time status, pay and benefits as they work them full time hours and they collect gov't assistance in the meantime to make needs met. They work hard and deserve more, especially the elderly.
> - I'm not saying fuck anyone for trying to make more money.



Bernie what does this have to do with people making money on youtube.


----------



## c7spheres

diagrammatiks said:


> Bernie what does this have to do with people making money on youtube.


Just, that I'm not against it like I thought you meant. Guess I went on a tangent. Guess I could have just said that  It's been a long day and night for me. Sorry.


----------



## couverdure

Spaced Out Ace said:


> YT isn't the career (via Google AdSense) that it used to be. There is a reason Ola pushes his guitar brand and his membership so much. Back in the day, YT through Google AdSense used to give out quite a bit of money early on, and made people millionaires, most of whom were ungrateful and undeserving.
> 
> However, now the ability to make money on YT is really difficult. That is why Patreon came about. YT isn't really a career anymore, unless you can get paid off by companies like Paul Henning (and others) to make demos. YT made the membership option in order to collect some of the $5 or whatever people spend per month because it was all going to Patreon.


Before we get started on this video, I'd like to talk about today's sponsor:

*RAID: SHADOW LEGENDS*

(I had to urge to bring this meme to this discussion)


----------



## Alex79

Spaced Out Ace said:


> YT isn't the career (via Google AdSense) that it used to be. There is a reason Ola pushes his guitar brand and his membership so much. Back in the day, YT through Google AdSense used to give out quite a bit of money early on, and made people millionaires, most of whom were ungrateful and undeserving.
> 
> However, now the ability to make money on YT is really difficult. That is why Patreon came about. YT isn't really a career anymore, unless you can get paid off by companies like Paul Henning (and others) to make demos. YT made the membership option in order to collect some of the $5 or whatever people spend per month because it was all going to Patreon.



Very true. I follow a couple of woodworking channels, many of whom have way more followers than guitar communities, and Steve Ramsey sums it up really nice here; the video is more about Youtube than woodworking, if you are interested:


----------



## pastanator

couverdure said:


> Before we get started on this video, I'd like to talk about today's sponsor:
> 
> *RAID: SHADOW LEGENDS*
> 
> (I had to urge to bring this meme to this discussion)


----------



## r33per

I'm pleasently amused that the OP asked for a tl;dr and we're six pages in...


----------



## Fred the Shred

It's a very extensive affair to dig deep in what activities take place in the industry and what drama is warranted or not. Given the cutthroat nature of most businesses, I always end up feeling that this kind of thing is really taken too far, but hey - it brings sites and channels clicks I guess.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

r33per said:


> I'm pleasently amused that the OP asked for a tl;dr and we're six pages in...


I gave him a TLDR on the first page with supporting vids.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

_MonSTeR_ said:


> I thought they were going to be Jaden Rose guitars? I still can’t believe Jaden wasn’t the next Blackmachine!



They are great guitars but nowhere near the level of black machine.


----------



## possumkiller

Ataraxia2320 said:


> They are great guitars but nowhere near the level of black machine.


Is anything though?


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

KnightBrolaire said:


> I gave him a TLDR on the first page with supporting vids.



I also advised that the MOD could lock the thread at that point. Frankly, I'm surprised that this conversation has progressed so far....


----------



## Ataraxia2320

possumkiller said:


> Is anything though?



I've played 3 black machines. 1 was hands down the snappiest most responsive guitar I've ever played, one was beautiful but didnt sound great, and the other was a great but not worth the asking price. 

Definitely amazing guitars, but the prices on them at the moment are pure insanity.


----------



## spudmunkey

possumkiller said:


> Is anything though?



Like...practically, or spiritually?


----------



## Surveyor 777

r33per said:


> I'm pleasently amused that the OP asked for a tl;dr and we're six pages in...



It's almost like this is a MG.org thread (about Chapman/Chapman Guitars).


----------



## Soya

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> I also advised that the MOD could lock the thread at that point. Frankly, I'm surprised that this conversation has progressed so far....


I mean, it is a DISCUSSION forum....


----------



## cip 123

Soya said:


> I mean, it is a DISCUSSION forum....


And Forum rules are that you stay on topic.


----------



## c7spheres

This is all YouTube's fault. Down with YouTube!


