Ed Roman Quicksilver

READ THIS REVIEW!!
This is a follow-up on a review I made several YEARS ago. I purchased my Quicksilver in 2004. First, I need to qualify myself to help you judge this review. I am an over 50 year old retired successful businessman who is strictly plays guitar as a hobby. I do not play professionally. This is exactly the type of person Ed Roman???s marketing targets for the high end guitars. I play my Quicksilver through a Soldano Decatone, a very nice high-end amp, and perfect for the Quicksilver. I don???t use any pedals or effects.

As for features, they are endless to a degree. Yes, Ed Roman vehemently pushes the Duncan Blackback pickups. To be honest, I don???t think I have the capability to tell the difference between these pickups, Dimarzio???s, EMG???s, PAF???s, or any other well made humbucker. My Quicksilver has a solid black Korina body (no binding, no quilted laminated top), ebony neck with the 1500 finish, gold hardware, locking tuners, and strings through the body at the tail. It is high-end elegant without being gaudy. I also chose the Buzz Feiten tuning system, which I found to be a necessity for Les Pauls. Visually, it is the most impressive guitar I have ever seen, even to this day. It is the visual appearance and custom options that drew me to Ed Roman Guitars. I specified the options with little real understanding of their overall contribution to the guitar???s sound and playability.

Here is where it gets interesting. Ed Roman touts the Quicksilver as ???the most versatile guitar???. It really is not. If you are looking for a guitar to outperform a Gibson Les Paul or SG, the Quicksilver will do it easily. The Quicksilver is considerably lighter and more comfortable to play than a Les Paul Custom (I used to own a Les Paul Custom). I have never played a PRS, but I think the Quicksilver will most likely perform as well as a PRS (it was modeled after the PRS).
Recently, I purchased a Mexican Stratocaster off eBay. It has a humbucker at the bridge, a Seymour Duncan Hot Rail, I think. The two remaining pickups are the standard Fender single coils. I can get a wider variety of tones from the Stratocaster than from the Quicksilver. And the Stratocaster cost me $350. However, the Stratocaster can not do a dual humbucker sound that is characteristic of the Les Paul. Realize that even with pole-tapping to emulate single coil pickups, the Quicksilver can not sound like a Stratocaster. My knowledge of guitars is limited such that I really don???t understand why this is, but to my ear the Quicksilver can???t come close to the sound of a Stratocaster. And I have worked with both for several months every day.

This is also a mixed bag. Unlike several reviewers, I had absolutely no problems with frets falling off, being uneven, poor finish, etc. In fact, when received it (I drove to Vegas to pick it up), it was flawless. No problems with loose knobs, the nut and frets were perfect, and the finish (natural with Polyurethane) was flawless. It was, and still is, visually stunning.
Three years after my purchase I needed to have the frets dressed. I took the Quicksilver to a local luthier who had a Buzz Feiten license, so he could adjust my guitar. This is a very prominent luthier in the Southern California area. He greatly admired the quality of materials and construction of the Quicksilver, but he also remarked at the mediocre setup that was performed at Ed Roman Guitars. He dressed the frets and did a complete setup. The Quicksilver played 100% better after this new setup. The action was lower and the guitar stays in tune much better. Incidentally, to protect my investment in this guitar, I take it to the same luthier every year for a ???tune up???.

I have had my Quicksilver for almost five years now, and I play it almost every day. I take it to a local luthier once a year for a ???tune up???, and this keeps it in perfect shape. I have had absolutely no problems with it. Incidentally, this same luthier told me that as wood ages, it moves slightly. He recommended that I have the Quicksilver inspected and adjusted every year (probably overkill) until the wood stops aging. As of this writing, I have just completed the annual ???tune up???. He and I both noticed that as the Quicksilver ages, its tone is steadily improving. He remarked that it is ???waking up???. When new it had a somewhat sterile sound. Now, after 5 years, it is developing significantly noticeable harmonic character and sonic depth.

Here everyone complains about Ed Roman. I will grant you that he is quirky and eccentric. He is primarily a businessman, and above all he is interested in the bottom line. I had Ed???s luthiers adjust my Rickenbacker (360-12), and they did a superior job (setup and fret dressing). This begs the question why was the setup on the Quicksilver sub par? Also, it did take some work to get a build sheet and bill of sale for the Quicksilver from Ed. And the price paid was a few hundred dollars more than the quoted cost. But the quality (except for the setup) was excellent. I rate this as NO OPINION because I did not have to deal with Ed Roman Guitars after I picked up the guitar. I specifically chose a local luthier to dress the frets and do a re-setup because there are many excellent luthiers in Southern California and convenience is an issue. Incidentally, when I picked up the guitar in Las Vegas, my wife and I spent about an hour with Ed. I found him to be friendly and easy to deal with. I even went so far as to have photographs taken of him with (and signing) my guitar. He was always very cordial and never rude.

As I can see from previous reviews, many bought from Ed roman for the same reason I did ??? expectation of a flawless unsurpassable guitar that would be the final guitar purchase. I have spent the last 5 years trying to fall in love with my Quicksilver, and I am disappointed that it hasn???t quite happened yet. However, as the guitar ages, the wood ???sets???, it ???wakes up???, and its sonic character emerges, I am increasingly favorable towards it. And it is a very comfortable guitar to play. However, there is no guitar that will do everything. Comparing the Quicksilver with the Gibson Les Paul Custom (which I sold) really emphasizes the superior quality of the Quicksilver. And I can see that the build quality of the Stratocaster is inferior to the Quicksilver. But both of these guitars (Les Paul & Stratocaster, purchased used) together were less that half the cost of the Quicksilver.

My advice is that purchasing from Ed Roman has its drawbacks and positives. Yes, you can have a custom built guitar with nearly endless possibilities. But you had better know what you want going in, and you should be prepared for delays (mine was promised in 4 months and finished in 9). If you are not a famous music personality, Ed???s financial bottom line is foremost in his mind. You should have an excellent understanding of the different sonic capabilities of a wide variety of guitars, and above all, visit Ed Roman Guitars and play one first to get of feel for playability and sound. Do your own research. And be aware that the sonic character of new wood, even exotics like Korina, can noticeably improve with age. Yes, Ed Roman is extremely knowledgeable about electric guitars. But only you know what feels good in your hands and what sounds good to your ears.

2003 Ed Roman Quicksilver electric guitar.

This is a custom-built solidbody electric guitar designed to be similar to a Paul Reed Smith (PRS) CE24. It is number 232 out of all Quicksilvers ever made.

* Seymour Duncan Black/Back pickups
* Maple neck with 1500 G Neck Mod
* Rosewood Fretboard
* AAAAA Quilt Maple Top
* Electric Blue-to-Black burst finish
* Pearlcaster Tremolo
* Schaller strap locks
* Hardshell case included

Unlike most Quicksilver guitars, the pickups are NOT mounted to the body; they are suspended from pickup rings. This allows you to adjust the pickup height to suit your tastes, something that isn't possible on most Quicksilvers.

I play many different types of music and my guitar playing accounts for about 30% of my income - with the rest coming from production and programming work.

When I am playing for myself I play r&b or fingerstyle. I have played on some albums/tours that have done pretty well over the last few years and own many guitars.

Before I continue, I would like to invite anyone who would like to know more about this guitar to email me for photos and any questions.

Ed's shop (which I am not a part of) gets some crazy reviews here which are simply not true. If you would like to speak with someone about this guitar please feel free to get in touch.

I am using a few Fenders (Vibrolux, 50s Deluxe, Tremolux, etc...), Soldano (Reerb-O-Sonic), older Vox AC-30 and a Matchless.

Don't use many effects, but my pedal board has a Maxon Comp and OD-808, Ibanez Analog Delay and Fulltone '70 and SupaTrem.

I bought the Quicksilver on ebay. It was listed with a $600.00 BIN which included shipping and a G&G case.

The Quicksilver guitars are hand built and are very expensive. The resale value is pretty low due to it being a lesser known brand. I advise people on a budget to look used where these are usually $1000 - $1500.

I have a PRS (Pre Factory Custom 24 with 10 top and Birds) and it sat under the bed after I first played a Quicksilver. PRS makes great looking and playing guitars - that sound like wet cardboard.

The Ed Roman model is just a complex and rich sounding instrument that produces unique (but familiar) timbres. Because of the switching and coil splitting it can do glassy Stratocaster like parts and also scream like a great Les Paul.

Years ago I worked in a store that had an old BC Rich from the very early 80s - not one of the imports. The Roman is very reminisant of that guitar yet it has it's own persoanality.

The only two things I am not crazy about are the color (I bought this guitar used) and the 1500G Neck Mod - more on this later.

The guitar did not come from Ed Roman's World Class Guitars, but it was setup well and played in tune up and down the neck.

The interesting thing about #232 is that the pickups can be adjusted. Unlike most Quicksilver guitars, the pickups are not hard mounted. They are mounted like traditional humbuckers.

This is the best top and matching I have ever seen. If Gibson were to match a top like this it would be $50,000.00.

The guitar (again, I bought it used) had a little ding on the butt, down by the straplock.

This guitar feels substantial. I do not mean that it is heavy. What I mean is something a little less tangible and something that I have a really hard time explaining to people who buy the cheap imports.

The switches feel like they're top notch. The finish looks and feels like something someone sprayed and buffed by hand, the neck is 'just right' as far as shape and the frets are dressed great.

I would never go to a gig with one guitar, but if I had two of these I would be all set.

