I am Levente Késmárky. I have been building instruments since 2017. It all started when a YouTube video about a guitar workshop struck a chord with me, and I’ve been on this path ever since. My original profession is a period furniture maker and restorer, but after earning my certification, I didn't pursue a career in joinery. Driven by a passion at the time, I took a position at a forestry company, where I became a professional hunter and district forester. This adventure lasted for a brief 18 years, until I felt the urge to return to woodworking—though I knew I didn't want to be a conventional carpenter. The aforementioned video had an elementary force on me, and I knew instantly that I had to try my hand at this. Three years after this realization, I resigned from my job and embarked on this new adventure, fortunately with the full support of my family. Since I never studied luthiery in a formal school setting, I have been self-taught, absorbing everything I know by analyzing a mountain of books, videos, images, and internet resources. Luckily, I have also managed to build professional relationships with other luthiers and skilled guitarists, from whom I have learned a great deal.
For some reason, I am drawn to acoustic, unplugged instruments. I have built mandolins and ukuleles, and I’ve been interested in the Renaissance lute, but over the past few years, I have been most preoccupied with making classical guitars. I love to experiment and am never intimidated by new challenges; I always try to implement new techniques based on my own concepts. In the future, I would like to immerse myself in the world of steel-string acoustic guitars as well. My instruments usually find their owners through my ever-expanding circle of acquaintances. Interestingly, I do not play the guitar myself. I can recall a few moments from my childhood and youth related to the instrument—moments to which I couldn't attribute any significance back then, yet I remember them vividly. I approached this field strictly from the perspective of woodworking. Fortunately, my initial steps were met with enough encouragement from those around me to keep me moving forward and provide the motivation to continue.
I believe that the pinnacle of woodworking is violin and cello making, but we, too, can leave a beautiful mark behind with our guitars.