New Titanium Floyd Rose

[Diamondjimi]

Ed Roman introduces the brand new Titanium Titanium Floyd Rose Tremolo at Winter NAMM 2010, the tremolo features Titanium Saddles and Titanium Sustain Blocks. It is currently being used by Eddie Van Halen and Richie Sambora. For information and pictures see: Floyd Rose Tremolos, Original Floyd Rose Locking Tremolos - Ed Roman (http://www.edroman.com/parts/tremfrt.htm)

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[jhale667]

Interesting.... :D Geez, betcha it costs a mint! :D

[Diamondjimi]

No shit. I predict it'll sell for $425.00 us. ...

[jhale667]

No shit. I predict it'll sell for $425.00 us. ...

Previously a set of the saddles would set you back that much if not more...hmmm...

[Diamondjimi]

Crazy money!

[VanHalenFan5150]

Ed Roman is a pretty cool dude. Nice to see he's marketing (or at least advertising) these.

[indeedido]

Knowing Ed Roman's inflated prices (and ego) it will probably run $1000+:headlights:

[jhale667]

Ed Roman is a pretty cool dude. Nice to see he's marketing (or at least advertising) these.

Funny, I've never heard anything good about him...also hearing these are not necessarily all that...will let ya know what I find out.

[indeedido]

I meant $2000+

[indeedido]

Funny, I've never heard anything good about him...also hearing these are not necessarily all that...will let ya know what I find out.

Me either. He's a bit of an ass, and highly proud of everything he has

[GAR]

Ed Roman is a pretty cool dude.

Dept. of Consumer Affairs and the US Justice Dept of Trademark Fraud, along with a dozen manufacturers he owes money to or illegally copies would tend to disagree with you, but believe what you want to about him.

He's a disgusting human being actually.

[ZahZoo]

He's a disgusting human being actually.

Coming from you, a true icon in this field... I'd take that as an expert opinion...

[VanHalenFan5150]

Well, consider this, he seems like a fairly straightforward and nice man.

He owns a very successful guitar company in Las Vegas. He builds guitars. He knows what he's talking about. He will build a guitar the way YOU want it from official parts. It's not infringement, he's taking real parts and making his own guitars.

But, did I mention he has a JOB?

[GAR]

Well, consider this, he seems like a fairly straightforward and nice man.

1. He is a thief.

2. He and I had a bad deal go down he Welshed on.

3. If you think so much of him, go visit him in Vegas and take pictures of all the customers.. and when you do that, notice how curiously unoccupied his staff are behind the counters and counters, and rows and rows of guitars in his "store" which in reality is one-half a converted manufacturing warehouse or some shit.

You read all that shit off the Internet. Go meet him.

His sales are off the internet: all his fake Rickenbackers, Fenders and fake Gibsons, all his fake everything. And if you walk straight back from the front door to the very end, and go thru those doors you'll see the workshop and the woodshop behind it that his internet fakes it is believed eminate from.

Which is 99 percent untrue. He builds less than ten a month back there, he's only got 3 guys when last I looked. The real clutch of fakes come from Asia.



But, did I mention he has a JOB?

Yeah actually he doesn't have a job, like me he's self-employed so your point was what again...

[jhale667]

Well, consider this, he seems like a fairly straightforward and nice man.


Key words being seems like - never met the guy, but don't trust him as far as I could throw him from everything I hear, and this is certainly par for the course.
Nice, straightforward men don't counterfeit other people's products, nor use other Manufacturer's product pictures and claim they're their own offerings. They probably also know better than to imply a well-known major artist endorsement of a guitarist merely because, say... they sent him a sample and he didn't send it back (yet)? Just sayin'.

Well, Roman just HAD to pull FloydUpgrades product photos and listings off his site. His bridge is apparently made of the shittiest possible grade of Ti you can purchase (FloydUpgrades Ti can withstand something like 30k lbs more P.S.I.) , and he's using Adam's pictures to market it? NOT cool.

And we all know one of Adam's major clients/business partners has a cadre of lawyers on standby for just these type of occasions...(and Roman has ripped him off in the past) so perhaps ER may not be a happy camper soon. :hee:

[indeedido]

I think I recall reading that his store front is closed and he is online only now.

[VanHalenFan5150]

Eh, touche, sorry guys, I guess I was really misled...

[kwame k]

Eh, touche, sorry guys, I guess I was really misled...

Better to find out from these guys here than to get hosed by that guy.......

[jhale667]

Eh, touche, sorry guys, I guess I was really misled...

No apology necessary, dude. First time I heard of him and saw his site (like 10 years ago I think), I thought "well, this guy seems to know what he's talking about" but then once you dig a little further...his reputation catches up to him quickly in the rare cases it doesn't precede him...:rolleyes:


Here's an interesting thread on the Les Paul forum discussing dealings with him...

has anyone dealt with Ed Roman? - My Les Paul Forums (http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/backstage/5252-has-anyone-dealt-ed-roman.html)

Funny comment in that thread:


I have no experience with the man, he seems to be terribly upset about a lot of things. I bet he goes through a lot of Antacids!!

