The Steel Guitar Forum

Posted: **13 Nov 2006 1:10 pm**

I`ve received few email asking if Promat can only be ordered in black,the answer is no,almost any color is possible to order.This is my maple/mahagony.

Db

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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com

Posted: **13 Nov 2006 1:43 pm**

what a beauty !

t

Posted: **13 Nov 2006 1:59 pm**

How about Lacquer?

bob

Posted: **13 Nov 2006 2:22 pm**

Tony,
thank you,I tought that maple/mahagony combination would look good with gold tuners.Another guitar just like this one will be on the way to Texas shortly.

Bob,
next one I order will be natural lacquer SD-10,it took me some time to convince Promat to make a lacquer guitar because they believe that the part of the secret to the great push/pull tone lays in formica.Promat is importing formica for their guitars from Italy and it must be certain specifications mica.They think that with a lacquer finish guitar will lose some of that famous push/pull tone.We`ll see I guess.Promat is very picky when it comes to material and parts for their guitars.Tuning keys are from England,formica from Italy,TT pick ups from US and maple is hand picked 30 year old maple.Mr Papic goes personaly to look at a lumber yards after maple for his guitars.He is armed with some kind of gadget that tells him humidity in the wood and that way he knows how old the wood is.He uses only 30+ year old maple for his guitars.

Db

ps

also,if you look carefully at the second picture you will see that this guitar is FULL BACK,wich I believe will make that push pull tone even better.

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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com

[This message was edited by Damir Besic on 13 November 2006 at 02:29 PM.]

Posted: **13 Nov 2006 2:33 pm**

this is my black one,this one is cut back tho,but still has a tone to die for

Db

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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com

Posted: **13 Nov 2006 4:58 pm**

Promat doesn`t make only black guitars

So how do they maintain consistent tone??

Terry

Posted: **13 Nov 2006 5:21 pm**

I'm not a fan of two-tone instuments.

Posted: **13 Nov 2006 8:03 pm**

Very pretty.I like 2 tone instruments. THere's a member here. That has a 2 tone Derby that looks killer.Just my opinion of course.

Posted: **13 Nov 2006 8:53 pm**

Are the atom fretboard position markers not an Emmons trademark?

Posted: **14 Nov 2006 5:30 am**

Does the soup bowl in the cabinet only come in white???

Posted: **14 Nov 2006 7:14 am**

i think the atoms are as much a part of the emmons brand as the name. same with the playing cards for sho~bud, etc... and all down the line. i can't believe emmons hasn't shut this practice down.

however, even if they are not trademarked or otherwise protected, why would another company want to use another brand's fretmarkers? isn't it part of brand development to come up with a distinctive logo/fret marker?

i bet they sound great, but as far as the fret marker thing, i don't get it at all.

mike

Posted: **14 Nov 2006 7:18 am**

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.

Posted: **14 Nov 2006 7:30 am**

I guess it hasn't been a problem, but this the first guitar I've noticed where there is no nut on the inside of the keyhead where the tuner shaft protrudes.

Posted: **14 Nov 2006 8:15 am**

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.

Until your business competitor copies your product design!

Posted: **14 Nov 2006 9:14 am**

i think the atoms are as much a part of the emmons brand as the name. same with the playing cards for sho~bud, etc... and all down the line. i can't believe emmons hasn't shut this practice down.

you must be kidding me,are you trying to say that Emmons owns Atom sign and Sho~Bud card signs???

Db

Atom sign has a much more important and widely use than being on the fretboard of the steel guitar and "Emmons" company owns a name "Emmons" only because they stold it from Buddy.