I bought this guitar used, but sent an email to Ed Roman's World Class Guitars with regard to a couple things.

The main thing I wanted was to see if I could get the 1500G neck mod reversed so the finish could be more like my Custom Shop Fender guitars.

I got an email back the same day with a phone number to call. When I called I got a friendly, helpful and really cool conversation about this guitar and about what the Vegas shop does.

The price quoted for the work I want to have done was very, very good and if I do not bond with the 1500G after a few more weeks #232 will be off to LV.

I have been playing guitar for about 20 years. Most of my other guitars are older Fender and Gibson as well as a PRS and some Gretsch electrics.

Had I ordered this guitar I would have gone with a les fancy looking top and maybe a more traditional burst color (this is blueburst) and I probably would have gone for a hard tail.

If this were stolen I would take the insurance money, call Ed and have him make me another one.

I love the fact that it's a handmade American guitar built by a shop that doesn't bend to trends, pay for advertising or kiss people's asses to get them to play their stuff.

I bought this because it was a great deal. I still like my Gibsons (sorry Ed and Co.!) but I would say that it is better then any PRS I have ever played.

I wish it were signed by Ed Roman. I also wish it had those cool light-up inlays. Maybe he'll sign it if I send it back for the work -not sure if he does that.

The main thing I would like to share is that people should be weary of the reviews here. After owning this guitar and playing other Ed Roman guitars it's pretty clear that there is a lot of BS out there about the guy and his work.

I have never met Ed, I only know him through his craftsmanship - and it's top notch.

For all the people here that paid $3000+ for a guitar made out of Home Depot Pine, etc... I call shenanigans. It's simply not true.

Look at the EdRoman.com website with an open mind. Read the tech articles, read the comparisons and try to find one of the guitars to play. If you're close to me get in touch and you can even try mine.

Email the folks with the bad ones and see what they send you back. I can guarantee these folks never owned a real Roman.

I give an 8 here because they are not cheap and the resale value is kind of low (so look for used ones!). All in all, it's a 20 next to a PRS - but if you decide to sell it the PRS will get you more back.

Oh, and to ManTurds (who goes by the name with Spuds in it on YouTube) I will not "fudge pics" for you.

Another reviewer said this dingleberry contacted him about trying to get some pics doctored to discredit Ed and he has also contacted me - and left bad comments on all my YouTube stuff - even the unrelated to Ed stuff - the guy is a loser who bought a kit and couldn't figure out how to put it together.

If you would like pictures or any other info, feel free to contact me - an actual Ed Roman Quicksilover Owner - who will answer all your questions without any internet BS.

My email is senor_sparkles at yahoo dot com and I am in Massachusetts.

Features... For what Quicksilver's cost even on Ebay--way too expensive considering what the features are? A push-pull wow! Do yourself a favor and buy an Ibanez Gio instead.

Like Seymour Duncan Black Backs would sound in an Ibanez Gio.

A Ed Roman Quicksilver is the type of guitar you get set-up and two weeks later the buzz is back and strings are still breaking like crazy. Seriously! Just to be fair the paint job is awesome, but so are fake tits till you feel them.

Reliability? Durability? Ed Roman's guitars are as reliable and durable as he is, do you really think a Quicksilver is worth it? Next time one is on Ebay write down the make and features, then compare it to his price brand new, Ed Roman Quicksilver's sale around 30-40% of what he sells them for? Do yourself a favor and at least buy a guitar you wont regretting buying and selling! You can tell a lot about a guitar based on resale value, especially an Ed Roman Quicksilver.

Customer support? Really? Go local to get to homebase, go to GC/Sam Ash and other online dealers to at least get a kiss on the cheek and go to Ed Romans guitars to get ****** up the *** with no homebase, no kiss on the cheek...nope nothings but an angry old ginger guy making your guitar. Watch the SouthPark Episode on Ginger Children. It is a great autobiography of Ed Roman.

Seriously watch the Ginger Children Episode of SouthPark after you have to sell your Quicksilver on Ebay because you have a lemon $4,400 guitar that sells for $1800.00 used???

As an acoustic builder of 30+ years I have a certain appreciation for well built instruments. The Quicksilver ranks among the best I've seen. I ordered an ash body with a cocobolo top and ebony fretboard. The rest of the hardware, tuners, pickups, bridge and tailpiece are common among the Quicksilver line. The finish was flawless and the setup was as tight as one could expect. The only addition I would recommend would be pickup rings as a final cosmetic touch, but that is a minor point.

My primary playing styles are blues and rock so the split coil humbuckers were a good fit. I use an old Fender reverb amp and the sound is "killer". WHile the split coils may not be for everyone they certainly deliver all the range I need.

I really have not had to do anything to this guitar. As a builder I almost expect to have to tweak the action a bit but that has not been the case. The bookmatch is dead-on. A caveat however for those considering a cocobolo top - it is a VERY dense heavy wood. It is not something you would want to have hanging on your shoulder for a 3 hour gig!

This guitar is almost impossible to knock out of tune. The Sperzel tuners are a must, they simply don't let go. My Quicksilver outshines the other two guitars that I take with me on gigs by miles ( no names mentioned here but suffice it to say they are WAY more popular).

I've read some of the reviews of folks complaining about the customer support at Ed Roman's. Maybe it's professional courtesy but both Ed and Stephan have been absolute gentlemen. One thing I can attest to as a builder, it is quite annoying to have someone who knows very little about how guitars are made but acts as though they know more thsn you do. Custom building guitars is a tedious, exacting job. It is not an assembly line task. Many complaints are about action. Most gutars are setup for the "average" player. If you're the next Stevie Ray Vaughn you're going to need a custom setup. A little tip: you're better off taking your guitar to a local luthier than to send it back to the manufacturer for a custom setup.

I've been playing for 43 years and I have played more guitars than I can remember. The only downside to the Quicksilver is that it is not an inexpensive guitar. The bottom line is that if you want a top of the line guitar you are going to pay a high price. It doesn't matter if the guitar comes from Ed Roman or Gibson or Fender or PRS or whomever. I would venture to suggest that a guitar from any one of the above mentioned custom shops would be as expensive if not more so than Ed Roman's shop.

24 fret,ebony fretboard,lightning bolt inlays,s/d p/ups,push/pull pots,sperzel locking tuners.
i did have to pay extra for case and shipping.

i like the sound of the s/duncans...very "crunchy!"
a little disappointed with the push/pull sound...tends to sound scratchy.
i'm using a fender vibroking, and a fender cybertwin....so i can mostly compensate where i feel guitar is lacking.

the finish was great, p/ups okay.

one complaint is that the plastic cover covering the electronics on the back is missing.

one is supposedly on the way to me.

it also appears that the case that was sent to me is used, oh well.

will have to wait and see.

this is where i've really become frustrated!
first off ed seemed very annoyed to even talk to me. i tried to get some answers by email, but they were never answered.
when i called ed and let him know the cover was missing, he seemed quite annoyed at ME, and said that one of his salespersons could have handled my request! i did talk to joanne, i believe his wife, and she tried to charge me for the missing cover, AND the shipping to my house!

also, when at first, before i purchased this guitar, i tried to negotiate the case price and shipping (i prefer fedex over any other shipper)i was told they ONLY use ups. take it or leave it. the same with the price of the case, which seemed a little out of line, $275.00.
and he also tried to tell me that interior damage to my case was either ups' fault or mine! i gave up on this issue.

i don't think i'll ever buy a guitar sight unseen, in person, again.

he does have a great website, but i think his business practices could use a little "fine tuning."


i also don't believe i would send the guitar back to vegas for servicing, i'd rather have it done locally where i still have some control.

Roman Quicksilver Flatliner, USA Made Custom Shop Electric Guitar, Korina Body, Birds Eye Maple Top, 2 Piece Maple Neck, Ebony Fingerboard, Lighting Bolt Inlays, Ebony Headstock Overlay, 25" Scale, 24 Nickel Silver Medium Jumbo Frets, Seymour Duncan P-90 Pickups, Sperzel Locking Tuners, 1 Volume 1 Tone 3-Way Switch

Case also purchased

Amazing. Like a PRS but if everything wrong with a PRS was fixed.

I tried to get a PRS but I couldn't get ebony, couldn't get Korina, couldn't get a guitar without a huge heel on the neck and couldn't choose pickups or inlays.

Plus, I my friend had a PRS Custom 24 10 top and it sounded like a poor copy of the QS. Kind of what a Mexican Strat looks like next to a Custom Shop Fender. Of course if I wanted a S-Type I would get a Pearlcaster.

0y one dislike is I wanted a green burst but didn't want to wait for a buildup so I got cherry

Took it out of the case and it was in tune and ready to go. Everything was perfect. Also got a letter explaining all the features and a thank you note from Ed.

Amazing.

I wouldn't use anything without a backup.

I think anyone with 1/2 a brain can tell who the people here are that have actually purchased guitars from Ed.

The HC Forum folks hate him because they are mostly bandwagon jumpers who love Agile and $300.00 guitars and spend hours discussing pickups ad tone instead of playing.

Facts are facts and Ed would not be the success he is if anything they say about him was true.

To the people claiming these are built out of Home Depot pine I say look at the pics (mine is still on the sale page) or go to NAMM or the Vegas store.

Ed is hated because he speaks truth and poor people get jealous or someone buys a PRS and doesn't want to believe there is better.

Ed is first a businessman. He is not your pal and you should deal accordingly. This is my 2nd guitar from him recently and I'm very satisfied.

