Abstract Guitars Discontinued Models

Abstract Guitars Discontinued Models

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  Abstract Pricelist
 

In 1993 Ed Roman Bought The BC Rich Company From The License-holder Class Axe In Warren New Jersey
Hundreds of Original California Made BC Rich Cores, Necks, Bodies etc Were Part Of The Deal.
All The Original Jigs & Templates & Machinery Were Included In The Sale,
 BC Rich had been Ghostbuilding all the Dean guitars for several years
so all the Dean jigs & templates were also included in the purchase
 Today that company has evolved into Abstract Guitars.
You won't read much about this in the magazines because Abstract has opted not to advertise
 Therefore the Guitar Magazines act as if it does not exist !!!!
However there are more than 200 different models of Abstract Guitars  !!
(10 Times As Many As BC Rich)
There Have Been Close To 2000 Neck Thru Guitars Entirely Handmade Since Abstract Was Named in 2004 !
The New Owners Of BC Rich Have Not Made One Single American Made Guitar Since 1999 when Bernie Died !

 

This Page Will Feature Discontinued Abstract Guitar & Bass Models
All Ed Roman Abstract Neck Thru Guitars Are Made In The USA

  Eagle Brutus Model
Custom Built for Richard Kelley 1998
We built all the BC Rich models back when we owned the company in the 90's
You can spot ours by the fact that our backplates are flush & the wiring was done different for most
Also We Traditionally Use The Superior Tuna Matic Bridges (By Tone Pros)
Today we only build them using old body cores that we made in the 90's or have left over from the 70's & 80's

 Mockingbird, Original Ironbird, Seagull, Eagle, Bich, Warlock, Stealth,


 

Discontinued Model

Jackson Asked Us To Discontinue This Model Because They Still Offer It In The Custom Shop
We Still Have One Complete One & Several Body Blanks Available.


Mockingbird By Ed Roman 1991
Notice The Tune o matic Les Paul Style Bridge
Probably The First BC Rich To ever use This bridge
Another Ed Roman First


Warlock By Ed Roman 1995




Mockingbird By Ed Roman 1999



Stealth Bass Still Available From Ed Roman
Now Known As The Ninja Guitar Or Bass

 

Originally Developed & Manufactured By Randy Waltuch who owned BC Rich in 1990 to 1993. The Virgin Model is also still available from Ed Roman Known As The XXXXX.

 

Most of the original Virgins Were NJ Models. (NJ stood for "Nagoya Japan" not "New Jersey"  like many people erroneously think.

The NJ Series eventually found it's way to Korea where quality slipped. Nowadays they are made in China and the quality is totally unacceptable to any real player.

This body shape does not officially belong to BC Rich therefore we make it with an Abstract Headstock   

The Stealth Body Shape officially belongs to Rick Derringer  who actually went to Gibson to get it made. He was very unhappy with the terms of the Gibson royalty agreement. The quality of the Gibson was questionable because they refused to offer it in a neck through body. They wanted to do it the way the build 99% of their guitars in a set neck style.

Most of my readers know my feeling on a set neck guitar. The Glue in the neck joint kill all the high end overtk

 

before he approached BC Rich

 

 

This Tony Iommi Model Is One of the Original Models Crafted for Tony Iommi.
According to my sources there were 5 made 3 of which went to Tony and 2 got away


THE RED SPECIAL  DISCONTINUED MODEL


Red Special Quilt Top Model

To All The 500 People Who Have Told Me This Guitar Is Not To Original Spec.
Yes I Already Know That !!!

 This Guitar Is An "Upgraded Improved" Version Of The Original !!!
It Would Be Simple To Make Another Copy !!!
Ed Roman Was Contracted By Brian May & Paul Crook To Construct An Improved Version.
This guitar was built to Paul Crook & Brian May's EXACT specs !!!
This guitar was supposed to stay in tune better, play easier and sound just as good as the original.
Therefore we had to go to the drawing board before we created this guitar !!!!

Example Of A Customers Letter

On Sun, Jul 27, 2008 at 9:23 PM, Marc Forrester  wrote:
Hi Ed
I'm a big fan of Brian May and his guitar, which though old fashioned, still a brilliant example of craftsmanship and using what you have available at your disposal. This email is simply used to point out the inaccuracies about the Red Special on your site. You have probably received a few emails on this subject, but the errors are still on your page. I should probably note, much of this information comes from heavy research into the Red Special. Thought cannot tell how the tremolo is frictionless, I am only reiterating what I have read.