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

couverdure said:


> Before we get started on this video, I'd like to talk about today's sponsor:
> 
> *RAID: SHADOW LEGENDS*
> 
> (I had to urge to bring this meme to this discussion)


Don't forget NordVPN!


----------



## spudmunkey

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Don't forget NordVPN!



Squarespace/audible/drop/Raycon/DisPlates/Skillshare/Lynda/DBrand/Crunchyroll/Blue Apron/Nobody...just me.....LTTstore.com.


----------



## PuriPuriPrisoner

spudmunkey said:


> Squarespace/audible/drop/Raycon/DisPlates/Skillshare/Lynda/DBrand/Crunchyroll/Blue Apron/Nobody...just me.....LTTstore.com.



Melon would be disappointed that you didn’t include Ridge wallets


----------



## Flappydoodle

Lemonbaby said:


> Don't worry. There are soooo many jobs where you earn the same money easier than with a YT channel. Not a great career choice if you want to be on the safe side with regards to both a stable income and mental health...



100% agree

The time taken for making a video is considerable. Even a basic 10 minute demo video would take at least 3 hours to make. But something with better production value could take 8 hours or more. A scripted, well-produced, well-edited, entertaining VLOG or review is very time-consuming to make. People probably think they can wing it, but then you get rambling, shaky out-of-focus camerawork etc. It's why so many Youtubers do Q&As, chats, interviews, "Ola checks out Megadeth", reaction videos and other low-effort content now. They can put out the required 3 videos per week in a fraction of the time it would take to do well-produced, planned content.

Totally right about the stable income too. For every guy featured on your recommended list, there are tons of others trying to get in and who never will, despite spending lots of time trying. And once you're "in", it's a constant battle to keep growing, keep your base entertained, build your "brand", expand into other revenue streams (merch etc) and keep the attention focused on you. That's why you get so many channels which just become totally obnoxious parodies once they've "made it". You have to essentially double down on your character/brand, which is probably a fake/exaggerated version of your real self. Look at Glen Fricker for an example of someone playing a character. Look at Ola's transformation for another example, with all the gimmicks he does now, acting more immature than he did 7 years ago. That's the game you have to play.

All the while, you're working for yourself, *you* are the brand, and you're fucked and will be under massive pressure if your personal life gets in the way - like family, physical or mental health problems etc. I know Chapman went through a divorce (or at least a bad breakup) at some point during the Andertons days. That's going to be incredibly tough on your mental health when you need to perform on camera and keep up regular uploads and content.

Honestly, I think the whole house of cards has to come down at some point. I find it very hard to believe that any of the advertising or sponsorship really translates into sales in a useful way. Yes, people need to be aware of your gear, and some exposure is necessary. But with more and more channels, and audiences becoming increasingly resistant to be "sold to", and younger audiences having basically no money, I can't see the model lasting. That's why Patreon, membership etc was created, but even then you need to be a very large channel for that to provide sustainable income.


----------



## mbardu

Flappydoodle said:


> 100% agree
> 
> The time taken for making a video is considerable. Even a basic 10 minute demo video would take at least 3 hours to make....



Thank you for typing in many words what I was too lazy to.

People who think a youtuber's job is easy should really try to create a quality 10-minute video that 5 million people will enjoy and see how much time and effort it takes them.
Sure there are the "lucky few" who succeeded way beyond the efforts they put in...and of course luck is very important there- but that's the case in any industry, music included.


----------



## _MonSTeR_

More kids today want to be YouTubers than want to be professional athletes, (like football players, basketball players etc,) or Hollywood movie stars, probably because they see YouTube as an easy job and assume they’ll be a millionaire on the back of it.

But for every Al Pacino or Tom Hanks, there are thousands of ‘Guy in car at diner’.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

_MonSTeR_ said:


> More kids today want to be YouTubers than want to be professional athletes, (like football players, basketball players etc,) or Hollywood movie stars, probably because they see YouTube as an easy job and assume they’ll be a millionaire on the back of it.
> 
> But for every Al Pacino or Tom Hanks, there are thousands of ‘Guy in car at diner’.


There are thousands of "dinner theater actors doing this for food." YouTube no longer just hands out handfuls of $100 bills anymore.