Also, the kid with the Caligula kit posting videos contacted me for pics of my guitar (Maximus) and asked me to fudge some pics for him to discredit Ed. This is what goes on online.

Ed Roman is The King.

Roman Maximus, Custom Shop Fender and 1970's Gibson Les Paul.

Marshall JCM-800, Marshall Plexi Super Lead, Soldano SLO-100, Engl and Metaltronix,

ADA MP-1, Digitech Twin Tube and GSP-21, Eventide H-3000, Palmer Speaker Simulator, Bradshaw switching system, etc...

dont know alot about the guitar as i should from spending days on his site reading every thing twice..i will get to that later.. sperzel locking tuners / custom paint 2000 something?? build date. seymore duncan blackback pickups bolt inlays.special neck? other stuff? supposed to be loaded..no tools or t shirt , stickers , picks or any bonus. had to buy case.

guitar sounds great feels good nice neck looks good. gets alot of sounds / push pull taps. play on a peavey wiggy and line 6 head with marshall stack. pedals. i play rock. got a good deal on it cause they had it so long and i guess no one liked the paint job in person .i bought it online with just apicture to look at till it came then i got the let down..

action was good / pickups good / knob fell off when first pulled from case?/ paint job not as good as i thought. for this kind of money the knobs input jack and screws should be solid gold not cheap junk..tuners were top of the line.

seems solid . would gig with a backup . finish seems like it is not so hot. have to be carefull .. strap buttons for the money should have been top of the line ??

dealt with them before buying not after..promised me a build sheet ? wood type all the specs / day of build / luithers name/ every bit of info i could get/ made him promise before i bought.. never got anything but a letter saying it was one of a kind. pretty sorry. had to pay shipping and buy a case or pay more to ship.. pretty sorry.. was all excited the most expensive guitar i had ever bought.. got it in mail , opened it up , looked at the custom paint job , just paused and looked was not impressed.. picked it up and knob fell off in floor..sorry set up . i had to wait for an extra day to get it because they said they never send out a guitar before it goes through a serious set up and inspection..yeah right i think they just did not do much at all. the nut was lose on the input jack that i noticed was a cheapo .. a few other minor little things that should not have been let go..i figure i got screwed in a way for the money you spend the case and shipping and setup should be done right and free!! also you should get what they promised like my build sheet. he told me the body was swamp ash but how can i know scrape off the custom paint to find out? year of build have no idea?all that info i feel raped on. for his custom guitars he should hire one guy to handle the process from start to finish so word of mouth wont kill you later. sad really sad.., a free tee shirt stickers picks and a thank you call and letter should be insisted opon..

been trying to play for years, have been a guitar trader for years . thought i could fall in love with this guitar and sell some of my large collection of gibsons fenders and deans . dont know now?// feel raped and confused. if it were stole i might get abeat up one off ebay thats it.it beats most 1000 $ guitars but for the money it should have came with top of the line everything..hell i got to keep it cause if someone ask me what kind of wood year built all the normall stuff , what the hell am i gonna say uh call ed and good luck now give me 2 grand so i can at least get some of my money back.. 7 rating overall cause it is a pretty good guitar..

First of all, I would like to say to anyone reading these reviews and considering the purchase of a QuickSilver ??? Please take the bad reviews here with a grain of salt. Ed Roman is a very controversial person and clearly not well liked in the industry. But just because he rants on and on (and is many times critical of others in the industry) that does not mean he is not correct about many of the topics upon which he opines and that his guitars are not superior in make.

My QuickSilver Story

About 2 ?? years ago, I made the huge mistake of walking into a music store and playing a really nice PRS through a Mesa Boogie amp. From that moment on, I was hooked and determined that one day I would own a PRS, and, like many of you I???m sure, became obsessed in my search for tone. I began researching PRS guitars and constantly checking eBay for prices. My search for information led me to the Ed Roman web site where I probably read every article that he posted on the construction of guitars and his theories behind what produces great tone. Everything he wrote made a lot of sense, but what the hell did I know.
I was close to pulling the trigger a few times but decided that I still didn???t know enough. I even priced out a QuickSilver. They start out at $1,500. That didn???t seem too bad. The problem was, by the time you get all the fancy tonal woods and a nice looking top, you are easily over $3,000. I wasn???t ready for that.
Then one day as I was perusing eBay for PRS guitars and I saw a QuickSilver up for auction. I forget the starting price but it had a ???Buy It Now??? for $2,500. I priced it out on the Quicksilver pricing sheet and figured that it would cost over $4,000 (possibly as much as $5,000) to produce that guitar today. I decided to buy it.
The guitar has an absolutely gorgeous spalted maple top (amber), Korina (Black, I believe) back, and a rosewood neck. It came with LSR tuners. By the way, I saw that some posted critical comments about the finish. The only blemish on this guitar was my fault. I banged it really hard into the very sharp edge if a very solid desk. It barely left a mark and did not break through the lacquered finish. I owned a Carvin and one day barely tapped the guitar onto the edge of the case. It broke through the lacquer and the finish down to raw wood. One fifth the force produced five times the damage.
The QuickSilver guitar looked great and sounded great. The problem was that, if I set it up the way I liked it, there were some dead spots on the neck. The high D (22 fret on the E string) was totally dead. I thought that was sort of crappy and went back to playing my Strat. I was in a cover band and decided that I should have a tremolo bar on all of my guitars, so I decided I would go back to looking for the ???right??? PRS and that I would ultimately sell the Quicksilver.
I got a great price on eBay on a beautiful PRS and was happy. I still wasn???t totally happy with my tone but I determined that it must be the amp (Mesa Lonestar). (*NOTE * I sold the Mesa and got a ???57 Twin replica ??? amazing amp.) I was committed to selling the QuickSilver and decided that I would take it to band practice for its last hurrah. WELL, it turned out that it was the best our band ever sounded, and it was totally because of my guitar???s tone. Now what the hell was I going to do?
I decided that before I sell it I should see if a fret leveling job might not help. (I had never done this before.) I sent the guitar to Ed Roman and talked to Alan Dreher about what should be done. We replaced the LSR tuners, made a few small adjustments and leveled the frets. I NOW OWN THE PERFECT GUITAR. It is truly amazing. I own an old (circa 1965) Gibson SG that had the fastest neck I have ever played. My Quicksilver is now better. Tonally the PRS and QuickSilver are pretty close if you are on the neck pickup doing the Santana thing. Any other setting, whether splitting the c

I have owned a bunch of expensive guitars and this is, by far, the best sounding guitar that I have ever played.

The action wasn't great when I got it, but is now amazing.

As discussed above, Alan was great.

I cannot ever imagine getting rid of this guitar. If it were lost or stolen I would definitely replace it. I guess I should mention that I play mostly rock and blues. It would seem silly to me to use a guitar like this for metal, although I'm sure it could handle it.

I ordered my QS with a spalted maple top. Upon picking the instrument up, I thought that the finish looked like crap. The top was barely figured and just looked like raw pine with a few dark lines here and there. Warmoth has far better spalted maple finishes. I also didn't like the finish on the back of the instrument. It didn't seem as glossy as with other instruments, also like Ed had just gone to Home Depot and bought the cheapest stain on the shelf.

The Seymour Duncan pickups are not versatile and do not deliver the crunch that I wanted. The instrument sounds flat and banal, sort of like a Mexican strat without the hum. It's never delivered the Les Paul crunch that I like.

I ordered the locking tuners but found it had regular tuners when I picked it up. They claim that they priced me for regular tuners and that if I wanted the locking tuners, I'd have to pay more (after already dropping 3k!). Ridiculous.

The headstock and lightening bolt inlays look really cheesy. It doesn't have the classy, grown-up appearance of a PRS. I could never imagine someone playing this toy-like instrument in a former setting, such as with an orchestra. I would have asked to see a fretboard with the lightening bolts before ordering. My mistake.

As I already mentioned, it doesn't have the crunch of a Les Paul. There is nothing unique about the sound -- just a bland instrument with no color. The sound is what you would expect from a $400-600 instrument, not an alleged premier instrument. I record and gig often, and I find myself turning to my PRS and Carvin Carved Top when I really need a versatile instrument that excels in every way. I have demoted my QS to a practice instrument that stays at home and doesn't go to the studio because of its sound and doesn't go to gigs because of its ridiculous price.

As I said, the finish did not seem professional. The guitar was set up well and hasn't required any adjustments. I am disappointed with how the routing doesn't seem to be tight around the neck pickup. There's a small gap where you can see between the body and the side of the pickup.

I actually wouldn't mind if the finish would wear off so that I could get it refinished. If I were attached to the guitar (which I'm not), then I'd consider having a professional luthier (not one from Roman's shop) replace the cheesy fretboard and headstock and give the instrument a custom shop worn look. Judging by the poor routing job on the instrument, I have my doubts about its structural integrity.

I agree with most of the other posters that the guys at the shop are a-holes. They acted like it was my fault that the guitar didn't have the locking tuners that I specifically remember requesting. Everyone should force Roman to sign a contract specifying better customer service and warranty - although he probably wouldn't sign one if just one person approached him about it, he'd have to sign it (or go out of business) if everyone who purchased a QS insisted upon a written contract with explicit terms. You get much better CS from established, main brand instruments, and the personnel at those companies are much more pleasant to deal with. Need an example -- just look at the Carvin website and how liberal their return policy is -- if you don't like the instrument upon inspection, you just send it back with no questions asked and no a-holes telling you to your face that you didn't request some feature that's absent from the guitar.

