November 2003 Non-stop Buckeye Usually, if you want a Series I, you need to wait 3-5 months for design and build time. Ed Roman didn't want you to have to wait for your dream bass, so he ordered this masterpiece from Susan to display in his Las Vegas store. Of course they just couldn't resist adding several custom options to the bass to make it even more special, starting with Buckeye Burl. With such a stunning piece of wood, Susan and Ed agreed that the bookmatch to center feature was a must on both the front and the back to maximize the view. And what a view it is.

	Buckeye Burl almost doesn't look like wood with its blueish colors. The wood is typically a creamy yellow, mixed with dark inclusions of bark. The blue is from a fungus stain. Don't worry! This bass won't rot out of your hands. The fungus requires moisture levels above 18% to survive. We dry the wood so the fungus is arrested and its blue color preserved. Sometimes as a burl gets larger, it overgrows itself and some of the bark gets ingrown. This habit also leaves large gaps or voids across a slab. Kris expertly inlays bookmatched Buckeye from another part of the slab to replace these areas that aren't fit for basses. Of course when the bark is stable enough and pretty enough, we leave it in place like on the back of this bass.

	The Omega carving at the bottom of the bass is first cut by bandsaw. Then Tony carves the wood to form the Omega. From this angle, you get a detailed look at the tip of the Omega. The small piece of Maple is actually part of the neck. With any bass you should always use a stand and never lean it against your amp. This is especially true with an Omega cut. While the glue joint is sound, you can see it's small and should never be used to support the weight of the bass. The neck itself is made from seven laminates of Maple and Ebony. The Ebony neck laminates emphasize the fundamental sustain. When playing eighth-notes, you might not be aware of it, but when playing music such as ballads with longer sustained notes, you'll find the foundation this bass lays out is massive.

	How could this bass not have continuous wood backplates? These plates are cut from the back laminate before the body is assembled. Bob uses his scroll saw to remove the plate. Kris then makes a custom plywood from the plate forming a symmetrical stack of alternating woods to give it added strength and stability. All we know is that it looks awfully cool.

SPECIFICATIONS 5-string Series I bass Triple Omega body shape Buckeye Burl top bookmatched to center Buckeye Burl back bookmatched to center Continuous wood backplates Ebony neck laminates Polyester finish with satin neck feel Mother of Pearl oval inlays Series I electronics Side LEDs in red Inlaid logo with shell Bookmatched Crown peghead Nickel plated hardware Offered by: Ed Roman Guitars 4305 South Industrial Rd. Bldg#165 Las Vegas, NV 89103 (702) 798 4995 phone (702) 798 8521 fax

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