Ed Roman

[j4vice]

LooK but Don't spend.

[lerxstcat]

I don't think I've ever read a positive post about the man.
So, it's the one pure thing in the universe.

I actually know a guy at the Reb Beach forum who bought one of his custom Quicksilver guitars and loves it, and Ed. I told him all the horror stories about Ed but he likes his $5,000 guitar, which is basically a PRS copy with a neck joint modded for better access. Despite the stories I told him and the suggestion to Google him, this guy says he likes him and would recommend him.

I guess that's how he stays in business, makes some people happy who recommend him. The guy on that board is a real cool guy, but he just didn't want to hear it about ER.

So there ya go; that's one....

[javert]

He also blew open the Fender/Poplar scam of the late 80's and into the 90's. No one else did that.

What was that about?

[horns666]

Fuck this fuggin' fuck!

Fuggums ..

[GWARGHOUL]

What was that about?

IRC, they were using poplar on the majority of the guitars marketed as alder.

This was especially noticeable on the 3 tone sunburst models, they covered traces of the veneer with a lot of black going well over the edges of the veneer.

[Bengal]

What was that about?

IRC, they were using poplar on the majority of the guitars marketed as alder.

This was especially noticeable on the 3 tone sunburst models, they covered traces of the veneer with a lot of black going well over the edges of the veneer.

Yep, that's about the sum of it. Fender started in the late 80's (87-88-89) to use Poplar instead of Alder on their painted models. On the transparent models they used a Poplar body with a very thin veneer of Alder over it. Both they advertised as being solid Alder. The dead giveaway is the back stomach cutaway. If it's blacked out all the way throught that cutaway, it's Poplar with an Alder veneer. If it's a solid color, it's Poplar, not Alder. That goes for all the American Standards in the 90's.

I bought one in 1996 that I thought was Alder. Fender said it was Alder. Then I saw Romans old site that had a shit ton of "info" on it. I read it for hours. Then I came across this issue and I emailed him about it. He responded to me because I signed my name to the email and said he had stripped one down and found it out.

Fender finally came out and said very quietly that they did this only because Alder was scarce in the 90's. I don't know if that's true or not but I still have a bad taste in my mouth about that. Fender re-vamped the American Standard line in the late 90's early 2000's and did away with the Poplar bodies and went back to Alder. But they still don't like to admit they did this.

Pretty shitty, if you ask me. So if any of you have a 90's American Standard and think it's Alder, think again.

[javert]

Wow, didn't know about this. I guess my '92/'93 black American Standard Strat is poplar then...

[Ben...]

As soon as I read the title and first post I knew that the JCF, as Yngwie would say, would "Unleash the Fury". I really don't like the sound of this dude, sounds kinda seedy to me.

[Bengal]

Wow, didn't know about this. I guess my '92/'93 black American Standard Strat is poplar then...

Sorry to tell you that but yep, your Strat is Poplar.

[GWARGHOUL]

Pretty shitty, if you ask me. So if any of you have a 90's American Standard and think it's Alder, think again.

1997 is when they started using real alder. I had a strat with a N8 serial # stolen from me, it was a solid color (beautiful aqua marine) it was alder, and was a 1998. Interestingly enough, when I removed the neck, it (the neck heel) was stamped with a early 90's date.... the neck sat in a warehouse for years before it was completed and mated with a new body and serialized... wtf lol?

[Bengal]

1997 is when they started using real alder. I had a strat with a N8 serial # stolen from me, it was a solid color (beautiful aqua marine) it was alder, and was a 1998. Interestingly enough, when I removed the neck, it (the neck heel) was stamped with a early 90's date.... the neck sat in a warehouse for years before it was completed and mated with a new body and serialized... wtf lol?

Hate to argue but I think it was more around 2000 when they competely revamped the line and added rolled fingerboard edges to the line. That's when they went to solid Alder again. I remember buying mine in 1996 and seeing 1997 and 1998's with the blacked out stomach cutaway.

[mjtripper]

I visited his store on a trip to vegas and there are some nice guitars in there, lots of jacksons when I was there. When I was playing a US Jackson the sales guy asked me to try one of thier models instead. I thought they played just ok, more like some of the schectors, deans, and various non-setup imports I've noodled around with at GC. Our GC doesn't carry anything good and I don't know the models of the ones I've played but they are all in the $500-800 range. There is no way I would pay the multi-thousands for any of the Ed Roman guitars I played as they weren't any where near the playability of the Jacksons and Carvins I tend to favor. The fit and finish was pretty bad also, actually some of the worst I've seen. It had runs in the finish, pinstripes with smudged edges, blotches, etc. I asked about it and they said that is the mark of a true hand made and finished guitar. Oh yeah, they were kind of rude as well. I won't be going back.

[horns666]

Sorry to tell you that but yep, your Strat is Poplar.

Really, I think my '95 USA "Floyd Rose Classic" is Ash..its very heavy..like a swamp ash.

[Jacksons Shred]

I've read so many negative things about this guy, how the hell is this schmuck still in business?

[Joe_Steeler]

I've read so many negative things about this guy, how the hell is this schmuck still in business?

A fool is born every minute.