The Steel Guitar Forum Store 

Post new topic RIP Mr.Dusan Papic (Promat guitars)
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  RIP Mr.Dusan Papic (Promat guitars)
Ned McIntosh


From:
New South Wales, Australia
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2017 12:35 am    
Reply with quote

We have lost yet another uniquely-talented builder of the pedal steel-guitar. No ordinary steel-guitar, and no ordinary builder, either.

He built metric push-pull guitars which are regarded as the equal of the best push-pull Emmons produced. No other builder anywhere has done that, and now his skilled hands are forever still.

Into every steel-guitar he put his love for the instrument. Truly hand-crafted, each one a tribute to his skill, now these steels stand as his monument and our arcane little musical community is united in grief and diminished by this terrible loss.

To Mr Papic's family and friends I offer my heart-felt condolences. We also bear Damir Besic in our thoughts, for it was he who recognised the quality and value of Mr Papic's work and became his champion. To Damir I also offer my condolences on the sudden loss of a close friend.

RIP.
_________________
The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being.


Last edited by Ned McIntosh on 19 Jan 2017 10:22 am; edited 1 time in total
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Pat Moore


From:
Virginia USA
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2017 6:16 am    
Reply with quote

My deepest condolences to his family & friends! I never met him, but his reputation always preceded him. His steels are as good as they get, and they will always be his lasting legacy!
We have all lost a great person, and I wish much strength to Damir in his difficult time, as I know they were close.
Pat Moore
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Damir Besic


From:
Nashville,TN.
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2017 6:56 am    
Reply with quote

thank you my friends... here are few more pictures you may like







son Slobodan testing a new Promat SD10 before shipping to France



another son Sava, working on guitars



one of Dusans favorite photos, with one of his heroes on Promat
_________________
https://steelguitarsonline.com/
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Dave Diehl

 

From:
Mechanicsville, MD, USA
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2017 8:03 am    
Reply with quote

Nicely said Ned. Your words are right on target.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Mickey Adams


From:
Bandera Texas
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2017 2:56 pm    
Reply with quote

History is passing before our eyes so quickly now it seems..
RIP...Mr Papic...
_________________
ARTIST RELATIONS: MSA GUITARS
2017 MSA LEGEND XL D10, S10, Studio Pro S12 EXE9
Mullen G2, Rittenberry S10, Infinity D10, Zumsteel 8+9
Anderson, Buscarino, Fender, Roman Guitars, Sarno Octal, Revelation Preamps, BJS BARS, Lots of Blackface Fenders!
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Damir Besic


From:
Nashville,TN.
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2017 3:04 pm    
Reply with quote

Mickey Adams wrote:
History is passing before our eyes so quickly now it seems..
RIP...Mr Papic...


I just thought about that today... you are so right my friend... in the last couple years we lost a lot of good people in our small steel guitar community ... Sad
_________________
https://steelguitarsonline.com/
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Bruce W Heffner

 

From:
Payson, Arizona
Post  Posted 18 Jan 2017 4:58 am     ProMat
Reply with quote

Sorry for the loss of your friend Damir. Anyone who would build a high quality pedal steel guitar in the push pull mechanism had to be a true lover of the music.

Bruce
_________________
Bruce W Heffner AKA Wally

"We live in Arizona now."

Payson, AZ
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Roy Carroll


From:
North of a Round Rock
Post  Posted 18 Jan 2017 7:21 am    
Reply with quote

So Sorry Damir,
Please pass on the regrets to the family. I know their loss is huge. I spoke with him about my Promat, His was a labor of love for sure! Great guitar, Great builder and Great Innovator! The attention to detail is unsurpassed. He will be missed.
_________________
Just north of the Weird place, south of Georgetown
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Allan Thompson

 

From:
Scotland.
Post  Posted 18 Jan 2017 11:08 am    
Reply with quote

So sorry to hear of Dusan's passing. I spoke with him many times via email, he was a lovely man.
R.I.P. Dusan.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Damir Besic


From:
Nashville,TN.
Post  Posted 18 Jan 2017 7:51 pm    
Reply with quote

I dont think anyone knew he didnt feel good, he was very private person...he was working on D10 lefty for a customer in US, guitar is 70% finished, parts are all done ,and guitar is ready for assembly...this is Promat #27 ,and it will be finished and delivered, but after that I don't know, that could very well be the last Promat ever built...
_________________
https://steelguitarsonline.com/
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Andy DePaule


From:
Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon
Post  Posted 19 Jan 2017 12:33 am     A sad truth
Reply with quote

A sad truth that it may be the last at #27. Maybe his sons will take up the effort?
I never had a PP guitar but those that he made were so beautiful in the photos I saw.
The other sad truth was something I think many of us have thought of recently. That is how many wonderful people in this community have passed away in the last couple of years.
Again Damir, sorry for your loss.
_________________
Inlaid Star Guitar 2006 by Mark Giles. SD-10 4+5 in E9th; http://luthiersupply.com/instrument-gallery.html
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Damir Besic


From:
Nashville,TN.
Post  Posted 19 Jan 2017 8:19 pm    
Reply with quote

thank you Andy,he will be missed...I still remember years ago when I first brought a Promat to US, one of the coments was that Promat looks like it was made "out of parts from Lowe's, using a hammer, and a file" ...I can't remember who was a idiot who said that, but it's not important at this point...loosers like that never discouraged Dusan to keep making high quality instruments...
_________________
https://steelguitarsonline.com/
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Andy DePaule


From:
Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon
Post  Posted 19 Jan 2017 9:28 pm     Dumb people
Reply with quote

