Baker Ed Roman B1

Bought new this year from a guy who'd shipped about 15 of them over from Ed Roman. He couldn't sell them and I got this for a song. All the features have been mentioned in other reviews and I love it. I have changed the pick ups and put in 2 SD Pearly Gates ( brand new form California for ??50.00 the pair inc. postage)and changed the controls around so that the Volume is nearest the top and the Tones underneath which I find suits me best I also replaced the knobs with some gold and pearloid ones and they are easy to use with my pinky.
I agree that this nowhere near the quality of a Greg Baker original but neither is the price and for what I paid I can't fault it.

With The Pearly Gates fitted it has great attack and sustain as well as being able to hit all those pinched harmonics pretty much anywhere on the neck. The coil taps work well enough and give a fair range of sound variation. I have always loved the sounds from strats but I've never got on with them so this is a great compramise. -

I had to ajust the truss rod slightly when I got it but that was all and it now plays as well as any guitar i've ever owned.
The overall finish is excellent apart from the neck joint which is only visible when the front pick up is removed.The finish is Amber Quiltaand looks stunning.

I have used it live without any problems and it stays in tune well.
Like all of my guitars I always fit strap locks as I've had one or two slips in he past.

No Need yet.

I,ve been playing for 38 years both pro and semi pro and I've played pretty much all styles although Rhythm & Blues is my first love.
I have been using a 1988 Gibson 335 Dot for the last 18 years but as anyone who uses one will agree they are very heavy and have given my back some stick over the years so a lighter guitar was called for.
If I lost it I would definately look for another but I don'tknow if I'd get as good a deal again.

Standard Baker B1 Plus is great. Nice finish, action, no string buzz however, Ed offers many upgrades. I selected the Blackbacks and sustainer upgrade. When I received it the sustainer was not functioning correctly. It would just die out. The routing to install the sustainer components were too close to the edge. The push/pull pots had been take out too. Jason had said that you still get the push/pulls. Beware of the bait and switch on the options. You also have to pay in full for them to start but, the site says custom is a 1/3 down.

Sounds good except the sustainer is not functioning and the main reason I ordered it was for the sustainer options. Did not get both push/pulls either.

Action good, fit good, finish is good except for the routing for the sustainer electronics.

Bought it for the sustainer so it is a total loss. I have other stoptail guitars so I did not need another.

Well I did get to send it back the same day I received it but, they did not fix the sustainer. After waiting over 6 weeks and customer service saying they were waiting on a new sustainer, it still did not work. I checked the wiring diagram and it does not match the diagram. I called again and was told by Stephan that they were bought out last of 2006 begining of 2007 so that the people there were not really Ed Roman employees. Yes it was their address and website but, everyone except a few were let go. They say that they have no record of the sell but, I have Ed Roman receips and it was Ed Roman that charged my credit card. The site says that the manufacturer warrants the products they sell and the Baker is made by ED ROMAN but, they will not warrant the guitar. Guess I will start writing letters in prep for BBB. Probably won't help though.

I've been playing for 25 years and this is one of over 15 guitars. Definitely the worst purchase ever. Buyer beware. If you search the Ed Roman web site they mention no warranty except if you purchase an Extended warranty. Add this purchase to the list of horror stories of buying from ED ROMAN. Let him Rant all he wants.

Finish is excellent, guitar seems well built with a straight and fast neck. Tuneomatic bridge, coil tap which on mine is fair as my baker is equipped with Dimarzio in the neck, and virtual PAF in the bridge position. Volume and tone nobs could be nicer ( a little cheap feeling), but the rest of the guitar is first rate. 2005 from calling Ed Roman guitars, body of guitar from Korea, but still a first rate guitar. I never thought Id say this about Korean built guitars, but this one plays better than most les paul customs or middle of the road prs Ive played!

Again, mine is a custom configuration w very warm sounding dimarzio in the neck. Virtual PAF cuts well , and both pickups are very responsive. Well suited to my blues style, and screams through my Soldano Hr100 plus through 2X12, and 4X12 eminence cabs.

Super action low and fast. One of the nicest necks Ive played. Finish is first rate, beutiful flame maple top w mahogany body, but light enough to play all night! Guitar set up perfectly!

So far so good. Planning on playing this one alot!!!

Very helpful rep at Ed Roman Guitars. Spent about 20 minutes with me on the phone and was courteous and informative. Also first rate!!!