[GAR]

I think I recall reading that his store front is closed and he is online only now.

Yeah, well there's an answer to prayer isn't it.

I felt sorry for his wife and employees, they were extremely nice and dedicated people. Unfortunately they hooked up with a loser and I hope they found better opportunity elsewhere by now.

I wasn't aware the store closed - but then again I didn't see the signage up last April driving thru Vegas.

[GAR]

Nice, straightforward men don't counterfeit other people's products, nor use other Manufacturer's product pictures and claim they're their own offerings.

OK he told me this once in 2004:

"I got Grover Jackson working for me now. Mike Shannon and Tim Wilson do stuff for me all the time too, so with the internet going I can run a very lean operation and offer the original stuff from the original people at a fraction."

So I asked Mike about that he goes ".. that guy is nuts saying that about me. I don't even have the time, my plate's full yknow."

Tim Wilson said basically the same thing, but I didn't believe him because he was was tripping over the scads of Miller Lite cans in the front yard trying to crush 'em while wearing his stupid white trash flipflops.

[jhale667]

Never dealt with him personally, and wouldn't have based on his rep before this shit even went down...


:guitar:

[jhale667]

Hmmm...apparently someone lurks here...got this (from some "anonymous" person at 'Ed Roman CustomShop') email at my YouTube account (?) - where curiously I hadn't commented on the video page from which DJ posted the OP, btw... Interesting, why not answer directly here? Y'know, unless you were trying to come off creepy. :headlights:


Hi, I noticed your post here: http://www.rotharmy.com/forums/gear-street/57802-new-titanium-floyd-rose.html and I just wanted to clear up something up concerning this part of your post "Well, Roman just HAD to pull FloydUpgrades product photos and listings off his site. His bridge is apparently made of the shittiest possible grade of Ti you can purchase (FloydUpgrades Ti can withstand something like 30k lbs more P.S.I.) , and he's using Adam's pictures to market it? NOT cool"

The pictures taken from FloydUpgrades on Ed Romans site were a mistake made by an employee working on Ed's website who thought that Floyd Rose Upgrades and the Titanium Floyd Rose were the same thing. Ed had them taken down as soon as he noticed they were the wrong pictures. Ed is carrying the Titanium Floyd Rose directly from Floyd Rose, nothing is counterfeit about it.

Thanks for clearing that up, but who said the bridge itself was counterfeit (yet)? Pre-emptive strike theory much?

And since we know you're trolling, I'll tell you here like I told you there: Funny you felt the need to state "the bridge isn't counterfeit" off the bat. Didn't contradict the assertion that it was crappy Ti, either...
Also, not buying the "Ed R. noticed the pictures were wrong" story. More likely you got a "Get my &%*@ing pictures off your site" call...:hee: Not like you haven't tried to rip that dude and EVH off before...(cough*counterfeit Dtunas!*cough) had to pull Eddie's pics of your site before too, haven't you? Hmmm?

Though I think I tried to be more polite in my email..:umm:, SHOULDN'T have - slightly annoyed. But the whole no-signature, "I'll show him, I'll email him at YouTube" stalker weird thing? Classy. :dafinger:

[GAR]

um.. I was right there watching him at his shitty BedBathnBeyond glass computer hutch he hides behind, adding new pics to his server account at the time.

Ed 'is' his own webmaster. He's the "employee."

[jhale667]

Ed 'is' his own webmaster. He's the "employee."

Figured as much, thought the referring to himself in the 3rd person thing was a nice touch. :rolleyes:

[GAR]

You're joking, right..

[jhale667]

Uh, yeah. :rolleyes:

[GAR]

Well I think it's only proper Floyd makes his own titanium edition.

[jhale667]

Well I think it's only proper Floyd makes his own titanium edition.

I don't think anyone had a problem with that part of it...

[GAR]

Does your guy make the entire thing in titanium?

From what you were talking about, he was making just the block and saddles.

I bet a real Floyd in titanium would be much cheaper, he and Schaller who make it for him finally figured out folks are willing to pay for a lighter version.

[jhale667]

Does your guy make the entire thing in titanium?
From what you were talking about, he was making just the block and saddles.



There will be a new FloydUpgrades bridge debuting soon.


:guitar:

[jhale667]

So to further clarify, the Floyd Rose Ti bridge is legit - Ed Roman, not so much. Think I'd buy one off the back of a truck from an illegal immigrant before I'd give ER a cent.

Curious though as to where in the US these are being manufactured (if you can even trust that assertion from the ER video) as real Floyds have been made in Germany since the 80s. Jury is still out on the Made in Korea "real" Floyd Rose overall, I've yet to test one personally -but I know for a fact many dudes purchasing Production model Charvels are dumping them like there's no tomorrow and purchasing German-made ones to replace them - out of the box. Look at Ebay, you'll see a glut of MIK Floyds up for auction...not a good sign.