----------



## Exchanger

_MonSTeR_ said:


> probably because they see YouTube as an easy job and assume they’ll be a millionaire on the back of it



There's some of that, but I think there is another aspect, that youtubers are more relatable than athletes or actors; they come across more as the average person (even though that can be faked, and / or that changes with time and success). They talk to you directly via the camera, there's something more personal than a sports pro or a movie star talking to some other dude in a talk show on TV, that I think is more appealing.


----------



## Jonathan20022

The best part is you can pretty easily tell who is in the Youtube game to make a career out of it and those who just do it because it's fun in a way.

Like I used to handle my youtube channel as a sort of diary of my playing like a regular daily/weekly webcam quality clips of me and whatever I was trying to learn that week and the progress or song ideas. The videos I ended up putting out were typically songs I was more proud of learning/transcribing/performing and wanted to play with a new guitar I had gotten. I met some fantastic folks who I actually keep up with to this day through my videos who seemed genuinely interested in hearing about my experiences with gear.

Times change, and so do priorities and while I maintain a roughly 4 hour a week collective guitar playing session. I don't really have time to find all my camera gear, charge it up, learn something to the point where it's clean by my standards and upload it. I'd like to get back to that point soon but it probably won't happen for me until late this year/early next. 

Point is, I don't stress the bullshit with this I still track my progress with simple webcam vids of my progress for the sake of my own guitar playing history. But if you ask me if I care that most of my subscribers forgot I exist, I don't think I care. The people who gave a rats ass still reach out and talk to me, and the goal was never to get high numbers, if it ends up happening and I "make it". I'll probably prioritize my professional career when that inevitably needs more of my time, guitar will probably always be a few steps behind in my list of priorities. If I gotta disappear to focus on me and my family, I don't think I need to make a sob video apologizing to viewers that I'm not gonna drop a video every 2 days or something because of personal reasons.

I wish YTers would stop worrying so much about their audience, it's fickle and you might retain 10% of them but the majority will move on and find some other channel that daily drops to connect to. The game has shifted to this low quality reaction content, and people seem to really dig it so who am I to judge, but you either keep up with the game if you want to stay relevant. Or you focus on yourself and your long term plan vs maintaining their channel for less money than their time is worth.

Shoot my buddy Matt quit streaming on a whim, he constantly maintained over a dozen viewers playing Super Smash Bros and he has that infectuous "What's up guys, how's it going like!??!?" personality. I commended him for doing it because even though he just got affiliate status with Twitch and maintained a regular stream with regular viewers. He saw more value in the time he could spend with his family and move away from the *obligation *to be an online personality.


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## dr_game0ver

Making it online is easy, Just make some prank videos, stream yourself overreacting to a jump scare game and have your trophy girlfriend wearing next to nothing appear on camera once in a while.
Or if you are a girl, just jiggle your boobs to the camera with a smile. Worked for Hanna Minx...


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## mpexus

Try all of the above and see how it works for you 


No its not easy... most of the time its a matter of luck of being in the right spot at the right time. There are thousands of people out there that worked their asses off and never accomplished anything relevant. Others are struck by "light"




The Role of Luck in Life Success Is Far Greater Than We Realized:

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/...2UYD5rgIG3Fk6uJzyCY_ZChrmBMGi6UIV0TVKZfZ9d4TE


----------



## Sogradde

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> I also advised that the MOD could lock the thread at that point. Frankly, I'm surprised that this conversation has progressed so far....


The mods work in mysterious ways. Sometimes they leave off top threads open and sometimes they lock a perfectly civil discussion thread to save one person that acts like a total ass.


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## cardinal

These platforms give us only what people choose to watch, which apparently is drama. Are we not entertained?


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## Lemonbaby

cardinal said:


> These platforms give us only what people choose to watch, which apparently is drama. Are we not entertained?


Of course - very much so. Let me just react to that new unboxing vid for a second... done.


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## ArtDecade

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> I also advised that the MOD could lock the thread at that point. Frankly, I'm surprised that this conversation has progressed so far....





cip 123 said:


> And Forum rules are that you stay on topic.


----------



## ArtDecade

dr_game0ver said:


> Worked for Hanna Minx...



I miss her. And them.


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## Spaced Out Ace

dr_game0ver said:


> Making it online is easy, Just make some prank videos, stream yourself overreacting to a jump scare game and have your trophy girlfriend wearing next to nothing appear on camera once in a while.
> Or if you are a girl, just jiggle your boobs to the camera with a smile. Worked for Hanna Minx...