This guitar is a ripoff and a downright fraud. I feel cheated and really disappointed in myself for paying so much for such a crappy instrument. Ed may think that the name brands like Fender are ripping poorly informed, beginning guitarists off by selling them an overpriced piece of **it, but he's doing the same thing to allegedly more savy, higher end customers. I'll probably give the guitar to my son as his beginning guitar once he's old enough to start strumming. To think that I paid $3k for what will be a beginner's guitar, I feel so stupid. Moral of the story is to the stick with the name brand makers with a proven track record.

I recently traveled to Las Vegas and spent some time examining the Ed Roman Quicksilver at Ed Roman Guitars. I had played a Quicksilver before, but I had not seen a large quantity of the instruments before and thus did not have an informed opinion about the quality of the instrument line. Here were my impressions.
First, I immediately was unimpressed with the cheap, ???homemade??? look of most of the instruments. The necks had a clear, waxy finish over unstained maple reminiscent of a cheap Ibanez. The headstocks also are neither ornate nor unique; the bland shape and black finish reminded me of a Hammer. The font of the ???Roman??? on the headstock and the lightening bolts on the fretboard both degraded the instrument and made it appear cheap and juvenile. While the painted finishes were adequate, the wood finishes (with the exception of the spalted maple) were amateur looking and fell far below the quality standards of Gibson, Paul Reed Smith, and Carvin.
Second, after brief examination of all Quicksilvers in stock, I noticed several inconsistencies among the instruments. With some of the instruments, it appeared that the pickups and necks did not fit as tightly as with the other instruments. If you go to see the Quicksilvers for yourself, then take a metric ruler that measures in mm so that you can measure the inconsistent gaps surrounding the pickups and necks.
Third, the instruments sounded far above average but still not on par with Paul Reed Smith, Gibson, or Carvin. The clean sound is bland, flat, and not ideal for nondistorted styles, like jazz and country. When distorted, the instrument lacked both the crisp, sneering sound of a Paul Reed Smith and the distinct crunch of a Les Paul.
In conclusion, I would say that the Quicksilver is a flawed, homemade instrument worthy of neither the price asked nor the constant comparisons to Paul Reed Smith. The consumer should known that PRS and Carvin Carved Top both are far superior instruments in sound, finish, and most important, consistency of production. For all of the flaws that PRS may have, Quicksilver has its own and more of them. While someone conceivably could make Quicksilver into a renowned, national brand by buying it and improving on such things as the inconsistencies, blandness, and juvenile appearance, the instrument will never be a major market force so long as it adheres to its current design under Ed Roman.

This is a early model #182, 3 pc. maple laminated bolt on neck, sweet purple/blue (thick) quilted maple top, blonde korina back, push/ pull knobs, black back pickups, locking Sperzel tuners, ebony 24 fret w/lighting bolt inlays, gold hardware and light as a feather!

This paticular guitar is very versitle with the tones I can achieve matched w/various amps, but mostly mesa's. It is capable of delivering anything that I can dish out, it can go from a cool chick'n pick'n tone to a Kataklysm grind without a problem, if your amp can handle it. I have read where people bash the blackback pickups but I really do like them and can cover alot of ground with them. There really isn't anything I dislike about it.

I bought this guitar used from ebay and the seller had it set up properly the way that I like w/10 thru 46 strings and the action was low but not too low, just enough too avoid any fret buzz.

I love the contrast of the purple /blue top w/the blonde back, beautiful. When I opened the case for the first time, the UPS guy was standing with me and both of our jaws dropped (gorgeous).

The craftsmanship of this instrument seems to be flawless- This is one well thought out axe.

This is my go to axe, I didn't pay so much where I'm very paranoid when playing (like my Jet) but at the same time I do take care when handling.
I could get through a gig without any backup guitar if I don't break a string.
The body finish seems to be a little weak, I don't know if it is a laquer finish or not but it seems to mark easy. The gold hardware seems to be holding up quite well compared to others where the gold finish seems to wear off in no time.

This guitar was purchased used from ebay, but I've dealt with Ed Roman in the past and he was okay, I bought a $4800 Jet from him without having any problems. I never had to deal with any warranty issuses though, this one is a tough call.

I have been playing since 1978 and have owned many fine guitars (I've accumulated quite a collection over the years) and I can say the Quicksilver is a top contender. This guitar compares closely to pre-95 PRS but it is much lighter and comfortable to play. Not to bash or discredit PRS in any way because they do make very nice guitars, but I just perfer the Quicksilver. If it were lost or stolen I would replace it if another good deal came about like this one.
Overall it is quite the looker and player and I will have to say again that the weight of this guitar is just awesome. This one's a keeper, I have read the dissatisfied reviews posted here and I don't get it because the Quicksilver I have is Top Notch.
All that said I guess the only way to know is to try one for yourself.
Good Job on this one Ed!

Purchased the Quicksilver basic mohagony body, 24 fret, 25" scale, black backs, push/pulls, locking tuners, tune-O-matic, tung oil finish. On paper, close to what I was looking for.

Single coil settings sound close to the strat and tel but honestly I have become disenchanted with this guitar and probably will not play it much before selling it.

Set Up-little to none that I could see. The high E string was tuned up on the saddle edge instead of in the saddle groove. The action was great for a slide guitarist. I like very low action. The Roman inlays in the head stock terrible, fret tang slots unfilled, tool dent in the body from adjusting the bridge, G string groove in the nut several thousandths low, nut width visually narrower than the neck with raw cuts visible on ends. Set up terrible.

I feel the durability is good enough and again I bought a plain guitar with no decorative features. Would liked to have the Roman logo omitted. I may just cover the "R"

Over the phone I got three promisies to check on what could be done to remedy my concerns with return calls. I flew back to Vegas with the guitar where they agreed to complete the fill in the headstock inlay, fill beneath the fret tangs, resand the neck and make a new nut. I could have done the same but had them do it out of principal. After I got the guitar back I was pleased the tasks had gotton completed even though the nut is still marginal. I do better work in my garage and am not a luthier.

My overall rating for the guitar as it sits after the trouble I went through getting it to an acceptable condition is low. I will never do business with Ed Roman Guitar guitar again nor will I recommend them in any way. I am a small business owner and would be out of business if I operated this way. I would rate the guitar at 7 but overall including my experince in buying a 3. I wish I had bought Les Paul. For those considering a purchase from ER-Go there and buy the one you like but don't do a custom build or sight unseen purchase unless you live in Vegas and can manage and oversee your own project.

this quicksilver wasmade in 2005, it has a mahagony body with a quilted maple top (one of the first for ed roman quicksilvers) standard hardware throughout, seymour duncan black back pickups, 24 fret model, coil taps, 3 way selector, locking tuners, and a hard tail bridge. this is pretty much a standard quicksilver except that it has an extra extra wide fat neck to suit my big mitts.
as far as features this guitar is ok. while it would be nice to have one guitar that could do everything i think i am learning to respect a guitar if it can do just one thing well. there are a lot of tonal options with the taps and i can get a number of sounds that are quite good but i would be hard pressed to say any of them are outstanding or even excellent, especially when you consider the price tag on this model.

like i said this guitar is good, but i have a hard time saying it is truly great, especially when you consider the price. the one thing that is a saving grace is that i play it through a bogner metropolis which pretty much makes anything sound as close to great as you can get. the guitar is a little muddy on the neck pickup and i find myself using the single coil a lot to try and get more definition on chords.
it won't "twang" out really hard but it is acceptable for some country/rock tunes, i think overall that a brighter sounding pickup would help this guitar out a lot.

here's where it gets a little interesting. i drove to las vegas specifically to check out the roman showroom and myth and played a number of guitars there. i played a number of prs, jaros, and jet guitars and this is the one i fell for, mainly becuase of the large neck carve. now this guitar is very well made, and i think a lot of the problem with the tone is due to the pickups but these guys really screwed up the set-up on this one. when i first played the guitar i noticed a number of problems.
first the strap holders were silver (all other hardware is gold) and they were not even screwed in. seriously, they had set about 1/4" of the screw into the body and the rest was dangling off the side like it was broken.
second there was an actual chip in the finish directly above the neck pickup, hard to belive on a brand new guitar that lists for about $5,000 but true. to be fair i pointed this out to the salesman who took it up with ed and i was offered a pretty decent discount because of it, but to me it seemed like thay just didn't care about the guitar in the first place. how do you put a brand new custom guitar that you manufactured on your showroom floor without a final check. the strap holders were super ghetto and the guy acted like he never noticed the ding in the finish, but again to be fair, when i pointed out the holders they replaced them with gold lockers at no extra charge, but my point is, its not really my job to be pointing this stuff out to them, i worry about people who order stuff sight unseen.
third the set-up. i have seen $200 ebay guitars that had a better set up than this one. when i was playing i mentioned to the saleman that the action was a little high and he responded that of course they would lower it and set it up however i wanted, the guitar played well but was not really where i like it. so i drive back home, wait 2 days to get the guitar in the mail, open it up and the action is actually higher than before! that got me going pretty good so i called ed roman to talk about it with him and he suggested just lowering the bridge. i told him it looked like a truss rod adjustment to me but he blew me off and told me to just adjust the bridge myself or send it back to get looked at. right!, like i'm gonna shell out another $75 to ship it both ways and then wait for them to get to it.
upshot is i took it to my local guy and spent $35 to have it set up. as soon as he took it out of the case he remarked on how much tension the neck had in it and wondered if i had tweaked it out myself, but no folks, thats how it came from the factory. the positive side is that i got the guitar back 3 days ago and its like a different instrument. the intonation is much much better than previous and the whole rig feels much better as a result of the adjustment.
this is the section of the review i am spending so much time on because it bewilders me as to how someone can promote and sell a guitar so hard, and at the end have no actual once over before the guitar hits the showrroom or is shipped off. the salesman kept telling me they had so many guitars it was hard to keep all of them in top shape, but come on, if you're showing a guitar for $5,000 it better look good especially if it is a new custom piece. it seems to me that they don't really care about the finished product, which really surprises me because i actually think this guitar is very well built and quite beautiful, but not quite there without some help.

