Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro - Overview and Best Prices
- From Chapman's 2022 Pro series
- Made in South Korea
- 6 strings
- 25.5"'' scale
- 13.78" Fretboard Radius
- Perupok body
- Roasted Maple – Dark Colour neck
- Roasted Maple – Dark Colour fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Vintage P90 (Single Coil/Passive)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Chapman String Through hardtail bridge
- C Shape Neck-Through neck
- 23 Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
- Hipshot Grip-Lock Open (18:1 Gearing) tuners
- Side-By-Side Comparison
Show Specs
Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro | ||
---|---|---|
General | ||
Brand: | Chapman | |
Year: | 2022 | |
Configuration: | P90P90 | |
Strings: | 6 | |
Made in: | South Korea | |
Series: | Pro | |
Colors: | Blue, Green, Orange | |
Left-Handed Version: | No | |
Body | ||
Type: | Semi-Hollow | |
Body Material: | Perupok | |
Bridge: | Chapman String Through hardtail | |
Neck | ||
Neck Joint: | Neck-Through | |
Tuners: | Hipshot Grip-Lock Open (18:1 Gearing) | |
Fretboard: | Roasted Maple – Dark Colour | |
Neck Material: | Roasted Maple – Dark Colour | |
Decoration: | Glow-in-the-Dark Side Dots with Pearl Infinity | |
Scale Size: | 25.5" | |
Shape: | C Shape | |
Thickness: | 1st Fret: 0.905'' (23mm) - 12th Fret: 0.944'' (24mm) | |
Frets: | 23 Jumbo Stainless Steel | |
Fretboard Radius: | 13.78" | |
Nut: | Ivory Tusq | |
Nut Width: | 42mm (1.654'') | |
Electronics | ||
Bridge Pickups: | Seymour Duncan Vintage P90 (Single Coil / Passive) | |
Neck Pickup: | Seymour Duncan Vintage P90 (Single Coil / Passive) | |
Switch: | 3 | |
Knobs: | Dome | |
Volume Controls: | 1 | |
Tone Controls: | 1 | |
Hardware | ||
Strap Lock: | Yes | |
Hardware Color: | Chrome |
Our Scores and Tone Evaluation
- Heavy Metal
- Hard Rock
- Jazz
- Blues
- Funk
- Country
Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Locking Tuners
- Ivory Tusq Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Neck-Through Build
- Luminescent Inlay
- Strap Lock
- Made in South Korea
- No Expensive Woods
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
Price Overview
Its average competitor's price is $1290, which means that the Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro is around 22% cheaper than the competition. This takes into account all instruments of the same category in our database with 6 strings and Fixed bridge that are made in South Korea.
User Reviews & Feedback
Not all instruments are created equally. That's why it's important to have different opinions. Here's what our users who have played this instrument say. If you've played it before, help others by voting below!
Weight
VoteTuning stability
VoteNeck speed (thickness)
VoteNeck access to high frets
VoteNeck profile shape
VoteFret edges
VotePickups noise
VotePickups power
VoteOften Compared With
Hand Size Comfortability
After taking into account the neck profile, scale size, fretboard radius, and nut width, we can conclude that the Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro's construction favors people with relatively small hands.
Nevertheless, this comes down in the end to personal preference. Make sure you test this guitar—or another one with similar characteristics—before buying.
Beginner Friendliness
The Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, which means that it's a good guitar to start with as a complete beginner. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players to get used to.
New Player Friendliness
Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
Videos





Playability
Scale Length
Scale length is the distance the strings will span between the bridge and the nut. It can tell you a lot about the overall playability and tone of the instrument. A longer scale length means longer distance between frets, brighter tone and more string tension—which means lower action, but more difficult bending of the strings.
Here's the Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro's 25.5" scale length compared to other common sizes:

This is the same scale length used in Stratocaster guitars, and it's one of the main reasons they have such a bright sound. It's considered a long scale when compared to most non-baritone guitars.
Since the distance between bridge and nut is relatively long, you'll need to give the strings more tension to get them in tune. This higher tension will allow for a couple of things. First, you can get a lower action (get the strings closer to the fretboard) because the strings won't 'wiggle' too much when pluck and won't cause fret buzz. This can allow you to use lower tunings without increasing your string gauge, and it will make it easier to press down the strings fast.
However, the frets will also have a wider separation between each other, which can make it harder to play, especially if you got small hands. The higher tension will also make the strings feel stiffer, so bending will require more strength.
Neck Profile

The neck profile tells you the thickness (neck depth) and shape in cross section. Every difference will completely change the feeling and comfortability of the neck. This is a highly subjective thing, but most players indeed prefer certain types of necks (like Cs and Ds) because they feel nice in most hands.
The Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro's neck thickness is approximately 0.905'' (23mm) at the first fret, and 0.944'' (24mm) at the twelfth.
These measurements were taken either from the official Chapman website, or, in case this information wasn't provided, by researching multiple online marketplaces and forums where owners of this model have posted their measurements.
It has a C type neck. C-shaped necks like this have been the most popular for the last years. The reason is that they feel good in most hands. It's generally a thin neck that doesn't get in your way when playing fast, but that also has enough mass to give your hands a comfortable grip for chords if they aren't too big.
Thin necks like this make it easier to move your hand across the neck and it helps when playing fast solos, especially if you like to leave your thumb free while playing high on the fretboard. However, thinner necks are also weaker and will need adjustment more often than a thicker neck.
Fretboard Radius
When it comes to fingerboard radius, personal preference will dictate which one is better for you. However, most people seem to agree that a more curved (lower) radius will make it easier to play chords while a less curved (higher) radius is better for soloing and bending.
The Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro has a 13.78" fingerboard radius.
Here's an image comparing this fretboard radius to other popular choices:

This makes it more similar to Gibson guitars (12'') than Fender (9.5''). It's slightly flatter than most modern Gibson fretboards though, which makes it more comfortable for single notes, bendings and vibratos, but less comfortable for chords.
Compound radius fingerboards give the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, the Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro has the same radius across the board.
Playability compared to main competitors





Nut Width

The Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro has a nut width of 42mm (1.654''). This is considered a narrow width for a 6-string guitar. This means that this guitar will have a narrower string separation at the nut, which will affect your fretting hand.
If you are a player with big hands, you might find it difficult to play chords without muting strings. However, this is good for players who have smaller hands, as it will allow them to reach each string more easily at the nut.
Frets
The Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro has 23 frets. Even though 24 frets has become really popular, there's still a good reason to get fewer frets; the pickup at the neck position will be further away from the bridge. This makes the neck pickup achieve a warmer tone. You might want this if you're playing Jazz or similar genres.
However, if you don't care about the warmer neck pickup, more frets will always be better. It's always nice to have the option to play higher notes if you want to.
Finally, these are stainless steel frets. They're the best fretwire available. This means you won't need to change your frets since they should last as long as your guitar. Some people also feel easier bendings after swapping to stainless steel.
Fret Size

Finally, let's talk about fret size. Some people prefer tall frets because it's easier to press the strings and perform bends since there's less friction against the fretboard. On the other hand, some people like shorter frets because they like to touch the fretboard when playing, or because they got heavy hands and tend to press too much on the string and alter the of the note pitch accidently.
The Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro's frets are Jumbo size. This is a tall fret size that is becoming increasingly popular because it makes it easier to press down the strings cleanly. With this fret size, you won't feel the fretboard when playing, so if you press down too hard, you will get the notes out of pitch. However, this is something you can overcome by getting used to the taller size.
Playability Score
Tone
Wood will have little influence in the final tone of an electric guitar or bass. Instead, the hardware, especially the pickups, will be the most important thing to look at. Bur first, let's see the quality of the wood.
Wood