Dumb people have no idea of all the skills a person must learn and master as well as the tooling and supplies required to even start a project like a pedal steel guitar.
Least of all can they spot a master craftsman when they see one. Just stupid and you can't fix stupid.
I'll bet you are going to treasure that last Promat you brought back. It looks to be one of the finest I've ever seen by any builder.
I loved the colors and the gold tuners with the polished aluminum parts.
I'm sure it plays as good as it looks.
_________________
Inlaid Star Guitar 2006 by Mark Giles. SD-10 4+5 in E9th; http://luthiersupply.com/instrument-gallery.html
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Damir Besic


From:
Nashville,TN.
Post  Posted 19 Jan 2017 9:34 pm    
Reply with quote

it plays great. Henry Matthews went through it, and did service and adjustments ... last weekend friend of mine, Gary Morse had a chance to look at it, first thing he said after I opened the case was "this is work of art" ... we'll be taking it to his studio, for some pickin'.... thats going to be fun Smile
_________________
https://steelguitarsonline.com/
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Dave Diehl

 

From:
Mechanicsville, MD, USA
Post  Posted 20 Jan 2017 12:52 pm    
Reply with quote

As I was playing my Promat two nights ago at a job, I looked down at the guitar and thought about all the things Dusan and I had talked about, the experimental things we tried on other guitars which always proved to improve the tone, the metal composition of guitar parts, and so many more things, I realized that I had lost more of a friend than I realized. There probably were very few weeks that went by since I bought my guitar in 2008, that we had not talked on some issue. He was also a very patient man. Communicating, given his English, was not always easy for me but he always patiently re-explained things until I got it. As for the comments on the workmanship, I am a Mechanical Engineer and I will argue with anyone that the parts and workmanship of my Promat will match or supercede any other guitar out there. I believe many of the negative comments ever said were because this was not an American made guitar. But comments were always all positive about the fine work they saw. I remember playing a job once where I was playing my Promat and a gentleman who was standing in the audience came up to me afterwards so excited going on and on about "I have heard so much about those Promat guitars but had never seen one and man you just made my day". He went on raving about how great it sounded as well. Just a testament to these fine instruments Dusan "hand" manufactured. I will miss this man so.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Joseph Torres


From:
Arizona, USA
Post  Posted 20 Jan 2017 8:33 pm     Damir Besic
Reply with quote

I'm sorry to hear of the lose of your dear friend, my condolences to you and his family. Prayers for the family and may he rest in peace.

Joseph Torres
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Mirko Tomic

 

From:
Serbia
Post  Posted 21 Jan 2017 4:47 am    
Reply with quote

My dear friend Damir,I can*t explain how much i*m, sorry
becasue our dear Mr.Dusan Papic passed away.I knew him since 1987 and we were really close friends.We were every week on the line,about PSG and music in general.He was unique person.Last time I saw him was two months ago when I tested his guitar which is now in your posesion.He will live through our playing on his guitars.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Ron Grant

 

From:
Texas, USA
Post  Posted 23 Jan 2017 6:24 am    
Reply with quote

I am the very proud owner of the lefty #27 [day set up ] 8 floor-- 7 knee. it will never be for sale.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Jimmy Douglas

 

From:
Raceview, Queensland, Australia
Post  Posted 8 Feb 2018 7:17 am    
Reply with quote

Very sad and shocked to just learn that Dusan has passed away. My respects and best wishes to his family and friends. A very nice gentleman.

Sincerely

Jimmy
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Damir Besic


From:
Nashville,TN.
Post  Posted 8 Feb 2018 10:33 am    
Reply with quote




_________________
https://steelguitarsonline.com/
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Dave Diehl

 

From:
Mechanicsville, MD, USA
Post  Posted 8 Feb 2018 1:39 pm    
Reply with quote

Mr. Papic had engineering ideas which would have done a lot for the Pedal Steel Guitar. But those ideas passed with his passing. He was VERY proud of his work and one of the most patient and brilliant people I ever dealt with. I owe him a lot for what I learned from my discussions with him. I played my Promat on a job last night and it played and sounded as nice as any other guitar out there.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Damir Besic


From:
Nashville,TN.
Post  Posted 8 Feb 2018 2:01 pm    
Reply with quote

my problem with Promat is that I don’t like push pull mechanics, but after playing over 500 different steel guitars I just can’t find anything that sounds better... Oh Well
_________________
https://steelguitarsonline.com/
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Dave Diehl

 

From:
Mechanicsville, MD, USA
Post  Posted 8 Feb 2018 4:55 pm    
Reply with quote

I'd rather work on a Push Pull anytime over an all pull. Mr. Papic studied these mechanics in more depth than anyone else I know and knew so much about material theory and their responses.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 9 Feb 2018 3:56 am    
Reply with quote

Damir's probably best placed to answer - how did Mr Papic get into building steels in the first place? Did he spend time in the States (like Mitsuo Fujii)?
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Godfrey Arthur

 

From:
3rd Rock
Post  Posted 9 Feb 2018 8:56 am    
Reply with quote

Godspeed Mr.Papic

Sorry for your and our loss Damir.
_________________
ShoBud The Pro 1
YES it's my REAL NAME!
Ezekiel 33:7
View user's profile Send private message


All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  

Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction,
steel guitars & accessories

www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

Please review our Forum Rules and Policies

Steel Guitar Forum LLC
PO Box 237
Mount Horeb, WI 53572 USA


Click Here to Send a Donation

Email admin@steelguitarforum.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for
Band-in-a-Box

by Jim Baron
HTTP