this guitar seems very solid and well built. i trust it now that i had another luthier go through it and tweak everything for me once.

i don't know ed roman so i won't say anything about him. the poeple i dealt with were helpful and friendly even if they were a little preoccupied. i dealt with stephan and he answered all my questions and got me anything in the store i wanted to play. he was very helpful in replacing the strap holders and giving me a price break on the finish fault. when i called about the set-up and was pretty much blown-off i decided then and there that i am not going to rely on these people for anything,and besides they're a couple of states away.

i've been playing for 15 years and have owned or played a fair amount of gear. if this guitar were stolen or lost i would be sad, but i think i could do better for the money i spent. i am really interested to change the pickups because i do like it a lot more now that the set up is fixed and i think the guitar might rip with the right electronics in it. a nice guitar with good parts and craftsmanship, i just wonder about their motives and dedication. are they trying to produce a great instrument, or just an alternative to a prs? from the factory this is a good guitar but it seems to take a little extra work to make it great.

Features a body similar to a PRS made from black korina, 24 fret neck, quilted maple top, ebony fretboard, 2 Seymour Duncan humbuckers, and Les Paul style tune-o-matic bridge setup. Everthing is pretty straight foward, and the layout of the controls can't be more simple. Aesthetically, this is a very nice guitar with one exception, the lighting bold inlays is cheesy and the "Roman" logo on the headstock is awful, especially for a high end guitar. Otherwise, I would rate this catagory a 9.

I play mainly rock, fusion, and jazz. My main amp is a Mark Sampson era Matchless Chieftain head, with a 4X12" Marshall cab, loaded with Vintage 30 speakers, and an old 60s Fender twin. I also overdrive the amps with a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 pedal. I also run a few other effects such as delay and volume pedal. This guitar seems to fit well in that setup. I only own 3 other electric guitars ('56 Fender Closet Strat, Gibson ES-345, '58 Gibson LP reissue) and in my opinion, this one is actually the least versatile out of the 4 electrics that I own. In comparison to my one other solid body carve top, which is the LP, the LP sustains better and actually covers a wider variety of musical style. This Quicksilver does achieve the classic rock to metal sound (with the right setup).

For the price I paid, the fretwork was terrible, which cause the guitar to buzz. (The guitar still had the setup when I got it). The finish and the wood was very well done.

I bought this guitar used, but I can hardly call it used because the original owner was just not happy with his purchase. As a result, this guitar just sat in the case until he sold it to me for a lot less then what he paid. It seems like it will last a while as long as you take care of it, just like anything else.

It seems I've heard more negative remarks about Ed Roman's customer service then positive, so I consider myself lucky that I bought this guitar for a good price from the original owner (2 months after he received it). He dreaded his decision to buy this guitar it and just wanted to get rid of it. I never had to deal with Ed Roman or his sales staff.

The original owner paid well over $3000 for this guitar. Even for the money I paid, I didn't think this guitar was all that great. I can't see myself paying more then $1500 dollars for this guitar.

Body like a Paul Reed Smith. Sperzel locking tuners, which I do prefer. Neck feels just right,But, and a BIG BUTT, the frets on the high E side were cut a too much of and angle and the string slips off when playing. Appearance/cosmetically it looked great. Came with a lousy case but for a pricey guitar.

Pretty good and swallowed the BlackBack nonsense that ED and his Drones preached. Go with what you think is best for your style of music and not what Roman guitars say. I did notice that Ed used to slam a lot of pickup manufacturers out there, even Seymor Duncan, but now his website has been revised to speaking good about all the great manufacturers and sounds of their PUPs. Guess what, he's carrying their lines now... Seems like a total sellout to me.

Good for eventhing except the FRETS! I complained about it and just got grief from ED when I rerquested him on the phone.

Very nice, looks as good as the custom stuff from the big manufacturers like Fender, PRS, & Gibsons Custom Shops.

My Goodness, don't even waste your time on the phone unless you talk to JoAnn or Alan. My experience with everyone were total A-Holes for one reason or another. I think ED ROMAN got to be a big company from ripping off the little guys ... and the little guys had no money to sue him. I got him on the phone and basically insinuated that I was playing the guitar wrong! He was rude, his worker bees were worthless, and I wasted WAY TOO MUCH TIME TRYING TO GET THEIR DEFEATS RESOLVED! I also heard (after complaining to people at NAMM 2005) there were a lot of law suits against Ed in the past, and near the end of the suit, he'll get some High Price New York Legal Frim to make yah go broke.

Steer COMPLETELY away from this Guy and his company. I am sorry to bite on his fancy Website and Ed's BS throughout the webpages. (Pure Marketing BS)

No warranty, well compared to real guitar companies... I will waist no further time on my mistake spending money with World Class Ripoffs! Going to stick with a professional, established company.

Not sure about the year the Quicksilver was made. I assume it was made in the USA I do not beleive it unless I see it in front of my face many things are made in China and assembled in the USA. 24 fret Model. The top was absolutely perfect looked great!! 1 tone knob that was also a push pull to control the Seymour Duncan Humbuckers into humbucker or single coil. 1 volume push pull also but the volume push pull did not change the pickups it seemed to be a boost very slight? Double Humbucker/seymour duncans as stated above. Cocobolo Top, Black Koa back, Macassar Ebony neck- very neck heavy. Body style- similiar to a Paul Reed Smith. Sperzel locking tuners. Neck feels perfect just right I really liked the feel of the neck over everything, thats what got me. Although to be fair cosmetically it looked great. Came with case but for a spendy guitar like this he charged for it anyway, even though he said he did not but I did the math. The features are more than one can imagine. I base the rating off of the price paid 10 is the best 1 is the worst

I liked the sound of the guitar especially in the clean mode. I use a mesa single rectifier and I must admit that most guitars do not sound good with the mesa rectifier clean, the mesa tremoverb is a different story, but the rectifier model is not that good. But the Quicksilver still sounded great clean at least. Distorted is a different story though. I do not like the modern heavy tones that mesa provides I usually keep it in the raw mode with the gain all the way up I like a crunch to it but not hardcore distortion. Ed bases his Quicksilver model on Pre 95' Prs's that is why the Quicksilver bodies are so similiar so are the necks. The Quicksilver feels like a PRS standard neck. But Ed makes the mistake of talking PRS down and all those "yuppies" in his words that buy them. I like PRS and you cannot pass judgement on seasoned guitarist for the brand they use. Most beginners cannot afford a PRS or a Quicksilver for that matter, most of those who purchase these guitars are not yuppies or beginners they are seasoned musicians looking for their guitar fix. Also, Ed neglects that his main competition is PRS for the price and class of guitars that he offers, if one of these so called "yuppies" comes in to buy a Quicksilver he will sell it just like PRS would. Fortunately I am not a yuppie and rather an immense guitar collector to my standard and those musicians who I have surrounded myself with always have complimented me not on the brand of my guitars but the guitars themselves that I have purchased and owned. For those intrested in buying a guitar view a book by its content not its name (brand). I have played horrible Gibsons, Fenders, PRS's, Hamers, and yes Quicksilvers, even though they may have been made at the same time, same wood, same hardware guitars have personality too?? With that put to the side the Roman lacks the Clarity, Punch, and all around full tone that a PRS offers, but to Ed's benifit being compared to Prs should be a compliment not to Ed but those who work hard making his instruments....but as stated a Roman Quicksilver is better than a PRS solid body in clean mode through the same amp but definitely lacks the quality of a PRS in a distorted mode. A point that should be made clearly I own 10 very high end PRS's and some of their stock models, I have owned over 25 guitars many of the best models of top notch "name brand makers" and the Quicksilver is good (not worth the price but very good). With full honesty though a Quicksilver solid body in clean mode still cannot mess with with a PRS hollowbody or a Hamer artist, but take it for what it is worth. That is a hard comparison with a solid body guitar. The Quicksilver is Rich not full and bright not tinny.

The action was set in front of me so it was perfect I really like the neck and the feel which ultimately is a strong contributer to the neck. Pickups a little high but I like them that way so I noticed it. Awsome finish better than any guitar I have seen. The neck had a little step on it but no biggie. Action, fit, and finish were great cannot complain. Rating based off of price!

This is a hard one, but I can tell you all this. When I bought the guitar the neck was perfect, then over time a step on the neck was there. The hardware I am half/half the tunomatic bridge will last for sure but the tuners, hell no! But once again PRS tuners are not made to last either. I do not know if the finish will wear off I doubt it, it is dependable, you do have to tune it but very dependable. Rating based off of price.

