Ruokangas
Ruokangas
Also known as: Ruokangas Guitars
UnclaimedFounded in 1995 by Finnish luthier Juha Ruokangas, Ruokangas Guitars is a boutique guitar maker based in Harviala, Finland. The workshop produces approximately 120 handcrafted instruments per year, eschewing serial production methods and computer automation in favor of traditional lutherie. The company is known for pioneering the use of thermally aged ("roasted") tonewoods and for distinctive m...
Founded in 1995 by Finnish luthier Juha Ruokangas, Ruokangas Guitars is a boutique guitar maker based in Harviala, Finland. The workshop produces approximately 120 handcrafted instruments per year, eschewing serial production methods and computer automation in favor of traditional lutherie. The company is known for pioneering the use of thermally aged ("roasted") tonewoods and for distinctive material choices such as moose shin bone nuts, Arctic Birch tops, and Spanish Cedar bodies. Ruokangas also develops proprietary electronics, including the Valvebucker — a pickup system featuring a vacuum tube integrated into the guitar's circuit.
The guitar lineup includes the Duke (a set-neck double-cutaway that was the founder's original design), the bolt-on VSOP, the single-cutaway Mojo and Unicorn, the high-gain Hellcat with Floyd Rose tremolo, the offset Sisu, and the Aeon. The company also builds the Steam bass and manufactures its own pickups. Each instrument is built to order, with extensive customization options.
Ruokangas guitars are played by artists spanning a wide range of genres, including Tommy Emmanuel, Mick Box of Uriah Heep, Jay Jay French of Twisted Sister, Matias Kupiainen of Stratovarius, Erja Lyytinen, Sonny Landreth, and Andreas "Kuddel" von Holst of Die Toten Hosen. The company received Finland's Taito-Finlandia Award in 2012 for design excellence, and founder Juha Ruokangas was named one of the most influential contemporary electric guitar makers in Robert Shaw's book Electrified.
Ruokangas has 2 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Solid Body Electric Guitars. Their gear is featured by 1 artist, with the strongest followings in Rock and Metal. Notable users include Matias Kupiainen.
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