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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com

Posted: **14 Nov 2006 11:42 am**

you must be kidding me,are you trying to say that Emmons owns Atom sign and Sho~Bud card signs???

no - i'm clearly not kidding. go back and read a bit closer and you'll see that i'm not saying that they own those insignias.

can anyone here argue that fretboard markers on pedal steels are NOT a huge part of the brand statement? i bet we would all agree that certain guitar sare associated with certain markers. what i am saying is that in the case of emmons/atoms and sho~bud/card suits, these fretboard markers are pretty much iconic.

most makers who plainly and unashamedly recreate teles, strats, p-basses, etc... (i'm thinking sadowsky, anderson, lakland and such) make variations on the headstock shape. this is not only because fender would sue them for copyright infringement, but they want people to see the distinction (albeit slight) when an artist is using one of their axes.

anyway, that's all i'm saying about this. to get back on topic, that really is one nice black guitar. no argument there.[This message was edited by Mike Phillips on 14 November 2006 at 11:46 AM.][This message was edited by Mike Phillips on 14 November 2006 at 11:47 AM.][This message was edited by Mike Phillips on 14 November 2006 at 11:48 AM.]

Posted: **14 Nov 2006 4:54 pm**

Hi....the 'Promat' looks very nice and almost exactly like my '71 Emmons includng the style of floor pedals, fingerboard, tuners and pickups, endplate, etc.
(My fingerboard has the white atom symbols instead of colored)
Is this a knockoff of the Emmons guitar? I mean what is the bigger difference?

http://usera.imagecave.com/Randall822/Emmons-03.jpg
Randy
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1971 Emmons D-10 8/7 #1568 D, Rosewood

[This message was edited by Randall Miller on 14 November 2006 at 05:03 PM.][This message was edited by Randall Miller on 14 November 2006 at 05:16 PM.]

Posted: **14 Nov 2006 4:59 pm**

people buy all kinds of fretboards and put them on all kinds of guitars,I don`t see what a big deal is.I agree that Promat should have it`s own fretboard design, but not because of Emmons but because of their own originality.I think that they are prety much concentrated on tone of the instrument and not the look,I`m sure you can order guitar from Promat and they will put any kind of fretboard you want on it.I personaly don`t care as long as guitar has the tone I want and this guitars do.

Db

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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com

Posted: **14 Nov 2006 5:07 pm**

Is this a knockoff of the Emmons guitar? I mean what is the bigger difference?

Hi Randy,

it is,and Promat is (as far as I know) the only company that makes push pull guitars in the world.If someone wants a new push pull ,fat back or cut back,D-10,S-12 etc...he can order it from Promat.There is some things that are little different but I`m not familiar with that.However,I think the tone is little differnt also,it was described (by some Nashville players) as being more push/pull sounding that Emmons itself.But you would have to hear that yourself to believe it I guess.

Db

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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com

Posted: **14 Nov 2006 5:12 pm**

Okay Damir..thanks for clearing that up.

However, I am not familiar with the terms 'fatback' ot 'cutback' on a steel.
Thanks for your replies.

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1971 Emmons D-10 8/7 #1568 D, Rosewood

Posted: **14 Nov 2006 5:23 pm**

Randy,

you`re welcome.
"fat back" or "cut back" would be your back on your guitar.Most of the Emmons guitars have "cut back" back side,Emmons made "full back" (or fat back,either way) in early 80`s and those guitars have a little different tone to them.Some people say better.However,those guitars (push pull fat back or cut back) can`t be ordered new except from Promat.Emmons made few push pull guitars last year I think but I`m not sure if they are available any longer.But lately I haven`t been around music and forum so I`m little out of the loop,maybe someone else knows more about it.

Db

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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com

Posted: **14 Nov 2006 5:32 pm**

guess it hasn't been a problem, but this the first guitar I've noticed where there is no nut on the inside of the keyhead where the tuner shaft protrudes.

Barry,

I think that is one of the little things that are different from Emmons.Guys at Promat believe that tuning key without a nut will have a better contact with the key head and they believe that the string vibrations are transfered through the key head on to the body of the guitar.The whole proces together with the fact that changer fingers are in touch with the body also ,results in a "push pull" tone.There is some other things too but I don`t know,they wouldn`t tell me,it is their secret.

Db

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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com

Posted: **14 Nov 2006 8:08 pm**

Your third picture is striking. It's just beautiful. So you're a photographer too! Wow.

Posted: **15 Nov 2006 5:09 pm**

Hi Leila,

I wish it was me who took that picture,it was done by a professional photograph.Nice isn`t it?He takes some good pix.

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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com

Posted: **16 Nov 2006 9:28 am**

Stunning Steel there Damir