I got sick and tired of hearing that I could not play an instrument unless I was serious and quite honestly I was a fool overall for purchasing an instrument from them for the service I received before and after I bought the guitar. PRS actual service department not their retailers are definitely one up on Roman. PRS's service is okay 5 out of 10 (PRS service that is). I drove a long distance to see these guitars and spent immense time on his website and what did I come to? I wondered around for a half and hour until finally someone came to help but they kept asking are you serious or not, drove me nuts! Ed prides himself on the idea that he is the little guy against a huge guitar industry that is only out for one thing $$$.....But counting the fact that when I visted the store, there were less than a half dozen people the service sucked. His salespeople may not be on commision but what is the difference between being on commmision and pressuring a consumer with the annoying question, "are you serious?" Made me want to say, " no I just drove 8 hours to look" this is a problem. What I should have asked them is, "if I play it do I have to buy it?" After I purchased the guitar, I called a couple months later and informed them that I had purchased a couple of items from them ($10,000.00 to be exact) that I needed to sell and I wanted some advice Ebay is not the way to always go trust me, I was on hold for a long amount of time; long distance that is; this ultimately is what turned me off of Quicksilvers forever. With all the preaching Ed does he sure does act like all the suits he complains about and all he obviously cares about is the $$$ (sale) I do not care if he was busy for the $$$ I spent I deserved some "consumer respect" and yes I did get some of that when I called PRS with some problems I had. Given I did not speak to the big wig PRS himself but his salespeople helped me with my problems Ed's did not and could not.I get better service at Guitar Center crying out loud. But they all could help when they realized I was a "serious" buyer hmmmm$$$$$ with all ed says about the big wigs he sure teaches his salespeople to be about the sale and the $$$$. So take it for what it is worth.

I have been playing for 11 years 7 of those years have been very serious. I am obsessed over guitar I love it all, I want it all. I still have not found the guitar that can satisfy "all" my guitar hungers. (period, I doubt I will) The Quicksilver was close, not as close as a PRS, but for the price I paid I would rather get a PRS. Ed says himself that PRS is by far the best guitar you can get at a local guitar store or GC (Guitar Center) but he neglects that it is not only better than the all the guitars at your local guitar store but the way a PRS comes stock is better than any custom guitar you can have made, even a Roman Quicksilver, especially for the price. My rating is based off of the price and to Eds benifit PRS is not much better, at least if you get a custom (private stock) from them it will cost you more than a Roman but it will definitely sound better, but same point remains I paid $4400 for the Roman and $7700 for a private stock honestly both guitars are not worth it for that price espcecially with what you can get stock. A PRS Custom 24 stock will cost around $2400 a great value over Quicksilver anyday and the PRS resell value smokes the Roman, you might like a guitar now and sell it later??I would give the private stock PRS a similar rating due to the price, but do not forget my Roman sold for $4400.00 you will only get maxxxxxx $1500 on ebay a PRS private stock costs $7700 you will get maxxxxxx $5000 do the math base your decision off of the quality and how much you want it.

Plenty of features. Two Black/Back Duncan p/ups, push/pull pots.

Haven't been able to fully test.

Beautiful Emerald Green quilt finish, with chrome hardware. Fret wires loose. Two actually fell out during shipment! Ordered, and paid for locking tuners, but received regular tuners.

Haven't been able to play guitar! Don't know if it's dependable or not. Not very confident at this point!

When I was buying the guitar, Ed was fine, very, I thought, knowledgable. I had to send the guitar back for repair to the fretwires and replace the tuners. I even had to pay for shipment! At this point, I sent the guitar back over three months ago, I can't even get Ed on the phone, and he won't answer my emails! I guess I'm going to have to dispute the charges with my credit card company! This is not the way to treat a return customer!

Tired of trying to get satisfaction. Ed's wife was no help at all, she claims ignorance of the whole situation!

Well, everyone who may be checking into Quicksilver's. I must say this being my second one its just amazing that Ed Roman acually keeps making these Guitars better. ed and his Head Techs have developed a new way to mount the pickups into the Cavity so the lines around the pickup are nice and straight. There aren't any more curves on the sides of the pickups to get at the mounting screws. I don't know where these guys learned how to build these Guitars but everyone of them are AMAZING GUITAR BUILDERS. That's all I can say in this catagory of my Review. Great Guitars with Tons of Options. Anyway you want it you'll surely get it. There's nothing else I can say. Fantatic job men. Keep on making them better.

The sound of this particular Quicksilver is a very Fat Beefy Sound which I like very much. The Bocote Top and Mahogany Back make the Guitar a little heavy but I like Heavy so its OK with me. The Bocote Top on this Quicksilver is absolutely Beautiful. I think it also has a lot to do with the sound. After having some conversations with Ed on this subject he tells me that its the Ebony Fret Board that may have to do with that Big Beefy Sound. And who am I to tell Ed where the sound is coming from. If anyone knows about this subject Ed does thats for sure. And it just so happens that ANY Guitar I buy from now on WILL have an Ebony Fret Board. It does make a very big difference in the Tone and Playing ability of the Guitar. Its very smooth and just makes playing the Guitar much easier. This Quicksilver sounds just GREAT. That's all I can say. A perfect 10 in this catagory.

The action on this Quicksilver turned out better then my first one. I made a very big mistake by not having the guys do a setup on the Guitar before taking it home. I was having problems in the higher registers getting sound out of it. But it was only because I didn't let the Techs set up the Guitar before I took it home. So it was my fault that I couldn't play in the higher registers. After one of the Techs Ed has set the Guitar up for me the action was lower then my first Quicksilver which I like and the sound is just increadable. The Top on this Guitar is Flawless. A perfect Bookmatched Top. Fret wires are all smooth and very nicely done. There is no buzzing anywhere on the Guitar. Every detail on this baby has been taken care of and carefully done right down to the Nut Cuts. The new way the Pickups are being installed is really a Huge Improvement. But there are some guys that like it the old way. I happen to really like the new way. Every piece of hardware and wood that was used on this Guitar is Perfect. The Finish is Beautiful and its my main Guitar at this time. It can't get any better then it is. After Ed had it Set Up for me it was completely like a different Guitar. Overall this Guitar is PERFECT.

This happens to be one Solid Guitar. I use my Spalted Maple Quicksilver for a backup now but haven't needed to use it yet. It sits in the stand and looks BEAUTIFUL though. I get compliments on Both of my Quicksilvers. They really draw lots of attention that's for sure. So far I haven't even broken a string while playing. Its a Very Reliable Guitar and gets lots of Compliments.

Well, This is where I had a problem but it was my own fault. After I brought the Guitar in for the Setup that I should of had dome before taking it home I would have never had a problem. After Ed had it setup for me the Guitar was PERFECT. Ed was excellent with me and really had a nice setup done on it for me. Thank you Ed Roman for knowing your stuff. Its perfect now.

Well at this time I own 7 Gibson Les Pauls, 5 Kramers, 2 Steinberger's, 2 Acoustics and of corse my 2 Quicksilver's and dollars for doughnuts the Quicksilver's are the better values out of my whole Collection of Guitars. I would highly recommend them to any Guitar player any style any sound that they may be looking for or even just for looks, these are the Jaw Dropping Guitars I would say. They are really GREAT VALUES when you consider what your getting for your money. Your not going to find a Guitar like this being built by ANY major Guitar Building Company. They just won't have all the Options these Guitars have. I would recommend every Guitar Player to own one. From beginers to professionals these are the Guitars your going to be grabbing for. I can vouch for that. Thank you Ed Roman for Building the Guitar of my DREAMS.

Hand made in 2003-04. 24 Frets. Ebony Fretboard. Body is a solid piece of oiled white korina wood. Has volume and tone control with push pull knobs for pickup splitting and phase altering. Seymour Duncan black back pickups. Passive Electronincs. Tune-O-Matic bridge with Sperzel locking tuners. All chrome hardware. Thin fast neck. You can see this guitar on the ed roman website. It is quicksilver # 565.

With the pickup splitting and phase cancelling options (standard on this guitar) you can get any sound out of this guitar. Very versitile. Sound is really rich and very full. I highly recommend a white or black korina body when you get one of these. They can be made in other woods too and I have tried them there at Ed Roman's store in Vegas. The Korina is super light, but what amazing full tone it gets. I really love this guitar especially for a gig as it can get so many different sounds and it is light weight but sounds amazing.

Guitar was set up very nicely at the shop when I played it. I chose this one out of 10 others that I tried because of the great set up. When I restrung it with 11s I took it back to them and the redid the set up free of charge to make sure I would be happy with it. Did it while I waited too which was excellent. The overall finish of the guitar is very nice. Keep in mind it is hand made, it has some "character" to it. I would say that it is finished just as good as any mas produced guitar you get in the stores today but it uses much higher quality parts like graphite nut not plastic etc.
Mine has an oiled body no paint so I can not comment on the paint job. The ones I saw with paint jobs there were beautiful though. Some really amazing custom work too. Everything on the guitar was in first class working order. I did find that the volume pot seems to be more loose than the tone pot. I kind of like it tighter, but it functions fine.

This guitar will stand up to gigs very well. I have played 3 with it already and only had it one month. Travels well and stays in tune perfectly. Very dependable. I would never gig without a backup guitar but have not used the backup since I got this guitar.

Called once because the 1st fret was buzzing. They talked me through a minor truss rod adjustment. Problem solved. Customer support while at the shop in Vegas is top notch. All sales people and tech/setup personel are very helpful and well schooled. Limited lifetime warranty.