Perupok Body: It's not a common wood for guitars. It's native to Southeast Asia and it's more often used for interior finishes.
Roasted Maple Neck and Fretboard: Similar to simple Maple, but even stronger, darker, and more stable to temperature changes. This is thanks to the treatment process that consists in using high temperatures to drain the water, sugar, and resins from the wood.
Pickups
This guitar comes with pickups from one of the top brands: Seymour Duncan. So you can expect well built pickups with great sound that shouldn't need an upgrade anytime soon.
These are passive pickups, so you can expect a rounder sound and a moderade level of output.
The Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro's configuration is P90P90. P90s are single-coil pickups (even though they look like Humbuckers), and they have a very particularly gritty sound that's used today to achieve a ''vintage'' tone. They produce a warmer tone than the typical single-coil, but they're not quite as warm as Humbuckers, and the same thing could be said about their output.
Versatility
It comes with the popular 3-way switch that is present in most guitars. For more versatility, players tend to prefer a 5-way switch, although it all depends on what you want to use your guitar for.
Unfortunately, it doesn't come with more options for coil split or coil tapping. This makes it less versatile than some competitors.
What music genre is it good for?
As a 6 strings, Semi-Hollow guitar with P90P90 configuration and Passive pickups, we'd recommend it for genres like Country or similar. However, you can use almost any guitar for any genre. This is just the typical type of music for this particular one.
Sound Score
Build Quality
Country of Origin
Knowing where the instrument is produced is a good way to know how well it's built. Some manufacturing countries are known for having higher quality standards. For example, most expensive instruments are made in the US or Japan, but there are some exceptionally great countries—like South Korea—that are building a good reputation.
The Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro is made in South Korea. Guitars made here are well-built and tend to have good quality control, even though they focus on mass production. This used to be the most premium option just below Japan or the US, but other countries like Indonesia are becoming great competitors because of even cheaper labor without sacrificing quality.
Bridge
Chapman String Through hardtail: The advantage of fixed bridges is that they don't require any kind of set-up. This makes it extremely easy when changing strings because you don't need to adjust anything besides tuning the guitar. Also, the fact that the bridge is directly attached to the body will help to increase sustain. The disadvantage is the lack of versatility since you can't create the same vibrato effects as with tremolo bridges.
Tuners
The Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro comes with locking tuners, which helps with tuning stability and makes changing strings a lot faster and easier. As long as they're high quality, these are the best tuning machines you can have. The only disadvantage is that they are a bit heavier than normal tuners.
The tuners have a ratio of 18:1. This means you need 18 turns of the tuner knob to make the tuner post go around 1 complete revolution. The more turns it takes, the finer and more precise your tuning is going to be. An 18:1 ratio is what most instruments have nowadays. Some high-end ones come with a ratio of 21:1.
Nut Material
Another important thing to analyze is the nut material, as it's one of the most important aspects that can affect the sound and playability of your guitar. A well-cut nut will make sure it stays in tune and will make it more comfortable to play.
In this case, the Chapman ML3 Semi-Hollow Pro has a Ivory Tusq nut. This material is made to look, feel and sound like Ivory. It's made of organic polymers and doesn't contain oil or animal products. This is probably the highest quality nut you can get, so you can expect good tune stability and more clear tones when playing open strings. Most people seem to agree that it looks nicer than any plastic and even some bone nuts.
Neck Joint
The neck joint is the part where the neck of the guitar meets the body. There are three main techniques to attach both parts together: Set-In, Bolt-On and Neck-Through. The latter two provide different advantages, although neck-throughs are the most expensive.
This guitar has a Neck-Through neck joint. Many people believe a neck-through build delivers the best sustain because some of the vibrations from the neck aren't lost like with other neck joints. However, no one has been able to prove this. What we know is that a neck-through build is usually the most comfortable when playing the upper frets because there's nothing on your way at the neck-body joint.