Ask Roman ?

[BCRGreg]

HAHA!!!!

Billy told me that he doesn't pay for guitar work, either. I told him that my children eat every day. He laughed and that was that.

I like Billy.

[bigalthethird]

Originally Posted by RFR

Hi AL, sorry I completely missed this one.

1) pickups,

I have never wound a pickup in my life. I think you need to smoke pot or have a lot of patience............neither of which are me

Besides there are so many good pickups and makers. why bother?

2) The green monster is a couple of weeks away, and then we will have a photo documented transformation.

Roman

1) That's pretty much what I thought. Pickup winding seems to be one of the big art forms in guitar design, at least to me, and there's so many people who are exceptional at it that at least I know I'll never get into it.

2) Awesome! Can't wait to see it. I'll be coming through L.A. again two weeks from today, if it's ready cool, if not, that's cool too.

Thanks for answering! Love this thread

[???]

Originally Posted by RFR

Thak you.

I have had, and continue to have, very rewarding moments.

Let me share a couple that are highlights.

1) I ended up owning a strat that Hendrix had played and burned.

2) I refused an order from Billy Gibbons..............how is this a highlight?

We spent some time going over and designing a double neck guitar in the shape of the ZZ logo.

When it was all figured out, and I gave him a price, he said "I am sorry, Roman, but I don't pay for guitars."

I said, "I'm sorry Billy, but I don't work for free". We shook hands and parted ways......no hard feelings.

About a week later he sent me a set of tickets to the Peterson Auto Museum, which he is part owner of.

He is one of my idols and a hell of a nice guy, but how many guitar makers can say they turned down Billy Gibbons?

3) I built some stuff for YES and ended up doing sound checks at the Los Angles Forum and the Greek theater.

WOW, to be on stage trying out guitars, where greats have played........What mojo those places have! Besides what FUN it is to try out guitars at concert volume!!

Last, but not least, I got to meet Mitch Mitchell and drink beer with him.

Finally, I got the nerve to ask him a question I was dying to know the answer to.(after a couple of pints)

"So, Mitch, How come you didn't do much after Hendrix?"

His response; [direct quote]

"Once you have played with Hendrix, where do you go from there?



There, a few highlights.

Someday in my forthcoming book, more will be revealed.


Roman

Woah sounds like you have an interesting career..... thats so cool...that you had a hendrix guitar.

Roman, what was your first guitar that you built?
Oh, and Roman.. why does a Gibson Les Paul feel so great??? What makes it so great?

[Starr]

I really like Les Pauls and don't have one yet. Would it be better and cheaper to have one custom made?

[diceman]

Originally Posted by Starr

I really like Les Pauls and don't have one yet. Would it be better and cheaper to have one custom made?

Better Yes, Cheaper No.

[FLICKOFLASH]

Originally Posted by diceman

Better Yes, Cheaper No.

Better Yes, Cheaper YES

[Starr]

So, is it less expensive or more. I am slightly confused.

[decoy205]

Originally Posted by FLICKOFLASH

Better Yes, Cheaper YES

Cheaper Depends what you get custom made and who makes it. I would say custom will def be better.

[Roman Rist]

Originally Posted by Starr

I really like Les Pauls and don't have one yet. Would it be better and cheaper to have one custom made?

Yes, luthiers can take more time and care to make an instrument personal and higher quality.

For example, A factory has a shipping dock where the wood comes in, Luthiers hand pick wood for your instrument.

Cheaper?? Hell no! It is like the difference between a store bought suit and one hand made by a tailor.

For a private builder wood costs more, parts cost more, better materials are used which cost more.

You have no assembly line and minimally paid workers.

I could go on and on, but the answer to the cost less question is a resounding NO.


Whenever a possible client comes to me and wants a guitar built for "less" than a factory counterpart, we part ways.

I take offense, because that person is too cheap to spend the money on the factory instrument and wants a personalized hand built instrument for less.

No way!

Guitar makers are skilled artists, not bargain basement operations.

A custom instrument will cost you more, as it should.

The third point;

You asked about having a Les Paul made.

No, that would be illegal.

If you want a Les Paul, save up your money and buy a les Paul from Gibson, or Epiphone. they are authorized to make Les Pauls.

