WOW WHERE DO I START WITH THIS ONE! THIS BASS IS A VERY RARE ED ROMAN "LOWRIDER" 4 STRING BASS. THE STORIES AND THE CURIOSITY ABOUT THIS INSTRUMENT WERE WELL EXPLORED IN THE BASS COMMUNITY AND THE SUMMARY OF THE CONVERSATIONS AND INTREST IN THE 'LOWRIDER BASS" WERE FOCUSED ON NO ONE HAVING SEEN ONE. THE ALWAYS INTERESTING GUITAR GURU, ED ROMAN WHO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW, IS ONE OF, THE IF NOT THE LARGEST CUSTOM GUITAR DEALERS IN THE WORLD, SELLS THE "LOWRIDER BASS" AS ONE OF HIS CUSTOM OFFERINGS. ED ROMAN GUITARS IS PRESENTLY LOCATED IN LAS VEGAS. IF YOU HAVE NOT HEARD ABOUT ED THEN PLEASE DO SOME HOMEWORK AND SIMPLY SEARCH FOR ED ROMAN GUITARS ON THE WEB. IT SEEMS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD DIRECT EXPERIENCE IN MEETING ED ROMAN OR VISITING HIS STORE HAVE A LOT TO SAY. TRUST ME IT IS ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING GUITAR TRIVIA JOURNEYS EVER. THAT SAID LET'S GET INTO THE EVER ELUSIVE "LOWRIDER"!
The "LOWRIDER" is a custom Bass that is supposed to have been created by Ed Roman and is offered with any number of options and of course different price points. Ed Roman (as stated on his web site) felt that he was offering the "LOWRIDER" to cheap and since there were curious comparison to the other favorite Fender like Custom Basses you know the ones it never caught on the way that he hoped. The "LOWRIDER" can go from $1500.00 to $3,000.00 from Ed Roman depending on what you want. I know this because I called the store after acquiring this one. This one is loaded with a beautiful Ash Body with a "KILLER Quilt Maple Top! It also features a "TREKER FULL FLOATING" neck. Again if you are not familiar with the "TREKER" Neck design please research this patented design because it is something special. Check out all the great info available at http://www.trekerguitars.com/html/necks.html it also has a full Bartolini system in it. Bartolini jazz type pickups with a 9 volt preamp and 2 Band EQ. Vol/Bal/Bass-Treble Stack.The neck is made from Birdseye Maple with a Birdseye Maple fingerboard with satin finish. The neck is like a great "A" Jazz Bass neck and the sound from this Bass is as good as it gets. A Pearl White pickguard sets off the beautiful wood combination superbly. Notice the details like a rounded body/neck heel joint and sunken neck screws for strength. You will not see too many of these and if you are lucky enough to find one you will not be disappointed in it. So rare and such a mystery in the Bass community, I am really happy that I found this one. I am going to have to open up the chat room talk on the "ED ROMAN LOWRIDER" bass and let everyone know that I actually have one to critique! From it's Treker neck to it's beautiful woods choices , to its KILLER sound it is truly special and different. Now that said, I have done some investigating and in my opinion the Ed Roman "Lowrider" 4string Bass that I have, is in fact a TREKER "JAZZMINE model 4 String!! It appears as an exact duplicate of the TREKER "JAZZMINE model as shown on the TREKER web site (http://www.trekerguitars.com/html/jazzmine.html) I will go as far as to suspect that Ed Roman had TREKER build or supply the Basses and he branded his with his own decal. Look closely at the "LOWRIDER BASS" on Ed Romans's web site http://www.edroman.com/guitars/lowrider.htm and compare with the one on the TREKER web site. The finish and wood are the same and like fingerprints no two woods have the same exact character in grain pattern. close but not exact! And if you look close the 5 string JAZZMINE on the TREKER site has no decal on the headstock! So here we may have solved a problem in the ability to judge this Bass against the other popular Fender type customs. This Bass is a Treker "JAZZMINE" in wolfs clothing! And whether any other "LOWRIDERS were made differently or by another builder I can't say but I have seen another one that was black and looks like it is the same as mine with an ED Roman decal on the headstock. Whew, what detective work! So far this has been worth the chase just as a conversation piece. Imagine how much fun you could have if you actually had the Bass in your hands! All of that fun aside this is a highly collectible (because of Roman branding) fun to play Bass! It sounds like it should and is light weight at 9 pounds so you don't have a boat anchor around your neck! And did I tell you how really, really great this Bass looks? It is a nice package of innovative thought brought to function. Is this a challenge to a Sadowsky, Lull or Lakland for instance, in my opinion absolutely not. But for what it lacks in infinite detail or workmanship it trys to make up in sex appeal. It is like that little bit sleazy blonde you knew in your past, she was a great time but not the one you would marry. You want to have a great Bass experience for the money , than this is a Bass for you. If you are looking for something none of your Bass buddies have, this is it. If you want a museum piece that is to be worshipped, this is not your Bass. If you want to play the ass off of this Bass it will love it and so will you. Have fun. Available here at BASSLIFE! E-Mail for info and with any questions. basslife@basslife.net 201-452-4491