Been playing 25 years. I play this direcly in to a Steve Vai Lagacy and it sounds amazing. I have over 25 guitars, but most recently I used to use a Fender custom american strat and an ernie ball axis before purchasing this guitar. The EB has become my back up and the Strat is being sent to Ed Roman for upgrades. I would replace this guitar if it were lost or stolen. Hope that never happens though ! After playing a quicksilver guitar you will realize that it sounds and performs better than anything you have now or probably will ever have. It is that good. It is pricey, but not too bad if you consider what other hand made custom guitars go for. It blows the PRS out of the water too. Feel free to email me if you have questions.

Maple neck, brown ebony fretboard, solid white korina body, tung oil finish, gold hardware.

This is a follow up to a previous review. I had heard the blackbacks before I had bought the guitar and wasnt real impressed with their sound or at least the sound of the bridge pickup; I did think the neck pickup sounded quite nice. So upon the recomendation of Seymour Duncan I had a set cutom wound by their custom department. Again I thought the neck was sweet, but the bridge was even worse then the "Black Backs". So upon the recomendation of Jim Wagner of WCR Pickups I purchased and put in a set of his "Crossroads" and it is now the sweetest sounding guitar I have ever heard. As I had stated in the previous review when the Quicksilver was strumed unpluged it had an awsome tone, I knew it just needed the right pickups. You really can't believe how good it sounds. And the solid mounting makes a difference as when I got my guitar back from the local luthier the bridge pickup was loose and when I played it I thought it sounded a little thin in the bridge. I noticed the pickup was a little loose tightened it and it made all the difference in the world. Thank you Ed in your design and thank you Jim for winding those awsome pickups. I also installed a Hovland Musicap Capacitor in place of the stock one....makes a difference, should come stock, so should WCR pickups.

The action was set up worse then a $300.00 Ibenez, it just was. It came with a bad pot which I replaced. Beautiful craftmenship on its fit and construction, just the set up was lacking- nut too high, didn't check the controls, needed some neck and fret work. It came with a really nice neck, good feel to it. Once the set up was done correctly it became easily my favorite playing guitar worth the extra couple of hundred it cost me at the local luthier, now it's a 10, stock 5.

I have had the guitar for awhile now and it seems very durable; I'd give it a 10.

To be fair Ed was very respectful towards me, a little gruff, but respectful. My problem was that he moved his east coast shop mid way through my the construction of the guitar and changed his policy on allowing customers access to his luthiers so you could talk to them directly. If I had talked to them before my guitar was shipped out I wouldn't of had any problems with the guitar as I would have made sure they checked all of the things I had to change or repair. I was also a little upset, at the time of my first reveiw of this guitar with him in the way he has treated his customers in the past. I just feel when someone takes a few thousand dollars from someone for goods, a little humbleness, on Eds part could go a long way in customer relations; important in any retail buisness.

It has the best tone in the world right now. It has the potential to always be a 10, not every guitar has that potential.Depends upon the woods selected, the pickups used and the set up. I'm going to have to give it a ten, because you can't make a silk purse from a sows ear.

I bought this Korina wood, pearlized red finish from Ed probably about a year ago. I didn't custom order; went to the (old) Vegas store, played around for a couple of hours and this one simply felt the best. It has the fasted-feeling neck of anything I've ever touched. Duncan Black and Whites, coil splitting, tone, volume and 3 position toggle. Locking tuners. Stop tail. Hardshell case came with it. 24 frets.

I have had a lot of different guitars in the last year. I still have a couple of LPs -- a 68 Custom and a 69 Professional, a Clapton Strat and 2 Variaxes. I've had two different G&L Tele versions (one hollow body), a SRV Strat, and a few other guitars. Each was an infatuation; but I keep coming back to this one.
The Variax has lots of tones -- many of them are great. The LP Professional also has tons of tonal options. But the much simpler, lighter, and more elegeant Quicksilver garners more tone compliments than anything I've played. All the controls make for real tonal differences, and cover 80-90% of the typical tonal spectrum you'd need for ANY kind of music. Ed Roman advertises that this is the guitar you take to the gig when you can only take one. That statement has become true for me. And no matter what else I've been playing, going or coming back to the Quicksilver always feels like coming home.
I use it with a Carr Slant 6 head -- and its a perfect match. I usually use the amp at 18 watts (Cathode) running a 12" Eminence in a Randall cabinet. Together, the music is alive, and covers a huge tonal palette even in a small club. The fact that these pickups are not particularly HOT lets pedals and/or the amplifier do what they are designed for. I think thats another reason this guitar is so flexible.

As close to perfect as anything I've ever owned. A friend who is (although for no reason I can discern)one of the legion of Roman detractors said "That guitar was probably made in the same factory as my Dean." My point was: So what? This is a near-perfect guitar and I don't give a **** who anybody thinks or says makes it. The truth is in the instrument. And there IS truth in this one.

I gig with it every week and practice a lot. Solid. I think it will last and last. I do gig without a backup sometimes and have confidence in the instrument.

I have never heard of anyone in the music business more hated, and more admired than Mr. Roman. All I know is that as a middle aged hobbyist, I was treated personally with respect, patience, and professionalism. Yeah, I can see where his manner and size would put some people off. And lots of people (most of whom I suspect have no personal experience with him or his company)consider him a crook. I'd buy from him again in a heartbeat. Oh, and he mentioned that it was unusual to put a pearlized top on a korina wood guitar so he guessed there was probably an imperfection in the wood. If he was the s*** others say, it doesn't make much sense for him to tell me that.

Other guitars listed above. I wish I had this guitar's clone but with a whammy bar. I'd get another one if this weren't available. The neck is thin and fast. Would I buy mail order? Maybe like some of the nay-sayers on here I'm not smart enough to be able to say what I want or negotiate the deal on the guitar I"m going to ultimately love. But to go to the world's largest guitar shop, be treated well, and find out what you like -- how tough is that?

2003 US made 24 fret, highly figured quilted maple top with scraped binding and a translucent dark green finish, korina body, ebony fret board with custom inlay, jumbo frets, maple neck, solid body. 2 passive Seymour Duncan black back pickups, 3 way pick up selector, 1 volume, 1 tone ( both are push pull for a variety of configurations), tone pro's bridge and stop tail piece, sperzel tuners, gold hardware and case. The case was ordered not included - it is recommended to buy one when the guitar is made. This is an option I appreciate because I do not always want to purchase a case - they start to take up too much space. The only complaint about the options offered are there may be too many. Essentially you name it they, will do it.

My style of music ranges from some pretty hard rock, blues and R&B/Jazz but mostly its rock. I play usually through a Boss GT-6 and a pair of active monitors or a Mesa Boogie Nomad 45. I get a large variety of tones from this guitar - more than any other guitar I own or have owned. If I am taking 1 guitar with me - it is definitely this one. I do not view this guitar as a sub or a replacement for any other guitar - it stands on its own. You get similar Les Paul etc sounds but a Les Paul never sounded this clear - I know I have owned at least half a dozen of them. The combination of clarity and sustain may be unmatched by anything else I have ever played and that says a lot. In some part it has to be the fact that the neck pickup is actually mounted to the neck itself and the pickups are direct mounted. This is my go to guitar. I still play my other ones but this takes the best of them and crams it into one single unit.

Factory set up on the guitar was excellent. I prefer my action lower than it was but I made the adjustment myself. The woods used are top rate and the matching of the top is perfect. All high quality hardware installed as expected. There is essentially no heal on the guitar where it joins the body so access is not an issue. What good is a 24 fret guitar if you can't easily access the upper frets? I've read comments saying ht guitar needed to be set up properly or the frets need to be dressed - I find that hard to believe. I can tell you I commissioned to have a vine inlay installed that included my initials. When I received the guitar the inlay was not what I expected - it was much more detailed and intricate. I did not think it was up to the standard of other inlays I had seen. I called Ed and his only question was "what do you want me to do because I want you to be happy with the guitar"? So they made another neck with a flawless ( big word) inlay EXACTLY like I wanted it. This is a true custom inlay not some kit or CNC job like other manufactures of quote hand made guitars.

The guitar is a tank. I can't imagine any issues with it. Everything on it is solid. Because of the way I rest my hand when I play the gold plating on the bridge has begun to wear. I have never had a gold plated bridge that didn't. I should always go with the chrome but this guitar just begged for gold hardware. I can't imagine anyone only taking 1 guitar to a gig but I have never had to use a back up for the Quicksilver. Very dependable guitar. I like the additional material on the back of the headstock where it joins the neck anyone who ever had a Les Paul fall over will also so appreciate this reinforcement.