Isn't exactly that easy. If it was, "Annah Minx" would've gotten somewhere.


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## Seabeast2000

ArtDecade said:


> I miss her. And them.


OK GOOGLE, HANNA MINX PICTURES.


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## ArtDecade

The906 said:


> OK GOOGLE, HANNA MINX PICTURES.



Mall Goth Boobers.


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## Ola Englund

Flappydoodle said:


> 100% agree
> 
> The time taken for making a video is considerable. Even a basic 10 minute demo video would take at least 3 hours to make. But something with better production value could take 8 hours or more. A scripted, well-produced, well-edited, entertaining VLOG or review is very time-consuming to make. People probably think they can wing it, but then you get rambling, shaky out-of-focus camerawork etc. It's why so many Youtubers do Q&As, chats, interviews, "Ola checks out Megadeth", reaction videos and other low-effort content now. They can put out the required 3 videos per week in a fraction of the time it would take to do well-produced, planned content.
> 
> Totally right about the stable income too. For every guy featured on your recommended list, there are tons of others trying to get in and who never will, despite spending lots of time trying. And once you're "in", it's a constant battle to keep growing, keep your base entertained, build your "brand", expand into other revenue streams (merch etc) and keep the attention focused on you. That's why you get so many channels which just become totally obnoxious parodies once they've "made it". You have to essentially double down on your character/brand, which is probably a fake/exaggerated version of your real self. Look at Glen Fricker for an example of someone playing a character. Look at Ola's transformation for another example, with all the gimmicks he does now, acting more immature than he did 7 years ago. That's the game you have to play.
> 
> All the while, you're working for yourself, *you* are the brand, and you're fucked and will be under massive pressure if your personal life gets in the way - like family, physical or mental health problems etc. I know Chapman went through a divorce (or at least a bad breakup) at some point during the Andertons days. That's going to be incredibly tough on your mental health when you need to perform on camera and keep up regular uploads and content.
> 
> Honestly, I think the whole house of cards has to come down at some point. I find it very hard to believe that any of the advertising or sponsorship really translates into sales in a useful way. Yes, people need to be aware of your gear, and some exposure is necessary. But with more and more channels, and audiences becoming increasingly resistant to be "sold to", and younger audiences having basically no money, I can't see the model lasting. That's why Patreon, membership etc was created, but even then you need to be a very large channel for that to provide sustainable income.


Dude I’m not speaking for everyone that you mentioned, BUT I can speak for myself. If you ever met me in person, I’m more like the current YouTube version of me than The previous one back in the day. Back 7 years ago I was shy as hell about talking on camera, now after 1000 videos I can pretty much say that I’m almost 100% comfortable while making videos. Don’t over analyze things And put words in our mouths. There isn’t a secret “scheme” behind all the people you mention.


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## ArtDecade

^


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## TedintheShed

Is Chapman Guitars associated with Victory amps?


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## ArtDecade

TedintheShed said:


> Is Chapman Guitars associated with Victory amps?



They have English accents in common.


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## Señor Voorhees

Ola Englund said:


> Dude I’m not speaking for everyone that you mentioned, BUT I can speak for myself. If you ever met me in person, I’m more like the current YouTube version of me than The previous one back in the day. Back 7 years ago I was shy as hell about talking on camera, now after 1000 videos I can pretty much say that I’m almost 100% comfortable while making videos. Don’t over analyze things And put words in our mouths. There isn’t a secret “scheme” behind all the people you mention.



It's not like you don't do other stuff, too, which is definitely worth mentioning. (Between youtube, Solar guitars, and any music you may be working on as example.) I always find it weird when people get bagged on for doing "easy" content. Like, what the fuck are you supposed to do? Something difficult that isn't fun? Part of what makes youtube worthwhile is that you can do the things you like, within some degree of reason... For some, that's playing minecraft, and for others it's FAQ's and Reaction videos... Then there are those who DO treat it like "legitimate" production and make HUGE projects that take months to create. 

Even the "easy" content isn't so easy. You can have good music/skills but have a dull as dishwater personality and you're suddenly not worth watching. People don't watch boring people play video games or play guitar. 

