Ed Roman passed away in December of 2011. He spent many years collecting and authoring much of the information presented on this website. These Rants are, as described below, often acerbic and/or quite politically uncorrect. Ed's opinions as presented below are not necessarily the opinions of the individuals currently running Roman Guitars, but we feel his Rants deserve to remain as he wrote them.
Bold, Brash, Politically & Sometimes Even Grammatically Incorrect
Rant Title | Rant Excerpt |
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Asian Made Guitars 2000 | Here's another one of my politically incorrect, too little too late, pain in the ass articles reminding you that you are screwing the entire American way of life by buying expensive high end products made in Asia. |
Beginner Guitars 2002 | If you are getting ready to buy little Johnny his first guitar, I suggest you read the page/pages below. You will probably be surprised to find out a few things. |
Best in Store 2000 | When I go into a store, (any kind of store), I like to see a large selection of unique items. I like to see things that I don't know about. |
Brand Loyalty 2008 | Misplaced, brand loyalty is clogging
up the wheels of progress. Don't fall into that trap. Don't
buy a corporate guitar. !
used Hamer guitars as the whipping boy for this article. I
am a big Hamer fan myself !!! I personally own 5
Hamer's !!! It is critical that you understand the point of this article !!! |
Broken Gibson's 2008 | Why is it that the most expensive overpriced guitar on the planet is prone to neck breakage. It is my contention that Gibson guitars need a major update to their design. |
CNC Machines 2005 | A look at the pros & cons of using computer numerically controlled machines to build guitars. |
Chain Stores Guitar Center Sam Ash, Best Buy, Walmart & Costco | Some people may read my rants and may assume that I was sour grapes on Superstores for self serving reasons. I have thought about it long and hard and I have assured myself that my own agenda is truly unaffected by these stores. |
Commissioned Sales People 2002 | The main reason "Guitar Center" has such a high employee failure rate or turnover is probably because they have a commission system that forces people to work at minimum wage. |
Corporate Guitars 2008 <Death To Corporate Guitars> |
Corporate Guitar Companies are ruining our industry forever. They are destroying any semblance of quality that once existed, They have taken much of the manufacturing to the Orient. It's probably already too late, Someday soon you won't be able to buy a handmade guitar. |
Cost Cutting Gibson PRS etc | Many people wonder why large companies try to shave pennies off their costs. Especially when the product sells in the multi thousand dollar range. Most people don't grasp the reasoning behind it. |
Customer Rants | Have a problem With some Guitar related company? Here is a place to vent & spew about it. |
Ebay & Ed Roman 2010 | Ebay is a large corporation and I am not a fan of too many large corporations. |
Ebony Fingerboards | It really rankles me that PRS refuses to offer Ebony fingerboards. I mean what's the deal, I thought PRS was supposed to be a Premium High End Guitar? |
Endorsement Deals | Coming Soon |
Ernie Ball Guitars & Ed Roman | The Real True Story With All The Details |
Flamers | Currently there are some individuals on the internet who don't agree with my opinions. I have no problem with that. I also have no problem with profanity and flaming. |
Free Country | In the United States of America we are supposedly guaranteed certain inalienable rights. Simple things like freedom of speech and freedom of expression, religion, opinions etc. |
G.A.S | Many of my customers have asked me about what kind of guitars I play. Currently I use my Quicksilver guitar when I need major tonal versatility. I am still using a headless LSR for a backup... |
Ghost Builders | You may be skeptical regarding some of the facts that I will be relating to you in the examples section below. It is possible that there may be a couple of errors... |
Gibson Firebird X Guitar | Yet another overhyped, badly designed robot guitar... |
Gibson Necks Usually Break | FACT: Gibson necks break. On this page Ed Roman explores the reasons why that is. |
Gibson Lawsuits | Extension of customer complaints I am running out of space in the Gibson Section for printing unhappy Gibson customer letters. |
GIBSON Guitars
Versus The United States Of America |
GET THE ACTUAL REAL STORY HERE |
Guitar Center Fixed Prices | Guitar Center will no longer be offering extra discounts and deals. In fact they have raised their prices !!!! The new owners have gone to fixed prices. |
Guitars Resale Value 10/09/07 | This Rant Posted 10/09/07 It is about resale value and some of the hijinks that certain manufacturers try to pull on unsuspecting trusting Consumers . NEW RANT |
Glossary of Terms | Due to dealer agreements and competitor complaints many companies won't allow me to print my LOW prices. |
The Hamer Story 2010 | Hamer Made some Great Guitars... But there is much you need to know |
Hand Made | Is a guitar really handmade if its made by 100 pairs of hands aided by several million dollars worth of machines? |
Harmony Central 2008 | Only Trust Harmony Central If You Trust Guitar Center. After all they do own it !!! |
Heel from Hell - PRS | Years ago PRS guitars had no heels, Today they use this big flat heel on the back of the neck. In 1995 PRS switched to this monstrosity and it has remained ever since. |
Import Guitars | I used to carry very few imported guitars, I personally would rather sell USA made guitars. In the downturn economy that happened in 2001 and a seeming rebirth of American pride, many of my customers refused to buy Asian imports. |
Investment Guitars 09/01/08 | I can help you with a purchase of an investment grade guitar!! In fact you would be surprised to find out that many good investments are not necessarily expensive. in fact that's what makes it a good investment. |
