Buy a guitar from Ed Roman?

tad · Post by **tad** » Thu May 20, 2004 2:16 pm

I have decided to buy a new 650S but the only person I can find that has one in stock is Ed Roman. Should I stay away from him and order one from another dealer? Please share your thoughts.
Thanks, TAD

bbobb24 · Post by **bbobb24** » Thu May 20, 2004 2:25 pm

I won't say anything bad about anyone. I believe I saw a 650 listed in stock at Rhoads Misic. I'd call him first.

Just my opinion

blur · Post by **blur** » Thu May 20, 2004 3:44 pm

I think the 650 Jimmy's got is a Dakota...

bbobb24 · Post by **bbobb24** » Fri May 21, 2004 2:50 am

oooops, sorry then, I knew there was a 650 there.

tad · Post by **tad** » Fri May 21, 2004 7:16 am

A friend of mine told me not to buy the rick 650S because it is not versatile. I am a beginner(3mo) so how much versatility do I need. It's a solid body with 2 HB's, what's the big deal. Will I get tired of it? I like all kinds of rock.

wormdiet · Post by **wormdiet** » Fri May 21, 2004 8:26 am

I;d check out the reviews at Harmony Central. While we will try to give you a lot of info, we might not be totally objective

What type of music are you interested in playing? I'd venture to guess that the 650 is as veratile as, say, any other two-pickup guitar. Maybe more versatile, b/c the pickups supposedly sound more "single coil" ish than yer typical gibson bucker.

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Fri May 21, 2004 9:40 am

Might wanna check this one out?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41439&item=3725593508&rd=1

eatswodo · Post by **eatswodo** » Fri May 21, 2004 1:30 pm

John said exactly what I was going to say, so I'll be quiet.

Just like my 650's humbuckers.

Oh, ok, I have to add something. I'd venture to suggest that your friend has probably never played a 650, and is just trotting out the usual 'Ricks are only good for rhythm' mantra. You can choose whether or not to believe the folks here in this forum (we do have a tendency to be somewhat partisan - that's largely why we're here) - but I can think of no twin humbucker solid body guitar I'd rather own than my 650D. It's the dog's bits.

If you can live with chrome instead of gold, you should be able to find a 650D fairly easily - try Musician's Friend.

adam_swapp · Post by **adam_swapp** » Sat May 22, 2004 8:58 pm

Buying a guitar you've never seen, heard, or played is a dicey proposition. It might be the "dog's bits" for one person, but you may think it's more like the dog's droppings.

eatswodo · Post by **eatswodo** » Sun May 23, 2004 3:11 am

Very good point, Adam - but the scarcity of many Rickenbacker models in stores means that sometimes you have to take that chance. Also, buying from an online retailer like Musician's Friend or Music123 does allow you to return it if you're not satisfied.

bbobb24 · Post by **bbobb24** » Sun May 23, 2004 5:45 am

Also keep in mind that Rickenbackers really seem to hold their value compared to a lot of other manufacturers, so if you buy and decide a few months later that it's not for you odds are that you won't loose your shirt.

philco · Post by **philco** » Tue May 25, 2004 4:19 am

Either buy your Rickenbacker from a dealer that specializes in mail order like Rhoads Music, Pick of the Ricks, Mike Parks OR buy from a mega dealer like Musician's Friend or Music123 that has a money back policy. Musician's Friend and Music123 will not be the lowest price because of the return policy. I would personally favor the first 3 dealers if I was sure that I wanted the guitar. You save enough up front that if you decide to sell it, you will have to discount the price very little to get it to move.

The 650S is sometimes seen used for sale, but it offers no advantage over a 650C which comes in all standard RIC finishes. My advice is to stay with chrome hardware with longer lasting finish at a lower cost. With the minimal finish, the 650D is probably the tone king anyway, and the lowest cost and easiest to find 650 on the used market. It sounds cleaner than a Gibson and weighs less so is more comfortable. You can always check you stage appearance in the chrome pickguard.

tad · Post by **tad** » Wed May 26, 2004 9:35 am

Thanks for all the info out there, I do appreciate it. I will try some of the dealers you sugggested.

spencer · Post by **spencer** » Wed May 26, 2004 10:34 am

Hey, speaking of Ed Roman, does anybody know what the deal is with his Mosrite connection?
I wounldn't mind having a Ventures model and was wondering if those are liscened re-issues.

dave4004 · Post by **dave4004** » Wed May 26, 2004 7:46 pm

That's just hot air. Ed Roman has no Mosrite connection, he's been promising those new US Mosrites for years. And the Mosrite company has been nonexistent for years, I don't think there's anyone who has the rights to authorize any official reissue. There's a Japanese company making guitars with the Mosrite name but that's only because there's apparently nothing stopping them.

You might want to check out http://www.tymguitars.com.au/ . He makes some true Mosrite style guitars and there's a 4-page Mosrite history section on the site.