“One of the most user-friendly instruments of its kind”: Chapman Law Maker Baritone review

There’s a lot to like about Chapman’s Law Maker Legacy Baritone guitar. The alder body, flame maple top and rosewood neck go well together to create a highly responsive instrument, with the balance of snap and warmth resulting in a remarkable amount of articulation. It also feels reliable and robust, holding its tuning no matter how adventurous you get with your picking and bends.

Much like the tonewoods, the Seymour Duncan pickups are a perfect match: the ceramic bar Little ’59 is a mini-sized humbucker that’s usually found in the bridge, but works well here in the neck, while the Alternative 8 is a high output trembucker that uses an Alnico 8 magnet for extra warmth.

The five-way blade switch is the trick to unlocking all the options here and, while the bridge pickup sounds a little sterile when plugged into a clean amp, it’s also what provides the firepower when fed into overdrive channels and distortion pedals.

If you’re hoping to emulate the gargantuan tones associated with down-tuned metal bands like Slipknot and At The Gates, this is the kind of guitar that won’t require much tweaking at all. And though that may very well be its USP, the Little ’59 packs plenty of dynamic range for less driven and cleaner exploits, so it’s a well-rounded guitar from a tonal standpoint.

Other noteworthy inclusions are the Hipshot Grip-Lock tuners and Chapman Hipshot-style bridge which both play a part in the reliability of the instrument, as well as Orange Drop capacitors and treble bleed for increased clarity at all volumes.

Baritones can feel bulky and challenging to play because of the longer scale length and higher string gauges, but the Law Maker Legacy is one of the most user-friendly instruments of its kind. It handles more like a regular guitar, which is a big plus in our eyes – guitar playing shouldn’t be laborious, after all. In terms of aesthetics, the T-style design is very appealing, complemented by the darker brown hues of its rosewood neck and reverse headstock.

The modern-leaning Ocean Moss Blue finish might not be for everyone, though baritone electrics with high output bridge pickups aren’t necessarily aimed at vintage players anyway.

Admittedly, it lives on the more expensive side of Chapman’s Indian-produced guitar price range, but we’re seeing a general uplift in this from brands across the board.

Stability becomes more of a concern at these lower depths – a perfect 4th down in this case, with our review model arriving tuned to B – and it proved to be well-engineered and dependable in that regard.

The Seymour Duncan pickups and tonewoods coalesce in perfect harmony, providing a wide range of sonic options that can easily cater to almost any kind of genre.

Specs

• PRICE: $1,349 / £1,099
• ORIGIN: India
• BODY: Alder with a flame maple top
• NECK: Rosewood
• SCALE: 28” / 711mm
• FINGERBOARD: Rosewood
• FRETS: 22
• PICKUPS: Seymour Duncan Little ’59 (neck), Seymour Duncan ALT8 Trembucker (bridge) 
• CONTROLS: Master Volume, Master Tone, Five-way blade switch
• HARDWARE: Hipshot Grip-Lock tuners, Chapman Hipshot Style bridge
• FINISH: Ocean Moss Blue Satin
• CONTACT: Chapman Guitars