And to further the suspect production question, here's the actual blurb from the FloydUpgrades site regarding (a certain competitor's) grade of Titanium used (this in reference to the string block inserts, but imagine it's true overall):

There is another brand of titanium insert blocks out there that are made from a very low grade of titanium with a psi rating of 40,000 lbs. FloydUpgrades titanium blocks are rated at 140,000 lbs!

Psi rating's off by 100K between the two? :umm:

I'd like to find out some specifics directly from my contact at FR, I have negative interest in what Roman has to say at this point. Even associating with him is a bad move on FR's part, though.

[Blackflag]

This has all turned really silly.

[Nitro Express]

Funny, I've never heard anything good about him...also hearing these are not necessarily all that...will let ya know what I find out.

I mentioned on a website I was thinking about buying one of his guitars and I got bombared with posts from people who had done business with the guy and it was all negative. He really gets flamed on the internet. He must kiss the ass of the big names and when that generates business he fucks the little people.

[jhale667]

This has all turned really silly.

Well, of course if you're here...:tongue0011:

Nah, controversy settled. No issue with Floyd Rose Inc. The aforementioned other "retailer"? Makes my socks itch.

But you want silly? :D

http://www.prorockgear.com/images/products/detail/frts5000.JPG
Now the MIK ones (so far from what I hear, and see in gear blogs either tolerated or reviled by Floyd aficionados; haven't seen one myself, would actually like to) once only available on "select" production guitars (like the Charvel Production models) are being marketed as Floyd Rose "Specials"? :umm: (via the FR Ebay store...)

NEW Floyd Rose 'Special' Tremolo Bridge- Black Nickel - eBay (item 280445601240 end time Mar-02-10 05:47:52 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Floyd-Rose-Special-Tremolo-Bridge-Black-Nickel_W0QQitemZ280445601240QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGui tar_Accessories?hash=item414bdc45d8)

My question is, for $85, are the baseplates decent? Can we rebuild it, make it better than it was? We have the technology....;)

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And hey, look at the bright side now we know the absolute max price one of the MIK ones off a Charvel should be going for on Ebay now...why pay more for the same Asian-made Floyd? :lol:

Like I said, I'm actually curious to see them -both the Ti OFR and their Asian version...lowered expectations on the latter though. Still maybe worth slapping on a beater guitar build, with a Brass Big-Block installed (of course), maybe? :hee:

[GAR]

Even associating with him is a bad move on FR's part, though.

OK look:

1. Floyd does maintain a small machine shop at his place, he makes oddball stuff like the "original Floyd" for people who want to spend $400 to clone Ed's original.

2. Floyd has nothing to do with Ed Roman, and probably wasnt in the booth when Ed came around, picked it up, and goes on camera talking shit about it before walking off.

Kind of like a hit-n-run cam blog. FUCK Ed Roman, fucking liar.

This is no "Ed Roman Presents" situation, it's the other way around. If Ed went to the zoo and said "ah, the Swahili Zebra presented exclusively by Ed Roman Guitars" even a 6-year old knows he fuckin lied in the camera.

[GAR]

My question is, for $85, are the baseplates decent?

I'm NOT hogging out huge 1/2" mounting holes in any body where the plain, stock Original lagscrew goes. Sorry.

Bigtime toneloss there. The question you should ask yourself should really be: How sloppy really are the threads on the fine tuners of these - same as all other Asian Floyd copies (really bad and unuseable)?

[jhale667]

You can still get the old style bridge posts. Got 'em for my Kramer rebuild, wasn't drilling that body...

Main complaint I hear about the MIK ones? The bar assembly won't tighten no matter what you do...which I guess means it's only slightly worse than the current collared bar assembly in that respect...

[Nitro Express]

OK look:

1. Floyd does maintain a small machine shop at his place, he makes oddball stuff like the "original Floyd" for people who want to spend $400 to clone Ed's original.

2. Floyd has nothing to do with Ed Roman, and probably wasnt in the booth when Ed came around, picked it up, and goes on camera talking shit about it before walking off.

Kind of like a hit-n-run cam blog. FUCK Ed Roman, fucking liar.

This is no "Ed Roman Presents" situation, it's the other way around. If Ed went to the zoo and said "ah, the Swahili Zebra presented exclusively by Ed Roman Guitars" even a 6-year old knows he fuckin lied in the camera.

It really sounds like the fool is a real slime ball. Ernie Ball/Musicman busted his ass for repainting the OLP guitars and then selling them as Musicman Axis guitars. He also apparently bought up a bunch of Krammer stock from their fire sale and builds part guitars and sells them as originals.

In other words this guy is a liar and my experience with liars is they have to tell more lies to cover the previous one and when they get caught they just continue to lie and try and make the accuser look like they are out of it. Another trick is the liar will get nasty and start calling the accuser names. Politicians play these tricks all the time. It's a game to them and a person who lies all the time lives in a fake reality they created for themselves. They become slaves to their own bullshit. Roman seems to be one of these type of characters.

[GAR]

In other words this guy is a liar

In other words he's unworthy of one dime of my business.

If he places an order to Floyd for titaniums, good on Floyd. He's the one doing honest business here and that's what matters.