Okay this is the big one. First of all the guitar has a lifetime warranty - period. Need I say more? I have never written a review before but have read many. As a matter of fact I looked up Ed Roman before I ever met or talked to him and almost wrote him off - but his website was so intriguing I had to go to his shop. The first time I met him was when he and his shop were in CT. I went there expecting the worst and I went looking for a Joe Perry Les Paul. I also had my 8 year old daughter with me not the best place for a child - a lot of expensive interesting looking guitars. He told me I was crazy for looking at the Gibson AND (a big and) he explained why. 3 hours later yes 3 hours, I left with a new appreciation for guitars in general and did not make a purchase. I did buy the JP Les Paul (on EBAY) and guess what it is a piece of sh*t. Sold it 1 month later. Back to Ed I had a Melancon Strat style guitar made but I had I had to have a unique color, unique pick ups mounted a certain way etc. All taken care of and delivered as ordered. Next custom acquisition was this Quicksilver - again I spent hours in his shop picking out the body blank discussing options etc. All the time I am there he gets phone call after phone call always excusing him self and most of the time apologizing for the interruption. I also get to hear him in action which is a sight. The man receives more dumb phone calls that should be allowed. I actually heard him refuse to sell one guitar because he knew the customer would never be happy - refused a sale. He gets burned a lot here and maybe he can be a bit tough but you will never meet anyone more passionate about guitar. Even if you don't like the presentation the facts speak for themselves. The Joe Perry Les Paul's sold for what $3,000 new. For what perloid inlays, at best a 2 a flame top and a built in active tone control? Zakk Wylde's Les Paul - maple neck and a bull's-eye paint job? They should be ashamed of themselves (all the way to the bank) for putting their name and stamp of approval on their signature guitars. The Gibson custom shop is a joke. For the same money go see Ed actually you'll save money and end up with a truly custom piece. I decided to write this review because I talked to Ed yesterday. I sent him a Arch top BC Rich Mockingbird that I purchased three months ago that I traded because I didn't need or play it because I had the Quicksilver. Yes three months I had it - he takes it back and sends me something else I wanted - yeah he sucks. While on the phone I asked him about changing the profile on the neck of my Quicksilver because after a year and a half I decided I'd like it a little thinner - sure send it in he said. I asked how much? No charge. That is customer service. Find me someone else who would do that - that's customer support. To all of you who have had such terrible problems with Ed or bad service or whatever your complaints are maybe its time to look in the mirror. Most of us hate going to music stores because the sales people are assholes and wanna be's or posers or whatever we call them. They don't exist at Ed's store and that says a lot. Everyone I have dealt with has been first rate - returning phone calls , passing on messages etc. I'm no "rock star" but have always been treated fairly and with respect. Enough said. Contact me if you want more.

I have been playing for 30 years. I own a Melancon Strat, Fender 52 reissue Tele, a Warmoth Strat, McNaught Single cut, Breedlove Acoustic and just ordered a Robin Savoy from Ed. I did a lot of research before buying this guitar and would replace it in a heartbeat if it was lost or stolen. I don't know what to compare it to but the PRS is probably the closest except the Quicksilver has more options, better neck pick up mounting, custom inlays, no heel where the neck joins the body and it costs less! My advice is to call them. The only guitars I have not purchased from Ed since I first went to him are the Les Paul mentioned the Breedlove acoustic and the warmoth I put together though he did offer to set it up for me if I needed it. No Ed doesn't make the guitars personally so what he has hired quality trusted people to do that.

Maple neck, brown ebony fretboard, solid white korina body, tung oil finish, gold hardware.

The guitar itself is nice sounding. The stock pickups are a little weak in my opinion and nothing really special.

The guitar was set up poorly and had to go to the luthier to have it refretted and the neck properly done as it was not perfect, not even close. The nut at the neck was set up poorly as well as it was obvious is was to high. I asked them to use a pretty piece of white korina and it really wasn't. Fit was pretty good. Nice router work. The tone pot that came in the guitar was defective and it is obvious they don't spend the extra cash to get tested ones. Do yourself a favor and replace the stock pickups with a set of Jim Wagners, WCR Pickups. They are awsome, and it's not just hype. The rear pickup wasn't made correctly and they did not catch it. You would think they would plug each and every guitar in and teat them out, but I'm afraid they don't.

? Seems to be built strong enough.

Man don't even think about it.

Been playin' a long time. I play through Voodoo modified Marshall TSL602, a Self Modded Mesa Boogie Studio 22plus and a "Blackfaced" '71 Silver Twin. I still can't fiqure out how they came up with the price for my guitar though, I think it was arbitry as it it a pretty plain guitar for $2700.00. I love the tone of the guitar itself. After I replaced the stock pickups with a set of Goodwoods from WCR Pickups the guitar sounded awsome pluged in! Just can't say enough good things about WCR Pickups! I wouldn't but a guitar from Ed Roman again. Once you hand over the cash it is impossible to really have a connection with what is taking place in the construction of the guitar as you do not have access to their shop or the personal therein. Do yourself a favor and buy Drisskill guitar, you'll get the finest instrument made for a good price for the quality of work that is done and Mr. Driskill is friendly where as....

This is a follow-up to a previous review. I've now had the Quicksilver for some time (bought it this year), and I've had the chance to play out with it. The features and options are unlimited. Custom in nearly every way. The selection of woods and finishes is overwhelming.

I play this through a Mesa Boogie Studio amp. Wonderful clean tones. The pickups are extremely quiet. No hum even with coils tapped. Noted that the electronics are thoroughly shielded. The taper on the tone knob is not quite to my liking, and I may have this changed. Sounds somewhat like my LP custom (which I sold to get this - good idea), but it is much warmer. Very alive.

This is the extreme high point. I have looked and looked and found no better fit and finish. Absolutely flawless. Beautiful fretwork and the 1500G finish make the playability effortless all along the neck. Even now I am amazed at how perfect the Quicksilver feels and looks. Beyond perfect.

I was concerned about playing out with the Quicksilver because it seemed almost too perfect (= fragile??). This baby travels well, the neck is stable as a they come (I've had LP's, Strat's, Epi's, Ric's). Even with being tossed around the van, the Quicksilver is very stable. Can't say the same for other brands.....

From prior reviews, I was concerned about dealing with Ed Roman. I found him to be EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE and very courteous. He spent considerable time with me, answered all my questions, and was very helpful. EVERYONE there is friendly and easy to deal with, especially Ed. The store is incredible. AWESOME SELECTION. This is no Guitar Center or Sam Ash. You can actually have a conversation without having to scream over multiple guitar noise. I honestly could not imagine buying a guitar anywhere else. You can't beat the selection & service.

I don't own lots of guitars, just a few (3, actually). I will probably buy more. I've visited Ed Romans Guitars 3 times in the last 3 years. Each time the service was fantastic - far beyond anything at Guitar Center or Sam Ash. I talked with Ed sometime during each visit, and he took sufficient time to answer all questions. He is great to deal with. Again, I can't imagine buying a guitar anywhere else.

This is a review of a 2004 Quicksilver made at Ed Roman's World Class Guitars in Las Vegas, Nevada
Specs:
Solid white korina body
Tung oil finish
24 fret neck (nickel)
Bolt in neck (not a bolt on neck)
2 Seymour Duncan black & white humbuckers direct mount to body/neck
Push/pull pots for coil splitting & phase
1/4 sawn maple neck w/1500 G finish
ebony fretboard with matching headstock
dot inlays
Tone Pros locking bridge and tail
Sperzel locking tuners
Hard shell case
Lots more features available; these are the one I could afford. It took about 2 1/2 weeks to build and another 5 days in shipping so I had it in about 3 weeks.

I play blues / classic rock and this guitar does it all from the single coil sound of strats to the full, rich sound of humbuckers. Loads of sustain even at low volumes. I'm playing it through a Marshall AVT100 w/ built in effects and a VOX wah pedal. Between the amp and guitar I get all the sounds I ever need. I've only ever played Gibsons w/ humbucking pups and having a single coil available opens up whole new dimensions of sound for me. To my suprise, the single coil is quite noisey compared to the doulbe coil (well, duh!). Something I didn't consider when I ordered it. The single coil sound can be a bit bright but that is easily over some with the tone control. Overall I am so tickeled by the sound that I just can't get over it. I'm just amazed and can't wait for the next time I get to play.

Fit and finsih on this guitar are superb. Not a hair out of place. The only minor complaint I have is that the action is a touch high for me, but I'm used to the super low action on my Gibson. Not that the action has impeaded me in any way. And I'm used to a little more resistance from the pots. They seem to turn almost too easily but agin, something I'll get used to and not a big deal. The tung oil finish brought out the imperfections in the korina wood. Ed was apologetic that it happened but theres nothing really that can be done about it other than finishing it in a different way. Ed didn't charge me for shipping because of that but when I got the guitar I loved it! The imperfections give it character. I was afraid that is was going to be too plain looking.

This quitar is solid. A real work horse. The finish is of the type that I don't have to constantly worry about scratching and cleaning like my high gloss Gibson. I have yet to gig with it but that doesn't make me nervous in the least bit. In fact, I've only had it for a week but did get to use it a our last band practice which is very similiar to live performance and I was quite pleased. This thing will probably out last me!

I was realy nervous when I got to talk to Ed in person. I didn't know which version of him would show up (evil Ed or good Ed). Appearently I got good ED 'cause he was a pleasure to deal with. Didn't make me feel rushed at all and even though I wasn't ordering the most expensive quitar I felt that I had his undivided attention on the roughly 4 phones calls I made to him. I also spoke with Alan Dreher the shop foreman a couple of times just to make sure that everything I told Ed made it to the order form (it did). Alan talked me out of getting LSR tuners because of reliablity issues even though they do look pretty cool! As I mentioned earlier, Ed didn't charge me for shipping because of a imperfection in the wood as he saw it. I got nothing bad to say about the guy. I'd love to be able to go to his store in Vegas and meet him. One of these days ... I know this review is fairly glowing but, that's the way it is -

I have been playing guitar on and off for 30+ years and have been playing nothing Gibson's but I've always noticed that something was lacking, mostly that the tone from the neck pup was always very muddy and I've always had strings, notably the G string, sticking at the nut. I know how to take care of it but why is it that I have to at those prices. Dunno. I alway wanted to find something better but didn't know where, until now. If this one every got stolen I would with out a doubt replace it, maybe with some cosmetic upgrades though. I bought this guitar strictly because of Ed Roman and his description of it and his approach to guitar building and because of his descriptions of problems inherent to other manufactures. Most of which I was experiencing with my Gibson.