Johnny Ramone Mosrite Guitars | |
Les Paul Broken Necks | FACT: Gibson necks Always Break !!!! On this page Ed Roman explores the reasons why that is. |
Magazines | It occurs to me, that if you write a book on something you are then supposedly considered an expert. That is not necessarily true. |
Mailbox etc Rip-offs | Always go directly to UPS or Fed Ex. Mailbox etc typically charges at least triple UPS rates, |
Manturd Chronicles, The 2007 | Enjoy this, I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. After you finish write me and tell me if you think that this guy is nothing more than a Wimpy Wussy Whining Wiseguy... |
My Price Guarantee 1995 | I will not be insulted if you try to negotiate or make a better deal. I realize that human nature is such that every one wants to get a good deal. When a customer starts negotiating price, He is telling me that he is a serious buyer. |
My Selling Style 1994 1996 | People have called me a good salesman, I don't think that I am, A good salesperson can sell anything, I can only sell what I truly believe in. So in effect I am telling you that a 17 year old kid who works in a Guitar Center or Sam Ash is actually a better salesperson than me. |
Overpriced Guitars 2001 | An expensive guitar would be like a JET or a Centurion or maybe an Abstract. These are guitars that cost a lot of money. An overpriced guitar would be one that the long term cache value is added into the initial cost. Be Very Careful Of This. |
Political Bullshit 2011 | Calling yourself a patriot these days can be
dangerous,
If you call yourself a patriot the government might
suspect that you are trying to subvert the powers
that be.
I always thought that being a patriot meant to love
& defend your country and it's constitution.
People who try to change our constitution are terrorists in my opinion!!! Especially if they are in elected office. |
Prices Why We Can't Post Them All | I get numerous E-mail because I don't post all my prices, Believe me I wish I could, it would make my life so much easier. Hell all I would have to do is wait for the checks to arrive. |
PRS Interesting Facts 2001 | A must read for anyone considering a PRS guitar |
Relics 2008 | Personally I don't need the false Mojo of a beat up guitar to convince people that I have been a road warrior for 30 years. |
Scams For The New Century | Many respected companies are hiding the fact that their products
are not made in USA. Many respected companies are employing huge cost cutting methods. |
School Music Teaching Programs | I am available to any school public or private who wants my advice on how to set up a program for the kids to learn guitar. I will not charge anything and I will be glad to help with any recommendations for instruments, books, and general information that may be helpful. |
Spend Your $$$ | Stop complaining, shut up, and spend your damn money, There has never been a better time to spend your money, There has never been a better reason to spend your money. Money is not edible, Most money is not collectable and money does not even make good toilet paper. |
Vintage Guitars | A Guaranteed Sure Fire Way To Tell The Real From The Rip-Off's. All guitars in our inventory that are sold as vintage will be approximately 25 years old or older. Ed Roman guarantees they are what we say they are. |
Vintage Guitars Are Not Worth It | Someone posted this article on the web and sent it to me. I have made a few comments on the article. I think it's a great article. |
Rant Page Number 2 Archived Rants | EVEN MORE RANTS !!!!!!!!! |
I get at least 3 or 4 letters from people every day who ask for more rants !!!
A Word About Johnny Ramone & Mosrite Guitars Now that Johnny
Ramone & Semie Moseley are no longer with us, there are people out
there who are claiming things that I am sure are simply not true. |
JOHNNY RAMONE REVIEW #1 I got a chance to try out one of these new "official" Johnny Ramone guitars from Hallmark. First, let me say that anyone worth their tatts knows that Johnny played a Mosrite, so I was a little hesitant to try something from Hallmark. But they claim a pretty strong pedigree on their website, so I figured they had to know what they were doing. Right? Well, for starters a lot of the "extra touches" on this guitar take it completely out of the realm of what Johnny played. Mosrite has a distinctive feel and sound. This NOT-so-cheap knockoff feels completely different and doesn't have the same sound. Not that I was expecting to pick up a guitar and suddenly sound like a member of the Ramones, but WTF. Couldn't they at least TRY to make this thing right? And why the hell would they give this craptastic guitar company the rights to make this guitar, anyway? Why not just work out a deal with Mosrite, like any sane person would do? Was it a matter of the name going to the highest bidder, damn the quality? I thought I was getting my hands on something licensed and official - but instead discovered that this deal was struck well AFTER Johnny's death - 5 or 6 years, actually. He never even PLAYED a Hallmark guitar! What, do they think we're stupid? I looked into it and you can buy the Mosrite Mark II for only a bit more than this Hallmark Johnny Ramone abortion. I'd rather spend a little more and get the real deal than spend my cash on this POS. If I'm gonna buy a cheap imitation I'll make sure it's CHEAP in price as well as quality. This is nothing but a marketing gimmick. Shame on the rights holders for taking this route instead of putting out a REAL Johnny Ramone Mosrite, and shame on Hallmark for not at least making something WORTHY of Johnny's name. Johnny Ramone is turning over in his grave right now. If he were alive to see what they are up to he'd probably kick some damned teeth in! Sorry - just had to vent. Now I know...go for the real thing and not just something with a name slapped on it! Dinker Daigle
Hey Guys I am not surprised that he is involved in this scam to defraud the younger Johnny Ramone fans who may not be aware just how keenly Johnny loved his Mosrite.