First off, the Red Special is a bolt in neck, with one in the back and two under the pickguard. The three pickups rest on the neck. Also, the tremolo fashioned by Brian and his father was made of hardened steel, and for the most part is very easy to keep in tune, due in part to the zero fret and the nut, which make for a very low friction tremolo. The fingerboard is painted oak, not rosewood as stated. The body is made from chambered plywood and oak, finished with mahogany veneers to make it appear solid. Also the pickups were rewound and potted to prevent feedback.
I know this may seem like an attempt to be snobby, but I really enjoy your website and simply want it to have the utmost accuracy. You may know more about it than I do, for you know the man himself, but I am simply telling you what I have read.

Best Regards,
PS: I've got one of your Baker's, and I'm saving up to get one of your Rockingbird's!
You make some of the coolest designs!
Mark Forrester

ED'S ANSWER

Hello Mark...
Thank you for your letter !!!!!

I was not aware that the original was a bolt on, I only saw it close up once and I neglected to turn it over.  I assumed it was a set neck because the Guild Replica and the Burns Replica were both set necks.
The few guitars that we built for Brian & Paul & Gary were never intended to be 100% accurate.
They were intended to look similar but to to made better. (It would be a sacrilege to redo the original).
The few that we built stemmed from all of the mods we did on the guitarists instruments that were playing in the "We Will Rock You" shows.

We upgraded the woods the trem the pickups and the neck. We used Solid Korina for the body & neck (Per Brian's choice).  We used Ebony on the fingerboard instead of rosewood (Per Brian's choice) We used one of our own manufacture tremolo's that would stay in tune (Per Brian's choice) We did a Buzz Feiten system to make the tuning better. (Per Brian's choice) (Brian had indicated  that he had some tuning problems with his).  We purchased the Burns trisonic pickups from Burns.

We worked very closely with a good friend of Brian's who relayed to us exactly what the specs on the guitar should be.

We have been the target of some bashings.!!!!   We are a custom shop and we build guitars the way our clients tell us!!!!   If someone came to me and asked for an exact duplicate of the original, I would build an exact duplicate.

However in the case of the Red Special there were mitigating circumstances.

We were discussing a distribution agreement with Brian May on the LOW COST imported model and we wanted to build a $5,000.00 USA model.   At first It looked like we were going to be able to make the deal fly !!!

However,  Brian decided to use an existing associate of his from the UK to handle the distribution.   Consequently there are none to be had in the USA . 
 
In any case we are no longer building these guitars, and we don't intend to build any more unless Brian or one of his representatives contacts us again.

I appreciate your letter, & thank you for your business, I am glad you like the Rockingbird. It is one of my favorite models we build.

Thanks Again
Ed Roman


This  Abstract Brian May is Different From The Original Red Special
See Below
 

Ed Roman Version Original Red Special
Neck Though Body One Piece Bolted In Neck
Ebony Fretboard Oak Fretboard
Hand Wound Kent Armstrong Tri-sonic Pickups Burns Tri Sonic.
Pearlcaster Full Contact Tremolo Original Home Made Tremolo
Buzz Feiten System ???
Delrin Polytrinite Oil Impregnated Graphite Nut ???
24 Fret Or 22 Fret 24 Fret
Premium African Korina Wood Oak From A Fireplace Mantle
Hard Mounted Direct Coupled Pickups Sprung Pickups Screwed To Pickguard
Bound Neck Body & Headstock Bound Body
Weight 6 lbs Weight 8 1/2 Lbs
Gold Adamantium Titanium Gold & Nickel Frets Nickel Frets
Ed Roman Medallion Logo On The Headstock English Sixpence

 

Worlds Best Guitars

 

These & other guitars have been discontinued for various reasons

Some simply didn't sell well, some had to be discontinued because Gibson sued us.
Some we were sent cease & desist letters on !!
Some of these guitars are temporarily unavailable because we are waiting for the outcome of our lawsuit.
We are confident that we will prevail just like PRS did and then we may reintroduce some of them again.