I find Ola entertaining as a person, so who cares if he makes easy money off of me through youtube? (hopefully you earn a decent amount... The FAQ's, "will it chug," Coffee with Ola, etc videos are all good watches.)


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## Spaced Out Ace

ArtDecade said:


> They have English accents in common.


Sooo... I take that as a yes? #BoycottVictory!

(#Sarcasm)


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## spudmunkey

TedintheShed said:


> Is Chapman Guitars associated with Victory amps?



I don't know if they are actually connected, but Rob has (had?) a signature Victory amp.


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## Promit

Ola Englund said:


> Dude I’m not speaking for everyone that you mentioned, BUT I can speak for myself. If you ever met me in person, I’m more like the current YouTube version of me than The previous one back in the day. Back 7 years ago I was shy as hell about talking on camera, now after 1000 videos I can pretty much say that I’m almost 100% comfortable while making videos. Don’t over analyze things And put words in our mouths. There isn’t a secret “scheme” behind all the people you mention.


I was talking about this the other day actually - I remember that first "tutorial" video you did where you actually used the robo-voice rather than record yourself speaking. Things have come such a long way!


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## Promit

As for Rob Chapman - I don't care, nobody should care, the accusations against him are boring inconsequential rambling. It doesn't matter if they're true because they're stupid things to be upset about in the first place. He is a dude, making videos, watch them or don't.


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## DickyTripleD

Promit said:


> I was talking about this the other day actually - I remember that first "tutorial" video you did where you actually used the robo-voice rather than record yourself speaking. Things have come such a long way!


My favourite was the Dar videos he did in Jocke Skog's studio, where he was only speaking Svenska and it was sped up for most of it.


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## Merrekof

dr_game0ver said:


> Or if you are a girl, just jiggle your boobs to the camera with a smile. Worked for Hanna Minx...


So yeah, I checked that out. She's obnoxious, and I can stand Stevie T.


----------



## Wuuthrad

OMG, it's like so Crazy how far gone these modern guitar players have gotten! 

Especially compared to the days of trashed hotel rooms, managers forcing people to lick their boots at gunpoint, and Mud Sharks!


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## Velokki

The one thing that bothers me the most is Rob's response video. I'm not an expert of psychology, but with my experience of a couple of thousand sales meetings where I always look for cues on people's faces and behavior, I can tell that he's lying. His expressions, eyes traveling everywhere and the insecure, defensive smile make it all too real.

Damn. I liked chappers' blindfold challenges, and probably will continue to. But he really seems to be an insincere guy with an ego problem. A bit like boogie2988 (a bit, not a lot).


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## Flappydoodle

Ola Englund said:


> Dude I’m not speaking for everyone that you mentioned, BUT I can speak for myself. If you ever met me in person, I’m more like the current YouTube version of me than The previous one back in the day. Back 7 years ago I was shy as hell about talking on camera, now after 1000 videos I can pretty much say that I’m almost 100% comfortable while making videos. Don’t over analyze things And put words in our mouths. There isn’t a secret “scheme” behind all the people you mention.



Now you're more like a caricature of yourself. Obviously in the last 18 months or so you've made a very big push to put out content more frequently and grow your channel. Going back a couple of years it's pretty clear that your on-camera personality has become more exaggerated and contains far more gimmicks. And obviously there is the "low effort" FAQ videos, reaction videos etc. I'm not accusing you of some "secret scheme", and I'm not hating on you for trying to make money, but it's very clear that it's how the game is played. Everybody knows the YouTube requirements, and it's very very difficult to have your type of channel with 1-2 high quality videos per month. 

I really commend you for launching Solar guitars too, which really tick a lot of boxes, are far more attractive/desirable and better value than Chapman (just to somewhat bring it back to the thread topic, lol). I think that's a wise move and hopefully you'll be less reliant on YouTube, because I think that's a sinking ship.


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## Flappydoodle

TedintheShed said:


> Is Chapman Guitars associated with Victory amps?



He has/had a signature amp with them. Lee Anderton and Chappers are definitely friends with the guy from Victory. They pretty much introduced those amps to the masses through Andertons. And Rabea did all of the Kemper profiling for Victory too. So my guess is that the companies aren't the same, but they are certainly financially related to each other in some ways - at least through endorsements.



