Product: Ed Roman EB-1
Price Paid: US $1800.00 used
Submitted
08/11/2005
at
05:49am
by
winslow leach
Features
:
7
Year unknown? Does have the somewhat gawdy Roman script on body. Headless 24 fret composite neck w/Axis style body,Steinberger R-Trem,2 seymore duncan so-called black backs,2pc solid korina back topped off with a fairly nice quilt top. Oh and a gig bag.I bought this used for $1800.00 the original owner said he paid $2800.00 apparently He then I was misled into thinking it had a Transtrem instead of a $89 R-trem. My fault for not looking at pictures more carefully.With the R-trem and some other issues it is most definetly not worth even $1800.00.
Sound
:
9
It has all the ingredients to sound good. A carbon fiber/wood neck,Limba body/maple cap,seymores,if the finish is laquer it looks awfully thick and nice,more like a poly type.When I pulled this out of the shipping box and put my horror of the R-trem aside,I prayed to God to at least sound good,and my prayer was answered,it does.It sounds very close to my Axis but with sweeter overtones.I've heard things about these P/U but these sound good.Ground hum is minimum.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
4
Good things:properly bookmatched,excellent clearcoat,Neck straight no fret buzz and is solid(again,I heard things)neck shape is comfy. Bad things:Neck heel is a slight wedge shape like a Steinbergers,the neck pocket routing is not.This makes for the worst neck/body joint I have ever seen.The trem cavity is routed for a Transtrem or S-trem not for the R series.Fret tang slots cut to deep and or not filled. I have seen a few high end axes w/2pc bodies but still believe its bad form.The neck join really kills this rating,even for a $200 axe.
Reliability/Durability
:
8
Overall the thing is screwed,glued and finished okay but so are import guitars today.although I paid $1800.00us I consider it a gig anywhere mid level guitar.To be fair my very nice Axis is also.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Guess what? I've heard things.But fair is my middle name and I won't comment till I've dealt with them. Who knows? maybe their great...
Overall Rating
:
5
I've been playing a long time and still take chances. I dont know if Ed sold the guitar under the ruse of it having a Transtrem or if the nice fellow I bought it from switched it. Ultimately its my fault. Compared to a $800 US Steiny w/graph neck,R-trem,Duncans,Mahogany body it dont look good,but add in a unique axis body style,limba wood and nice quilt top is it worth $1000? some builder charge $400 for a quilt top.If it had a Trans or S-trem I could see $1800.00 but with that F**king heel joint (their fault)I'm taking 5 points.
