Ed Roman, a guitar maker and luthier whose famous clientele included Ace Frehley of Kiss as well as Ted Nugent, has died, according to a recent post on his company’s Web site. Roman’s age, as well as the cause and location of his death, were not disclosed.

In a May 2010 interview, Roman estimated that he had been making guitars for close to 40 years. The fan site KissFAQ.com states that Roman’s working relationship with Frehley can be traced back to 1989 and included him making adjustments to one of Frehley’s trusty Gibson Les Paul guitars.

The testimonials section of his site includes pictures of Nugent, Mountain‘s Leslie West and the Outlaws‘ Hughie Thomasson holding handmade Roman-built instruments. The always-quotable Nugent had this to say about Roman’s handiwork: “Yikes! You sure make phenomenal lookin’ guitars. Salute!”

When asked about his work back in 1997, Roman said: “This business is a tough business, believe me, ya’ gotta be a little crazy to be in it. One of the biggest perks for me, is rubbing shoulders with rock stars, meeting most of these people is too cool. Seeing them up on stage, with one of my guitars in their hands, is a feeling I can’t describe.”

Billed as “the world’s largest guitar shop,” Ed Roman Guitars in Las Vegas is no stranger to celebrity visitors. ZZ Top‘s Billy Gibbons once stopped by with magician Criss Angel to check out the impressive inventory, which included an autographed Gibbons guitar.

Watch Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top Visit Ed Roman Guitars

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