Ive been playing for 36 years and play a variety of styles from blues to prog rock and elsewhere, and though Ive always played USA guitars I now own 3 Korean built instruments. My Baker and 2 Brian Moores (i2.13, i1f) and all are as nice as any guitar Ive owned. I also have a Fender Clapton Strat from the early 90s equipped with lace sensors that I adore and a Godin Artisan ST. This Baker holds its own with any Les Paul Custom (newer models) and middle of the road PRS Ive Played. Would definately replace if lost or stolen. I would like to play an original Gene Baker for comparison, however Im completely happy with this Baker!!!

These Guitars are like a monet good from far but at closer inspection I can't explain how dissapointed I was when I played one.The ones I played had stop tail,coil taps ebony fretboard.If Ed really wants to make good he should charge somewhere in the area of 500.00 for these.There all made in KOREA the new ones any way.H/H seemed the popular set up on most of the ones I saw,all the ones I saw were B-1 mahogany with maple very thin maple top.

I researched these for the longest time and read reveiws.Went to vegas ED romans guitars to find that these p.o.s. are made in Korea Ed will argue the value issue but he's selling them so what else would you expect.sounded like crap.I plugged into a fender and marshall.They th p.us are SD but nothing to indicate that, that i recall.Coil taps? every one likes to claim that they sound like a fender and or a gibson but few are successful in that task.

They compare these to PRS so what if PRS doesn't have ebony fret board Michelle Kelly makes a better product for 499.00.I own a PRS single cut trem with coil taps hands down these are a 1 on a scale
of 1 to 10 for comparison.This baker felt like a bad attempt at making a bad guitar let alone a good one.Beleive it or not I flew fron denver to vegas to buy one of these,goog thing there's more to do in vegas.Everything about these are cheese trust me check out dean or M,Kelly you won't feel like your being bent over.

Well alot of musicians have gigged with worse if you put some dough into upgrades it could be nice rig.But why waste your money check other avenues for sales.Could I rely on it Yes with some personal mods sure don't beleive the hype because thats all it is.These are manufactured in korea assembled here.Don't have a opinion on strap locks.If these were less exspensive I don't think I would be so critical.These would be fine to gig with,finish seems fine you sure a variety to choose from.If I owned one I make sure it was reliable.

I been playing for atleast 20 years.I own Prs single trem.Have owned somewhere in the realm of 12 various gibsons,fenders,and others.If stolen as long as it was insured I'd consider it a successful theft,no I would not replace it.Ed hypes the hell out of these he even talks about buying american and hates the big corps.Eds ripping us off just like the big guys.

AAAA Top
Ebony Fibgerboard (Never have I seen a PRS with ebony!)
Grover Tuners
Duncan Pickups
Push Pull Pots for phase and coil tap
Killer Action (Plays like butter!)
Light!
Sounds great through Hughes Kettner, Tech 21, And Marshall Amps!

This guitar works well for Rock, Blues, Funk. Those are the styles I play. Big Fat sound, but can thin it up with the coil tap.

Look, for $1000 your not going to get a hand made luthier guitar, but the fu@ker plays great, looks great, and feels great!

Sure its a production made guitar, but so is PRS, Gibson and so many others you may not know of!

The quality of this guitar is beyond exceptional. I have read some of the other reviews, and believe me, I have been playing guitar for over 20 years, and own some boutique and high end gear, and this is a quality instrument.

I know a guy who bought a Les Paul Standard, the wood, the feel and the sound could not compare!

As far as Ed Roman goes, I have been a customer for over 5 years now.
Ed can come off hard edged sometimes, but I will tell you this.....He knows guitars! And he would not put out a piece of crap! Would that be a smart business move?

I would totally reccomend you trying a Baker B1 by Ed Roman!

If your ever in NY and want to try mine, just spit me an email!

You can also try my quicksilvers!

Stays in tune, SOunds great, Feels Great, Looks Great!
What more do you want?

I have had no problems with this guitar.

But I did have a problem with my Quicksilver at first, and Ed and his team were right there.

Ed has some of the nicest guitars you will ever see!

Sam ash and Guitar are freakin romper room compared to whats at Ed's store!

This guitar is great! Its $1000, so don't expect the world! But,

You get a lot of value for your money! I like it better then most Gibson Les Pauls I have played! I welcome anyone in NY area to come to my studio and try it! Bring your les Paul or PRS and compare it!

