CREMONAMUSICA AWARD
Viktor Nemeth
Info
Viktor’s long-standing quest for tone research began with a fundamental question: “Why do vintage guitars sound so vastly different from newer instruments or modern copies?” This spark ignited a lifelong discovery journey that ultimately led him to assemble a world-class collection of over 250 golden-era American guitars in the beautiful city of Budapest, Hungary.
The Budapest Collection
While his initial goal was to form his own definitive conclusions, he knew he needed a perfectly consistent, uncolored “sonic baseline”—a selection of amplifiers that remained absolutely true to the unplugged acoustic voice of each guitar. To unlock the answers he was seeking, the search for the instruments had to run parallel with a search for the ultimate amplifiers.
His first ultimate reference amp became the iconic Fender Blackface Deluxe Reverb, a blueprint that eventually evolved into the acquisition of something even more legendary: a Dumble Overdrive Special. These amplifiers became his tonal pillars, offering the most transparent electronic response possible and serving as his rigorous field-testing ground.
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THE THREE-STEP EVALUATION PROCESS To
meticulously map out the micro-nuances and distinct properties of every single instrument in the collection, Viktor developed a strict, three-step analytical process:
- First: Listening closely to the guitar’s natural acoustic resonance unplugged, before evaluating it plugged into his reference amplifiers.
- Second: Gauging the immediate tactile feel, response, and dynamic feedback of the guitar while physically playing it.
- Third: Deeply studying the historical production evolution of each model through the decades, identifying how seemingly minor factory changes directly affected the final tone.
THE NEW CHAPTER
Now, 250 guitars and some 50 amplifiers later, the Budapest Collection stands as a breathtaking reality. Having seamlessly gathered world-class instruments from every corner of the globe—spanning from Canada to Australia, and the United Kingdom to Italy—the collection is ready for its next chapter.
The mission is now to transform one man’s lifelong research into a deeply immersive, shareable experience, carrying on the torch of why vintage guitars remain so peerless and illustrating exactly how those iconic tones were shaped by history.