We at Ed Roman Guitars feel our designs are better & more in keeping with this millennium.
So it is pretty unlikely we will re manufacture too many of these again !!!
We have almost 50 great new designs on the drawing board at this time.
We are always looking for new cool designs and we are always looking for cool names for them.
Let us know if you can help!!!
When a manufacturer discontinues a model, you can always count on us to make up a replica for you. In most cases our replicas are far superior to the original model.

Without a doubt we have been carrying and selling BC Rich guitars longer than any other dealer in the world. We started in 1977 buying 2 or 3 hand made high end guitars a week and the rest is history. 

We hardly ever carried the imported models, Today's economy has forced us to bend and carry the imports. Most people today have no idea the difference between the imported cheese and the real deal anyway.  What a shame!!!  We guarantee to beat any price you can find on any BC Rich import model !!!!!  (Just look it up in any catalog,  Then call us,  You won't be sorry.)

Most of the BC Rich guitars that we have built,  (See Above) have all been made from original BC Rich bodycores, the original serial numbers are still on the guitar.
If there is no serial number, it is usually something we created for someone per their exact order!!!!!  We also have retopped and rebuilt over 300 BC Rich Guitars. There are a number of copiers out there who try to pass their crap off as something we have built. We have info on every one we ever did.

We have never represented one of ours to be a factory BC Rich. The Logo is different and the headstock does not have the familiar BC Rich tit on the top. It is very easy to distinguish our guitars from the production models.
We have estimated that we built or rebuilt,  slightly more than 2000 BC Rich or BC Rich styled guitars during a period of 17 years. During most of that time we were also a very large BC Rich dealer. Excepting for a short period of time we have been the largest BC Rich dealer in the world.
We have chosen to no longer offer these guitars because it might cause confusion in the marketplace. and because Davitt & Hanser "HHI" has asked us to stop making them.

 

Eagle Archtop
Ed Roman Purchased The BC Rich Factory In 1993
We Subsequently Made About 1000 Guitars & Conversions
Ed Roman Designed The Very First Archtop BC Rich Guitars
One Way To Spot An Ed Roman Made Model Is It Will Have Recessed Cavity Plates In The Back



We made the first ones of these!!!!
They were originally called the Spider Bass


Originally designed by Ed Roman & Bernie Rico together
This picture is the very first one ever made !


Ed Roman Purchased The BC Rich Factory In 1993
We Subsequently Made About 1000 Guitars & Conversions|
One Way To Spot An Ed Roman Made Model Is It will Have Recessed Cavity Plates In The Back


Custom Built Right In Our Custom Shop 1998


Designed by Randy Waltuch Original Owner BC Rich Class Axe Guitars
Now Available by Special Order Only
Call The Custom Shop  702.875.4552



This Design Is Legally Owned By Rick Derringer
The First Ones Were Set Necks & Made by Gibson, Then BC Rich Made It for Years.
The Neck Through Version is Always Superior To A Set Neck Guitar
Then BC Rich discontinued it for 6 or 7 years
 They Reissued It As The Chuck Schuldiner Model in 2006
We Still Offer This Guitar in a Neck Through High Quality USA Made Version !!!!
3 to 4 different companies offer this guitar today
  We Call Ours "The Ninja"


Rare All Gold Hardware Custom Made Bridge Supreme Model
Special Ordered With Brazilian Rosewood Fingerboard
Custom Made In Our Shop 1993



BC Rich Original El Monte Body Blanks



Custom Made Replacement Body
We Still Have Several Original Models Like This In Stock



Old style bodyblanks no longer being built
Some models still available


4 Pickups with Custom Scale & Fret Locations
Custom One of a kind for Dave Meros "Spocks Beard"
 


The Elitist Discontinued



The  Wanderer Discontinued
New Model Balances Better




Old Model (The new one is sleeker & lighter


Old Model The new one is slightly asymmetrical like The real Tony Iommi Guitar


Old Model (The new one is slightly asymmetrical like Tony Iommi's Guitar} 



Old Model (The new one is sleeker & lighter



Old Model (The new one is sleeker & lighter



Old Model Juvenile Delinquent 1991 to 2004



Original Mustaine Type Vee
This is still available in stock
Including original Jackson made models

 

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