This guitar is a work horse, great for giging!

I think maybe the problem is some people don't like Ed. Weird cause all my experiences with Ed have always been positive. He has done everything he has promised for me, He has spent countless amount of time on the phone with me, educating me about guitars, etc etc etc.

I don't think Ed's the type of guy that will take anyones sh@t (nor at his stage should he have to), but I am sure if you had a problem and spoke to him respectfully, he would do the right thing! He always has for me.

Bottom line is the Baker B1 is a great guitar for the money!

If you want to step it up a bit, buy a quicksilver. It will blow away any PRS you have ever played!

Gonna make this pretty quick, read above reviews for detail. All standard hardware on this guitar is junk. Can be upgraded prior to purchase but for a rediculous markup ($250 for a buzz feiten system, an extra $200 for duncans... WTF??) Also, I hate gold hardware on PRS style electrics... have to pay 140 to downgrade to chrome... Oh yeah, this damn thing is made in korea (i think)

Sounds like a korean made guitar (shalow, almost plastic like, cheap wood) Lack of balance.

Had to modify the setup upon arival, bad craftsmanship, especially w/ the frets

Would never gig w/ this guitar

If this guitar broke, I wouldnt even care to get it fixed

I have been playing guitar for over 10 years, I currently own a Taylor 914c, Martin 000c 16 rgte, Lakewood M-32, Gibson LP standard, Greco LP custom, ESP KH-2 (Japan), and 1992 PRS CE 24. I've had the rare oportunity to play a REAL Gene Baker. It's an entirely different entity. As far as Roman's Bakers go, for a $1000 + guitar it plays like absolute sh*t... comparible to the $150 p.o.s. guitars they sell at walmart (maybe not THAT bad) Ed Roman is a piece of shit for what he had done to Baker guitars. I will probably punch him in the face if I ever see him in person (jk....sorta). If you want a good guitar for a cheap price, check out the japanese manufactures like greco, tokai, and burny.

Looks to be a 2005 model that was made in Asia (NOT USA). It has 24 Frets (a nice touch). It also has a very nice looking quilted maple top. With a stylish carve. 2 volume 2 tone with push pull coil taping pots. Mine had stock pickups, and passive electronics. Mulit-piece mahogany body and two piece mahogany neck. Nice finish in a double cutaway style. Tune-o-matic bridge. Grover tuners. Rosewood fretboard with crown inlays, and came with a hard case.

I changed the pickups to Seymour Duncan's and added a Tone - Pros bridge which seemed to bring the guitar around. If you like good sound than this setup is highly recommended. I ran it through both a TS-9 and into a Marshall and then a Fender amp. Compared it again to a Les Paul Studio running the same effects (TS-9), and the sound was superior to the LP (especially if you like a good distorted crunch sound), My wife agreed that the sound was better than the comparably priced LP. But it is in NO WAY equal to a real USA made Baker; however it is only a fraction (1/4) of the price of a real Baker. So keep this in mind when considering a purchase.

The guitar came set up fairly nice for a sub $1000 guitar. The pup height was correct, and the top was perfectly matched. Overall for a foreign made model the workmanship was top notch. Also I noticed that the pup cavities had been sprayed with a coating to reduce noise. (Another nice extra). The block covers/holders to the pups were not well matched at all to the body. It looked as though they had just been screwed on.

It seems to be a pretty nice guitar for the money. Light weight. Although the cost savings have come at a price, and that usually translates into cheaper hardware (switches, plugs, nut, and bridge) But then Ed Roman is not claiming it to be some $4000 guitar for $1000. He is just saying that it is a good low cost guitar. I think that the hardware would have to be changed out to get any decent reliability out of it. One nice thing is that the guitar does have Grover tuners.

Called on the phone and the support was slightly above average, but then I didn't buy the guitar from Ed Roman directly. The sales person did answer all my questions once I was finally routed to the right person.

