These reviews are copied from e-mails sent by my clients:
"No. 45 arrived in perfect condition! And it is beautiful.
With a marvelous voice! The basses, which have exceptional sustain, and trebles are wonderfully balanced, with crystal separation. It handles so much repertoire effortlessly.
And it is so amazingly comfortable. The fretboard radius is as gentle as you said, and the D-shaped neck profile is like a glove. It feels as if I have played No. 45 all my life.
Thank you very much Viktor. I could not be happier."
Austin Denis Johnston
New York City, USA
"It is absolutely amazing! I was expecting a good guitar but what you made for me is simply a work of art. I have not been able to stop playing it since I took it out of the case.
The sound - The guitar is very responsive and very loud. You can get so many different tone colors with the slightest of hand movement. The sustain is absolutely ridiculous... an open chord will sound for up to 15 seconds, consistently. What I really like the most is how you can hear each note separately, even when playing a chord. On a lot of guitars the sound gets very weak past the 9th fret but this guitar sounds the same all the way up to the last note (high B on 20th fret). This is amazing!
Playability - This guitar is very easy to play...it practically plays itself (lol). I love how the guitar is naturally so loud without you working to get sound out of it. Now, I can focus on musicality and interpretation instead of volume. The set up is excellent, the action is very low making very easy to play. The guitar does not buzz at all, which is surprising with how low the action is. I also love the raised fingerboard, it really does make the higher notes easier to play.
Aesthetics - This guitar is absolutely beautiful! I could write an entire page on this alone. The craftsmanship and attention to detail are second to none! The abalone work on the guitar gives it a very unique and distinctive look. The Santos rosewood back and sides are simply gorgeous! If I had to choose from a guitar that sounded great or looked great, I would choose the nicer sound every time. I am so blessed to have gotten both! Thank you!"
Jesse Guajardo
Florida, USA
"Wow, wow… WOW! I can honestly say it is the finest instrument I’ve ever played– bar NONE. The sound is full, even, and rich all throughout the range. Notes bloom clear, warm, and articulate, and the projection is quite impressive. The neck and action are fantastic. This guitar is truly inspiring, and a joy to play! The materials and workmanship are at the very highest level, combined with a beautiful aesthetic sense and great attention to detail in adornments. Viktor’s work is simply impeccable. He is a perfectionist who sets a very high bar for himself! His deep understanding of guitar construction is matched only by his personal integrity and excellent communication, which makes him quite rare as a luthier. He's a complete joy to work with."
With eternal gratitude -
Donato Soviero
Maryland, USA
"The first time I heard Viktor's guitar was in a concert in The University of Szeged. I was fascinated by the sound of his guitar immediately. So I thought I must order a guitar made by Viktor, and I did it later.
After a year of waiting, this masterpiece was sent to me to Shanghai from Hungary. When I opened the case, there was a very special fine fragrance of the wood. The whole guitar was in good condition, and very beautiful in appearance. When I played it, my left hand felt so free, it’s so easy to play. And the guitar has a very powerful, beautiful and balanced sound, I immediately fell in love with it. I can feel Viktor put his whole heart into making this guitars.
The details of the guitar are so professional and perfect, thank you, Viktor, this guitar is absolutely my dream guitar."
Kehan Chen
guitarist lady from Shanghai, China
"Hello Viktor! The guitar arrived, and it sounds fantastic!!! It's definitely the best sounding guitar I own (and I own guitars made by the best in the world). It has the Spanish character that I have missed since I sold my Ramirez (that was way too big for my hands), and it also has some of that German / American / Australian "even" precision that I like too. So I suppose this combination is the Hungarian sound! Great work and craftsmanship!"
Matthew John Dorman
guitarist, songwriter, Helsinki, Finland
"Hi Viktor, The guitar has arrived in perfect condition. As soon as I opened the case I got the beautiful smell of the wood. The finish and decoration are superb, but the Sound is what still has me in awe. It seems like you have ticked every box - Volume, Sweet Sweet tone, Beautiful Basses and Trebles, Lots of Sustain and so comfortable for the player. And the set up is perfect. I know I will get years of enjoyment from this guitar. You are a truly gifted craftsman Viktor. Thank you very much."
Martin McGuire
Dublin, Ireland
"My new Fogas guitar is an incredibly balanced and powerful instrument across all six strings, with magnificent playability as well. Its beauty of tone is uniquely vivid and lush, and its construction reminds one of the old Spanish luthiers. It is a fitting and worthy instrument to play the music of the great masters such as Bach, Tarrega, Paganini, Villa-Lobos and other composers who wrote brilliantly for the guitar."
Enrique Vélez
San Juan, Puerto Rico
"The craftsmanship is exquisite. Exactly like a guitar at a much higher price. Surprisingly light but still loud with a nice warm color."
André Blanc
Concert Classical Guitar salon, Paris, France
concert-classical-guitar.com
"Hi Viktor, I just want to say that this guitar is simply fantastic! It's so loud and has so many different beautiful tones. It's very easy to play and very responsive for the plucking hand position. It belongs to the top of European guitar making."
Dávid Pavlovits
guitarist, composer, head of Guitar Faculty at University of Szeged, Hungary
pavlovits.com
"My first impression was how beautifully built this instrument is. Then the first chords and shreds came... Deep basses, brilliant highs, with strong mids on the higher strings as well. Rich in tone colours, and it's extremely easy to shape beautiful notes. And volume is found at last. I pick it out of the case with joy every day, and always wonder how much this instrument is capable of."
Norman Michelisz
guitar virtuoso from Hungary
"I can't forget the moment I met and tried this instrument for the first time. I was immediately captivated by its strong outward appearance, and then, while starting to awaken it's sound, I found that its inner features were even stronger. Its sound characteristics closely resemble the classic Spanish sound, but completed with today's modern precision and loudness and with lots of different tone colours. The radiused fingerboard and the perfect neck thickness helps a lot for the left hand to move more freely and more relaxed, anything can be played on it easily. The added soundholes provide me more confidence on stage. Each concert and competition remains a memorable experience for me with this guitar. I love it very much."
Gergely Bozsóki
1st prize winner at the 2016 National Guitar Competition in Hungary
"What really is important in my Formentor guitar (made for me in 2015 with spruce top) is its exceptional responsiveness to the smallest changes in right hand position. Plucking over the fretboard with an almost perfect harp sound, or moving to the bridge for brilliance and sharpness, the guitar beautifully sings in all position with all different tone colours. I have tried several Viktor Fogas guitars and I must say that they all produce exactly the same sound characteristics typical to the maker. It melds the advantages of lattice bracing with a traditional classical guitar sound. A real masterpiece for the most demanding players. It's always a pleasure to play it."
Dénes Visky
classical guitar teacher at Ernő Dohnányi Music School, Budapest, Hungary