I am not, and will not go down that road.

cheers,
Roman

[Roman Rist]

Originally Posted by FLICKOFLASH

Better Yes, Cheaper YES

No offense flick, but I am sure glad you are not working in my sales dept.

Custom is ALWAYS more expensive, unless you have a hack or someone starving to where they are willing to sell them selves short. Or someone starting out who is willing to work for no profit in exchange for promotion and recognition.

I will make price exceptions sometimes, If I like someone, or if it has promotional value for me.

But other than that, custom is usually more.

Roman

[Roman Rist]

Originally Posted by diceman

Better Yes, Cheaper No.

the smart man

[Roman Rist]

Originally Posted by ???

Woah sounds like you have an interesting career..... thats so cool...that you had a hendrix guitar.

Roman, what was your first guitar that you built?
Oh, and Roman.. why does a Gibson Les Paul feel so great??? What makes it so great?

I built lots of "kit style stuff" I'd buy yard sale junk and have at it, mixing and matching parts.

When boogie bodies came out, I was in heaven. I could now buy quality stuff and go to town!


My first completely handbuilt instrument was a beauty! ( to me anyway.)

I made a strat out of walnut with one humbucker and one volume with an old dimarzio double creme pickup.

The neck was one solid piece of rosewood, finished in oil.

There was NO truss rod in the neck ' cause I couldn't figure out how to install one.

Luckily, Rosewood is very strong and a set of .09s or tens pulled the neck into the perfect relief.

I loved that guitar, and so did everyone that played it.

Some years later, I ended up meeting Trevor Rabin from Yes, and he wanted to commission me for a build.

I brought this guitar and a few others to his house, for him to try out different neck feels.

He said he wanted the rosewood neck, I said you want me to make a neck like this one? He said no, I want THIS one.

So I cannibalized my favorite guitar for Yes...........It turned out ok.

I got quite a few orders for solid rosewood with out truss rod necks


Ah, let's touch on the Les Paul.

Why is it a good guitar?

It just is. It is beautiful, the combination of a mahogany body with a thick maple top and a mahogany neck just works.

Older ones were built by people that gave a crap, in a day where the work ethic and pride was much more than today.

Materials were good as well.

Why do they feel good??

I'll be a little cocky here

They don't..........not until I get a hold of them and do my magic.

Up till then they feel OK



later,
Roman

[???]

Originally Posted by RFR

I built lots of "kit style stuff" I'd buy yard sale junk and have at it, mixing and matching parts.

When boogie bodies came out, I was in heaven. I could now buy quality stuff and go to town!


My first completely handbuilt instrument was a beauty! ( to me anyway.)

I made a strat out of walnut with one humbucker and one volume with an old dimarzio double creme pickup.

The neck was one solid piece of rosewood, finished in oil.

There was NO truss rod in the neck ' cause I couldn't figure out how to install one.

Luckily, Rosewood is very strong and a set of .09s or tens pulled the neck into the perfect relief.

I loved that guitar, and so did everyone that played it.

Some years later, I ended up meeting Trevor Rabin from Yes, and he wanted to commission me for a build.

I brought this guitar and a few others to his house, for him to try out different neck feels.

He said he wanted the rosewood neck, I said you want me to make a neck like this one? He said no, I want THIS one.

So I cannibalized my favorite guitar for Yes...........It turned out ok.

I got quite a few orders for solid rosewood with out truss rod necks


Ah, let's touch on the Les Paul.

Why is it a good guitar?

It just is. It is beautiful, the combination of a mahogany body with a thick maple top and a mahogany neck just works.

Older ones were built by people that gave a crap, in a day where the work ethic and pride was much more than today.

Materials were good as well.

Why do they feel good??

I'll be a little cocky here

They don't..........not until I get a hold of them and do my magic.

Up till then they feel OK



later,
Roman

lolz, your not cocky.. but i'll tell you who is.. .Ed Roman.... what a dick.
He told me or one of his staff, that he'd only quote me for a custom guitar if i was serious about buying one.... how can anyone be serious about a sale without knowing the price, and then he went on about how his custom guitars are better than les pauls...etc etc. and that i'd be a moron to purchase one.....

