Ed Roman: Now that he's gone, what's up with the Vegas shop?

[23 Fretz]

- Is it still open?

- If it's still open, do you still get treated like a peasant in a palace when you walk in there?

- Are the prices still out to lunch?

 

[Rick Lee]

I looked into visiting about two yrs ago and, IIRC, there was a $100 admission fee, which you could use as a deposit if you planned to buy a guitar. No thanks.

 

[corvus]

worst experience ever in dealing with a custom build , even after his passing

 

[Route234]

Charging people just to come in your store has to be among the most ignorant business practices Ive ever heard of. Id never buy a product from anyone who did something like that.

 

[Zingeroo]

worst experience ever in dealing with a custom build , even after his passing

Sounds like he trained someone well in the ways of assholery.


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[Marc Roy]

I looked into visiting about two yrs ago and, IIRC, there was a $100 admission fee, which you could use as a deposit if you planned to buy a guitar. No thanks.

WTF? I've heard some outlandish **** about Roman over the years, but that's incredible.

 

[StratGuy22]

I looked into visiting about two yrs ago and, IIRC, there was a $100 admission fee, which you could use as a deposit if you planned to buy a guitar. No thanks.

lololol


That would be the day.


:

 

[Peteyvee]

WTF? I've heard some outlandish **** about Roman over the years, but that's incredible.

It's for real...

 

[Marc Roy]

Anybody have some stories about dealing with Ed Roman? Most of the info I've ever gotten on him was from the Harmony Central forums, and God know how accurate it is.

 

[Spooky Action]

Sounds like he trained someone well in the ways of assholery.


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God rest his soul

 

[DGTCrazy]

You still have to "call ahead" for an "appointment". And they want you to phone rather than email. Also, they've been in the process of "moving" for a while now....yet the maintain hours Mon-Fri, 9-5 pm, (PST).

 

[Luke]

I knew Ed and went to his house twice after he left East Coast Music Mall. We were not friends, I went to buy guitars. He had a massive inferiority complex and was always throwing the bravado around to cover it up. I think Ed got his ass kicked a lot as a kid, kinda like Axl Rose.

 

[Rick Lee]

If you want to keep the tire kickers out of your store, then charging a $100 admission fee is a good way to do it. But sheesh. How many impulse buys does the shop lose that way? I know I've bought a TON of gear over the years on impulse buys. Keeping me out of the store by whatever means is a surefire way to make sure I don't impulse buy anything.

 

[Zingeroo]

Anybody have some stories about dealing with Ed Roman? Most of the info I've ever gotten on him was from the Harmony Central forums, and God know how accurate it is.

A well-known boutique luthier from my neck of the woods (or bayou) was burned by him and won't ever do business with him (well, his company, now) ever again.

 

[Peteyvee]

Anybody have some stories about dealing with Ed Roman? Most of the info I've ever gotten on him was from the Harmony Central forums, and God know how accurate it is.

I walked in there with $5000 in cash (blackjack winnings) intending to buy a guitar. I was wearing an Armani suit and expensive shoes and sunglasses. They wouldn't let me play a single guitar and treated me like ****.

As I started walking out, I waved the stack of cash in the guys face and told him I wouldn't buy a set of strings from him if he were the last store on earth. I saw Ed Roman come out of the back and he said "wait a minute sir", so I paused and he asked what I was buying TODAY. I said nothing from his store and walked out. I When I got home I bought my Historic 335 from Truetone...

That's about it...

 

[woof*]

They say he had the strength of ten men.

 

[Lution]

I walked in there with $5000 in cash (blackjack winnings) intending to buy a guitar. I was wearing an Armani suit and expensive shoes and sunglasses. They wouldn't let me play a single guitar and treated me like ****.

As I started walking out, I waved the stack of cash in the guys face and told him I wouldn't buy a set of strings from him if he were the last store on earth. I saw Ed Roman come out of the back and he said "wait a minute sir", so I paused and he asked what I was buying TODAY. I said nothing from his store and walked out. I When I got home I bought my Historic 335 from Truetone...

That's about it...

 

[tnvol]

I never had any issues in the store. I was always allowed to play anything I asked to play. The one bad experience I had was with trying to buy something online. I found something I had been trying to find for a LONG time and wanted it bad. It was pretty expensive but I was willing to pay. I had it all set up, was getting ready to pay, and the person I was dealing with mentioned something about finish issues. I asked for a picture and they stopped responding. No answers to my emails and when I called they said they knew nothing about me or the guitar. I was pissed. Luckily I ended up finding one a couple weeks later a lot cheaper.

 

[T92780]

If you have a high-end store, perhaps a free admission "no touch" policy is ok and on "each visit" you're their to "touch/try and maybe buy", you must give a $50.00 cash deposit. If you don't buy anything on that visit, you get a store credit only, not your cash back..... love it!!!

This would keep "their" inventory in better condition/hold up value and self qualify each customer. For me, it would make my visits more enjoyable on multiple levels. For the lunch hour killing crowd, find another store to wanker away on the high-end gear you can't afford in near future.

 

[sanhozay]

there are rules to treating customers correctly and ed roman broke them all, even after death.

people do "showroom" businesses to death, and it's a very difficult thing to reconcile when you're trying to run one. nowadays many "customers" think a salesperson should do the work for them, and then they shop online for the best price. lets call those people inconsiderate assholes. but charging them to let them come inside your store only makes the business look like a dick.

i say, kill people with kindness and take care of them, and the laws of averages will favor you.