Been playing forever and a day. I've owned (or currently own) PRS, Gibson, Fender, and a REAL Baker B1 made in the USA. I seriously do not think that I would rush out and purchase another one if something happened to it, but then again I typically don't buy guitars that are down in this price range. I just picked it up because I read Ed Roman's hype on his web page, and I thought I would check it out. I want to make it perfectly clear that this is NOT a Baker B1 that cost thousands more. It is a good low priced guitar that will most likely satisfy the owner. Ed Roman never claims that this is some super guitar at a discount price. You have to read his page carefully!!! But overall I can see the market he is targeting, and I think that he has done a good job at it. The guitar has a real fancy top, is light weight, and can be easily modified to get a better sound out of it. For the price it is a good guitar

I purchaced a Baker B-1 from Ed Roman and it is NOT as HE said.
After receiveing I noticed something was not quite right.
It is CLEARLY!!!!! NOT!!!! MADE IN USA!!!!!
I have done some investigating and a few things I found are as follows which contradict the specs they show on Eds site.



They claim its a 25" scale which its actually a 24.625"
They claim it has a 7" deep set neck tenon, it has the standard Baker neck tenon which stops in the neck pickup route.
They claim it has Tone Pros, which it doesnt Tone Pros doesnt make non-locking hardware. The brand name under the bridge is SIC which probably means Samick and the saddles are very sloppy so you can feel them wobble rocking side to side just bending a string or picking.
Cheap nut with no lubrication properties such as the original Baker Delrin material as well as square and badly shaped
Tuners dont line up at all
No strap locks
Thick Polyester finish (yuk) in heavy gobs around any area where two pieces of wood meet such as neck joint, with plenty of glue stains in the raw wood that are clearly visible through the finish
Made in Korea Samick and not Japan as claimed
Korean pickups not Black back Seymours
Cheap truss rod design which allows the truss cover to flop around
Resin inlays not real shell materials
They claim quarter sawn lumber, this one has a badly skew sawn neck which leads to easy twisting (grain runs at a 45 degree angle), although the body on this one is quarter sawn which makes little difference to the body in terms of strength where it isnt needed

They claim solid carved maple top, its a veneered top about 3/16ths thick
Worst neck shape I ever felt, reeks of a bad shred neck wide flat and square not a good shred neck
Pickup rings are heavily bent over the top and not properly fit so the rings have major gaps between the top and bottom side of ring
Cheap foreign 5/16ths shaft pots and cheap toggle switch
Scarfed in 2 piece headstock and a 2 piece neck heel
Plenty of paint build up on the upper fret ends with lots of scratches visible, not the sign of quality fretwork
2 piece body with seem about 2" from the bass side of the body not on center
For a transparent finish there are large dings in the raw wood that were painted over and are very visible with heavy cross grain direction buffing marks
Cheap hard shell case that has no functioning neck support, a good whack in travel and the headstock would snap since the headstock rests on the case instead of floating for proper protection, plus the guitar swims in the case freely with no form fit body support to keep it held in place
Cheesy Luan Mahogany neck and body not a quality wood at all
I highly doubt with all the details they skimped on that they would include 18" graphite reinforcement rods which only a band saw would reveal the truth
They claim the Buzz Feiten retrofit needs to be done after an instrument settles, bullshit!!! Why does Anderson, Suhr, original Baker and many others come factory with the Buzz Feiten system already built in? I smell BS, also they are charging $250 for this option which all Bakers came stock with and they are charging almost double what Buzz Feiten has setup as the industry standard fee that any company can charge for this feature which is @ $135 and not $250
One of the only details they got right was the shape of the logo although it was placed incorrectly and not lined up where it was traditionally placed.
And last they destroyed many of the fine details that were signature to the original Baker design lines such as the truss cover, bull nosed headstock, tweaked body shape, natural flow of the carve top, inlays bastardized, lack of quality workmanship and much much more.

In summary what I gather is if your going to have imports made, have them made correctly since the labor is so cheap in Korea anyhow. How much more could many of these simple details cost in comparison to what they are currently making? If you compa

