In cooperation with the SMS Music Centre
The exhibition to be opened by:
Momčilo Bajac Phd., bass guitar player and Programme Director of the “Novi Sad 2021”project • Bogomir Mijatović, music critic
The exhibition of the Novi Sad Guitar Makers, a display of genuine enthusiasm, creativity, knowledge, artistic inventiveness and sound craftsmanship, will be held within the Novi Sad Jazz Festival between 9th and 12th November in the Hall of the Serbian National Theatre.
It has been a decade since we, ‟SMS Music doo – Kawai klaviri Srbija”, started collaborating with about a dozen of brilliant master makers from our city. Their knowledge and skill will be presented to the general public for insight and possible critique for the first time. Beautiful electric guitars built with remarkable craftsmanship, the symbol of pop and rock music of the late 20th century and a powerful influence on the sound of popular, experimental and traditional music of the North American continent in the 21st century, will be offered on public display. The idea, carried out in collaboration with the great guitar builders by the ‟SMS Music doo” from Novi Sad as a member of European association TMA (The Music Alliance), which is represented in 26 countries, and in cooperation with the Boston Guitar Parts, part of the aforementioned TMA Association, is to support and intensify production of unique guitars and conclude an exporting contract with one of the major European distributers. We will strive to achieve our aim to manufacture almost two hundred unique guitars of top quality, which will be distributed all over Europe. This is to be the first step in establishing a cluster of Musical Instrument Makers, which we have been earnestly advocating for the recent years. The Novi Sad Jazz Festival is the place with a strong presence of music lovers, musicians and enthusiasm and thus the place where this idea can be presented most expediently. The exhibition of the Novi Sad Guitar Makers features high quality guitars of special original design.
(www.kawai-srbija.com; www.bostonguitarparts.com)
Exhibitors:
GORAN LAZIĆ, BSc. Eng. of Chemistry, started playing the guitar when he was in primary school. He is a fan of Gibson and Marshall as well as the legendary Fender sound, so, for a number of years, he has been making amps for bass and el. guitars. As his search for a distinctive sound led him from the original instruments of the said brands and their advantages and disadvantages, the logical step forward was to start to look for his own unique design. In collaboration with a master from Rumenka, Radovan Jovičić, he has been designing his own instruments of unique sound, features and appearance.
SRĐAN JANKOVIĆ, a well-known blues and rock guitarist (the cult “Blues Hammer” band), started servicing guitars more than 15 years ago. He has collaborated with a number of renowned instrument makers from Serbia, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. In the last five years, he has been making guitars taking a particular approach to the classical Stratocaster sound and modifications that his thirty-year-long experience as a guitar player focused on the improvement of the existing standards. In the last two years he has been working with the company Yaroslavski from Russia, so all his guitars are based on a top-class selection and processing of wood imported from Russia. An important element of his work is the use of Boston guitar parts for his guitars.
VELJKO PETKOVIĆ, the legendary volleyball player and national team member born in Kraljevo, who has been living in Novi Sad for years, graduated from the Faculty of Sport and Tourism – TIMS. He is a great fan of music and guitar sound. He merged his interest in working with wood and love of music into a hobby and another profession – making good unique electric and bass guitars. He has a service shop for guitar reparation „Veljko“, and has cooperated with the Yaroslavski Guitars company and Srđan Janković in the production of a number of his unique pieces. He likes to experiment in search for his own expression and sound. “Boston guitars parts” is an integral part of his guitars.
RADOMIR RAŠA PETROVIĆ, is a known guitar doctor from Novi Sad. “R Custom Handmade Guitars”. People say about him: “if something is impossible, Raša will fix it”! Since his childhood, he has been interested in artistic woodwork and everything necessary for that. The love that dates back from the 1980s led him to become a successful guitar serviceman and a guitar maker of a particular renown. He made his first guitar in 1989, and since then, innumerable instruments. His guitars are played by a number of famous musicians. He likes both modern and classical sound with a very best finishing touch on the instrument.
DANKO ZEBIĆ, a repairer and master from Bačka Topola. He has been in this business for the last five years, promoting his services online and in personal contact with musicians. He makes guitars solely from naturally dried wood of extraordinary quality, mahogany, maple, ash, walnut, rosewood. He pays special attention to the appearance of wood as well as the finishing that has to be original. Cooperation with a number of musicians led to a recognisable sound.
MILOŠ TOMIŠIĆ (www.tomisicguitars.com), born in 1981 in Crvenka, electrical engineer, started as a constructor of guitar pedals and amps and a serviceman for electric and bass guitars. In 2009 he started making his own guitars, relying on the experience gained in the previous work, listening to the needs and tastes of musicians. His instruments are used by musicians from well-known bands: S.A.R.S., Pertibrejkersi, Del Arno Band… Reviews of his guitars can be found on the website: www.notreble.com
VOJIN MARIĆ “MV Guitars”, born in 1980 in Srpska Crnja, lives in Bukovac. He was a musician since the age of fifteen and was a member of a number of bands such as Nostradamus and Bjelo Dugme Tribute Band (guitar and vocal). His father had a carpenter’s workshop, so, inspired by his interest in music and in search of a perfect guitar, he started making instruments. His guitars are characterised by a special design and colours, and the finishing atypical of today’s company standards. Avant-garde and unique to the bone!
RADOVAN JOVIČIĆ, born in 1971 in Požarevac, lives and works in Novi Sad. He went to the vocational school for electro-engineering and completed a goldsmith’s craft, which he has been into since 1992. He started making guitars in 2008. He has made dozens of excellent electric and bass guitars as well as an electric double bass done with fine precision. He has been collaborating with Goran Lazić for a number of years.