Señor Voorhees said:


> It's not like you don't do other stuff, too, which is definitely worth mentioning. (Between youtube, Solar guitars, and any music you may be working on as example.) I always find it weird when people get bagged on for doing "easy" content. Like, what the fuck are you supposed to do? Something difficult that isn't fun? Part of what makes youtube worthwhile is that you can do the things you like, within some degree of reason... For some, that's playing minecraft, and for others it's FAQ's and Reaction videos... Then there are those who DO treat it like "legitimate" production and make HUGE projects that take months to create.
> 
> Even the "easy" content isn't so easy. You can have good music/skills but have a dull as dishwater personality and you're suddenly not worth watching. People don't watch boring people play video games or play guitar.
> 
> I find Ola entertaining as a person, so who cares if he makes easy money off of me through youtube? (hopefully you earn a decent amount... The FAQ's, "will it chug," Coffee with Ola, etc videos are all good watches.)



To be clear, I'm not shitting on creators for making those sorts of video. It's YouTube's fault because they want to make it into TV basically, with regular episodes and set times and even different series (will it chug, FAQ number 67, etc), and more and more minutes spent watching. It isn't about clicks any more. It's about minutes and retention. And it's very, very difficult to have a successful channel putting out only a few high quality videos. Even if you're a useful resource, if your uploads are sporadic, the algorithm will punish you because it doesn't help YouTube to have lots of videos on a useful 1 minute video when some guy can upload 5x 10 minute videos per week.


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## Ola Englund

Flappydoodle said:


> Now you're more like a caricature of yourself. Obviously in the last 18 months or so you've made a very big push to put out content more frequently and grow your channel. Going back a couple of years it's pretty clear that your on-camera personality has become more exaggerated and contains far more gimmicks. And obviously there is the "low effort" FAQ videos, reaction videos etc. I'm not accusing you of some "secret scheme", and I'm not hating on you for trying to make money, but it's very clear that it's how the game is played. Everybody knows the YouTube requirements, and it's very very difficult to have your type of channel with 1-2 high quality videos per month.
> 
> I really commend you for launching Solar guitars too, which really tick a lot of boxes, are far more attractive/desirable and better value than Chapman (just to somewhat bring it back to the thread topic, lol). I think that's a wise move and hopefully you'll be less reliant on YouTube, because I think that's a sinking ship.



You should ask my wife and my kids about how I am in person lol before calling me a caricature  however watching my OLD videos is basically like watching a nervous caricature of myself. Being exposed to a lot of views is not easy and it took a long time for me to get comfortable with letting people see who I am. 

I’m not going to try and defend my type of videos but I think we have different opinion about what is low effort videos or not. An FAQ for me is about 6-8 hours of constant work from filming to editing and uploading , without pause. It’s one workday per week for those. I wouldn’t say they are low effort at all, at least I don’t feel like it. Then reaction videos, I’ve made a total of 4 of them so far and those four where in the past 2 months. They have been a small percentage of my overall videos which still are and surround topics around gear.

I do try to make things more efficient for me when it comes to Youtube because I’m still also writing music for all my bands, some touring and also a fuck ton of Solar Guitars. Like you said having all eggs in one basket is definitely not the way to go and Solar Guitars has given me more freedom with everything else I do so I personally feel that I today deliver better content on Youtube because it’s not the only source of income. But then again I’m only talking for myself, I most definitely believe that there are people out there who does not agree with the way I’m running my channel but for me it’s working great right now. Thanks for the kind words


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## Ola Englund

However now when I think of it, I guess all my videos are reaction videos, Will it Chug, Rig of the week etc... RIP


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## DickyTripleD

Ola Englund said:


> However now when I think of it, I guess all my videos are reaction videos, Will it Chug, Rig of the week etc... RIP


Come on now, everyone knows you only make easy content... Like flying to the west coast of the US from Europe, or spending your own money to get an office and then furnishing and decorating it yourself.

I will admit I'm guilty of enjoying the one video you did that I think was actually easy... The Zuul.


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## Merrekof

Ola Englund said:


> However now when I think of it, I guess all my videos are reaction videos, Will it Chug, Rig of the week etc... RIP


The first video of you I ever saw was an amp comparison video. Like 10 metal amps back to back. They were entertaining and there's huge difference between now and then. Those first videos were just about guitars and gear. Barely or no interaction with the viewers wereas now you are more like "yes dear viewer, I'm talking to you"

Then you have Stevie T. I like his videos too, on another level though. But I have the feeling he is not gonna last very long. I think he is losing inspiration. This is inevitable for YT'ers I think.