Ed |
ULTIMATE KARMA TRUE STORY
His name was Fleming, and he was a
poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a
living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming
from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools And ran to the
bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. 'I want to repay you,' said the nobleman. 'You saved my son's life.' 'No, I can't accept payment for what I did,' the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel.
Is that your son?' the
nobleman asked. Yes,' the farmer replied proudly. 'I'll make you a deal. Let me provide
him with the level of education my own son will enjoy If
the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow
to be a man we both will be proud of.' And that he did. |
PUBLIC
SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT |
It's An Old New York Shopping Trick Go down to 6th St in Greenwich Village, There are
about 10 high fashion ultra hip shoe stores there. Ok Ok, what was I doing buying a pair of Leopard Skin Boots, Hey it was the 80's and my hair was pretty long too. But the bottom line is this is a deceptive trade practice. There is no law that says one guy can't own 5 stores, with 5 different names and price fix between his own stores. It's still deceptive and another reason Ed Roman does not like or support chain stores of any kind.
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Mr. Roman,
Thank you for maintaining your website; great stuff! I've learned a lot about guitars and music stores since 1965 and agree wholeheartedly with most of your rants. Your focus on quality is impressive but I'm glad you can supply "corporate junk" too because most people who want to learn to play will never be very good and they'll never know until they try. I know very few folks for whom Quicksilver quality would make any difference and many for whom it would not. I distinctly remember being frustrated with my
inability to get the sounds I was hearing on the radio
from my '63 Guild S-50 JetStar and Ampeg
Reverbo-Rocket. Getting a Strat and a Big Muff was a
tremendous improvement but didn't help me play like
Hendrix. Getting another amp and a 'Paul expanded my
options but didn't help me play like Keaggy. I have
acquired several other guitars since and still can't
play a solo that I want to listen to.
I intentionally did not see the movie "Wayne's
World" but have heard the line: "I'm not worthy!"
well... I'm not... and neither are most people. A high
school kid with a learner's permit doesn't need a new
Maserati. He or she shouldn't be lied to at the music
store OR the used car lot but I know from personal
experience that with persistence, it is possible to
find one of those black Squier Strats which can be
made to play well enough to have some fun in a garage
band and find out he or she hasn't got the chops to
bother spending thousands on an instrument they can't
play anyway.
You wrote yourself that unrealistic prices from the
mass marketers made custom building viable. Keep the
custom shop going and don't apologize for making
affordable instruments available to the wannabes who
fund the industry.
Mark
Hi, my name is Chris Lamb, I'm 17, and I'm an aspiring (read: starving) musician. I own several guitars and lately I have been spending a lot of time at edroman.com. I gawked and gasped at the incredible axes Mr. Roman has to offer, but after looking around a bit more, I found that the most valuable part of the site is Mr. Roman's "Rants" section. After having read many of the articles, I am beginning to think Mr. Roman is one of the few sane and intelligent people left in the music world. My favorite rant, "Overpriced Guitars", hits the nail directly on the head and should be in the back of every guitar player's head at all times. I must admit that even as a young player, I have made many of the mistakes mentioned in the rants, and wish I had come across Mr. Roman's words of wisdom MUCH sooner. Luckily, I started out with a Dean Baby V- a decent guitar- at a very reasonable price ($130). However, I have loads of sympathy for aspiring guitarists who make the HUGE mistakes of buying from mega-stores, or starter packs from "Music Depot." Why more people aren't aware of the scams present in the music industry is beyond me- Mr. Roman's advice is available at a mouse click and here's the best part- it's totally FREE! Thank you for imparting your wisdom to me- I am an exponentially smarter consumer for having taken the time to read your rants. Sincerely, Chris Lamb, Vacaville CA.
Hello Chris Thanks for your letter, & fine compliments, I especially thank you for the sane and Intelligent compliment, But I must deny the part about being sane. It's pretty hard to keep any semblance of sanity in my life. This is an insane industry where I deal with insane people on a minute to minute basis, I am trying to stay a little sane, but often I feel I am losing the battle. Thanks Again !!! Ed Roman
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