You're lucky you were able to build a guitar out of rosewood.... nowadays rosewood costs ALOt of money..., i'm planning on building my les paul replica from Fijian Honduras Mahogany....its basically the same wood from its Brazilian cousin but... Fijian Honduras is said to be a better wood to work with and it's grain pattern is perfectly straight. Have you used Fijian Honduras? Have you used Ancient Kauri (its 40000 years old wood.... its sold in USA cheaper than it's sold in NZ ...even though it's our native timber ..?




I'd recommend it to you but i think you know what works and what doesn't

So, is installing a truss rod something difficult to master?

[Roman Rist]

Just to Let you all know I am going to be offline for the next couple of days to a week.

I have a bunch of work to do and won't have the luxury of spending time at the computer for a little bit.

See you next week!

Roman

[FLICKOFLASH]

Originally Posted by RFR

No offense flick, but I am sure glad you are not working in my sales dept.

Custom is ALWAYS more expensive, unless you have a hack or someone starving to where they are willing to sell them selves short. Or someone starting out who is willing to work for no profit in exchange for promotion and recognition.

I will make price exceptions sometimes, If I like someone, or if it has promotional value for me.

But other than that, custom is usually more.

Roman

Did you move out of Hollywood yet those damn high rentals. Never used a hack A few years ago I could of got you a LP made right minus parts for 1750.00 that included brazilian & they would have stood up to a Max anyday sorry to say think those days are going to the way side....

[shotgunlew]

Originally Posted by FLICKOFLASH

Did you move out of Hollywood yet those damn high rentals. Never used a hack A few years ago I could of got you a LP made right minus parts for 1750.00 that included brazilian & they would have stood up to a Max anyday sorry to say think those days are going to the way side....

Flick where could you have this made....Briz isnt near cheap....and standing to a max from what I understand is a bold statement, Im not calling you out, just curious, I havent heard of this kinda deal being around?


chris

[shotgunlew]

I looked into getting some ancient kauri for a build ( when I tried to build a strat ) Man that stuff is hard to find......Suppose to sound amazing though...

chris

Originally Posted by ???

lolz, your not cocky.. but i'll tell you who is.. .Ed Roman.... what a dick.
He told me or one of his staff, that he'd only quote me for a custom guitar if i was serious about buying one.... how can anyone be serious about a sale without knowing the price, and then he went on about how his custom guitars are better than les pauls...etc etc. and that i'd be a moron to purchase one.....

You're lucky you were able to build a guitar out of rosewood.... nowadays rosewood costs ALOt of money..., i'm planning on building my les paul replica from Fijian Honduras Mahogany....its basically the same wood from its Brazilian cousin but... Fijian Honduras is said to be a better wood to work with and it's grain pattern is perfectly straight. Have you used Fijian Honduras? Have you used Ancient Kauri (its 40000 years old wood.... its sold in USA cheaper than it's sold in NZ ...even though it's our native timber ..?




I'd recommend it to you but i think you know what works and what doesn't

So, is installing a truss rod something difficult to master?

[FLICKOFLASH]

Originally Posted by shotgunlew

Flick where could you have this made....Briz isnt near cheap....and standing to a max from what I understand is a bold statement, Im not calling you out, just curious, I havent heard of this kinda deal being around?


chris

What can I say there is many builders out there that are so good but you haven't even heard a whisper of.( Many are here on the forum but you wouldn't know it.) Think Max would testify to my bold statement just leave it at that Somethings require secret handshakes . There is a UK magazine called "The guitarist" which is down with the system .

[shotgunlew]

But the labor isnt what im thinking would be costly as much as the Briz would...

chris

[pinefd]

Originally Posted by shotgunlew

But the labor isnt what im thinking would be costly as much as the Briz would...

chris

Chris, the primary costs in the custom building of a guitar are the labor, overhead and reputation of the builder. Material costs are of lesser importance to the overall cost of a guitar than you might think, at least for now (this will change as the supplies continue to dwindle). As an example, you can still purchase a beautiful Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard blank for less than $50. Hardware choices can drive up the cost of a guitar. For example, using Pigtail hardware and boutique pickups on a build can add $500 or more.