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## Ola Englund

Merrekof said:


> The first video of you I ever saw was an amp comparison video. Like 10 metal amps back to back. They were entertaining and there's huge difference between now and then. Those first videos were just about guitars and gear. Barely or no interaction with the viewers wereas now you are more like "yes dear viewer, I'm talking to you"
> 
> Then you have Stevie T. I like his videos too, on another level though. But I have the feeling he is not gonna last very long. I think he is losing inspiration. This is inevitable for YT'ers I think.



Well I made a decision to start talking because I can actually provide more knowledge that way. I can’t say if my channel would be bigger if I was making the demos as I did back In the day. But now we’re here and I’m happy with what I’m doing, which I guess is what matters the most to me.


----------



## Velokki

Ola Englund said:


> Well I made a decision to start talking because I can actually provide more knowledge that way. I can’t say if my channel would be bigger if I was making the demos as I did back In the day. But now we’re here and I’m happy with what I’m doing, which I guess is what matters the most to me.



I do love your videos, but due to hurries, I can never keep up =D Too much offering.

One special video I remember from back in the day was the Vetta 2. You must've sweat like a pig.


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## Spaced Out Ace

That Vetta 2 actually sounds nice. Why does Line 6 make garbage like the Spider 5 or whatever it is instead of stuff like this, or at least in addition to stuff like this.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Merrekof said:


> Then you have Stevie T. I like his videos too, on another level though. But I have the feeling he is not gonna last very long. I think he is losing inspiration. This is inevitable for YT'ers I think.



Kinda happens when you base your entire career on memes. 



Spaced Out Ace said:


> That Vetta 2 actually sounds nice. Why does Line 6 make garbage like the Spider 5 or whatever it is instead of stuff like this, or at least in addition to stuff like this.



Am I gonna have to get a V2 Ninja AND a Vetta II now?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Kinda happens when you base your entire career on memes.
> 
> 
> 
> Am I gonna have to get a V2 Ninja AND a Vetta II now?


AND the 8100 pre.


----------



## _MonSTeR_

Spaced Out Ace said:


> That Vetta 2 actually sounds nice. Why does Line 6 make garbage like the Spider 5 or whatever it is instead of stuff like this, or at least in addition to stuff like this.



I actually like my Line6 Spider 5 mk2! It’s no helix, but it’s so easy to use, sounds fine and is fun to play with all the different toys in there. I also like I can control it from my iPad or my phone


----------



## mlp187

Me too. I was in the market prepared to spend thousands until I tried the V 240 combo. The presets are mostly garbage but holy shit can you customize it. There are some incredible tones to be had.


----------



## MatiasTolkki

c7spheres said:


> Uh, WTF?  I've only seen the Andertons videos of gear demos. This is really unfortunate to hear. They seem like nice guys on the demos. I don't see what motivates people to do these types of things. That sucks.



They used to be on chappers channel, then they decided to move them all over to the andertons page, leaving Rob with a lack of quality content on his channel.


----------



## MatiasTolkki

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Uh, right. I've never heard that from anyone, ever. George Lynch? Yeah, I could believe that, though I've heard he's been either really cool, or kind of standoffish/dickish. But Paul? Eh, yeah... no.



george lynch is a douche if you mention the name Don, then he loses his shit and tries to kill your family... or so i heard.


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## MatiasTolkki

Spaced Out Ace said:


> "The king of Internet sleaze." Hyyyyypeerrrrbolleeeee. Lol. Dude, there are lots of people on YouTube that are sleazier than this ballpark frank imbecile.



Black hitler for one?


----------



## MatiasTolkki

couverdure said:


> Before we get started on this video, I'd like to talk about today's sponsor:
> 
> *RAID: SHADOW LEGENDS*
> 
> (I had to urge to bring this meme to this discussion)



It's your boy! Raid Shadow Legends! (had to insert that count dankula reference)


----------



## MatiasTolkki

ArtDecade said:


> I miss her. And them.



a weeb who doesnt know the first thing about japan? Yeah, she can be gone, like a thot.


----------