This is a post to clarify what a REAL Baker is. Baker guitars were built in the US . the Ed Roman "Bakers" are Korean I believe. Thhe "new" ones are VERY cheap imitation of the original. I suggest that a new category be made for Gene Baker built Baker's and the "new" Ed Roman imports with the Baker name on them. robben ford plays a Gene Baker guitar as do I. the diffeence is weight, hardware, and attention to detail. The real Gene Baker guitars had Tone Pros on them and great SD pickups. The new ones are very light and have very little sustain. The frets are not made as well and the entire guitar is a different animal. You can orgder a Custon shop Baker from Ed Roman that might be close to the original ut I have my doubts. Gene was a master builder for Fender's Custom Shop and Gibson's before starting Baker guitars. He had to sell the business, logo , shape , design everything, Just because it says Baker on the headstock does not make it a real Baker. I think this should be cleared up on this forum As I have reviewed the Baker B-1 I own I wont do so again. Just fair warning that an Ed roman Baker is not a Gene Baker .....Baker. Watch out out there and if you can get an original Gene Baker gitar buy it you'll love it. Matches any boutique guitar ono the market and sounds and plays better than 98% of the upper elite guitars. Don't be fooled by a headstock that reads Baker USA. If it's a Roman guitar it surely isn't a USA guitar. Only Gene Baker's deserve the rep and the hard rarned respect of the Baker name...so buyer beware

See above

Gene Gaker made 10 new ones 5

Original Bakers 10 newer ones 4-5

Gene will still help ya out with a Gene made guitar don't know what Ed Roman's customer support is like.

See above
Some retailwers have "Real" Gene Baker's like Wild west guitars and every now and then one pops up on E-bay. Be careful as the new "Baker's" are being priced like the originals. The new ones are light like 6 lbs. you know when you pick up a real Gene Baker it's a mutha and sounds like a mutha. Beast electric I have ever played and I have played em all. This is my #1 guitar above a 68 ES335 custom and my PRS's/...... it is the pinnicale of electric guitars to me and it makes me sad that copies are being made an sold cheap. You get waht you pay for. Also Roman claims his tops are AAAAA+ Gene gave you a certificate of authenticity with each guitar made and most had amazing AAAA tops. Watch out for all copies being sold cheap and then jacked up to meet the real Baker prices. If you want a Baker buy a eal "GENE BAKER " made BAKER!

2004, Made in Japan or Korea though I was led to believe it was a USA made BAKER. 24 frets, 2 SD Black back humbuckers, PRS Body shape, cheap tuners and hardwear though I was told it would be tone pros. Nice looking finish for what it is, (a $500-$700 guitar, not $1500) maple top matching headstock, but noticeably cheap production like Korean made Ibanes/Schecter/EXP/Cort not USA HAND Made like I was told.

Sound is on par with previously mentioned guitars. Pickups sound good in high gain and when used alone, sound is thin with clean or coil tapped. When A-B'd with PRS or McHaught, it sounds like doo-doo.

Action and playability are acceptable from factory, did not loke feel of neck, wide and very thin (personal preference) I like a wide fat neck, vintage strat/gibson. Finish is good for a guitar of half price I paid, but sub-standard for what I would expect from a USA made BAKER, which this is NOT.

Guitar feels light and hardware is cheap. Would recomend getting better hardware for a full time player.

I wanted to buy another PRS, but was told BAKERS are much, much better. I have heard good things about BAKER, like Robben Ford plays BAKER. I have a PRS so I thought, why not try a BAKER. Salesman told me it has a feel similar to a McCarty PRS. Far from true. SO! I tried to return the guitar and got the run-around. I was told my salesman was "OUT" and to call back. I call back and was told he was now "OUT SICK" I leasve a message for a manager to call back becuase he is also unvailable at this time. After several calls over a 7 day period I finally get a call back from Ed Roman himself who tells me the guitar is not returnable and would not give me a return number, and that if I ship it back, he will refuse it and I will be responsible for shipping cost both ways. Also, that he "TAPES" all his phone conversations. BUYER BEWARE!!!! when you deal with Ed Roman Guitars. I refuse payment with my Credit Card company and before they can put my claim through(less than a month) Ed Roman charges me off to a collections agency. NICE!? HUH!?

I have been playing for over 20 years. My gear consists of Black Face fender amps from '65 to '67, a Buddah Super Drive 30, a Dr Z Carman Gia combo. For guitars I have several Strats, 1 Tele, PRS McCarty, 2 McNaught Vintage 22's double cutaway, a 1920's Regal resonater wood body, Guild 12-string, and an electric reso. I have never expereienced anything like this with any music store or dealer in my life. I can assure you I will never buy or recomend buying from Ed Roman EVER!!!! If there is any one else that reads this and has had a similar experience, please feel free to contact me. Ed Roman Guitars has several complaints of filed against him with the Better Business Buraeu. All you need to file a class action lawsuit is 7 people. He uses false advertising to sucker in people like you and me.