Juha Ruokangas has been making guitars in his
native Finland since the late 1980's, which led to the Ruokangas company
in 1995. AS with many luthiers he built up reputation as a skilled
repairman who also made some custom guitars but in 2000 he launched
the Ruokangas guitar models at the Frankfurt Musicmesse.
Since then Ruokangas guitars have built up a worldwide reputation as some of
the finest guitars available anywhere.
The attention to detail on these guitars is superb and the quality of finish is second to none. Every guitar is an object of beauty in its own right. Juha has resisted the urge to expand the business and these guitars are still hand made in the traditional way and that is why he is able to offer a 20 year guarantee.
Juha is very dedicated to his art and every detail of the guitars has been carefully thought out to enhance the tone and playability of the guitar. His choice of Spanish Cedar for the bodies of the Duke series may seem unusual but he feels it is the closest he can get to the Honduran Mahogany used by Gibson in the 50's. Current supplies of Honduran Mahogany simply don't match up to Juha's standards.
To improve the tone of the instruments some of the timber is thermo-treated to mimic the ageing process that seems to improve the tone of vintage instruments. The use of Arctic Birch for the tops of the guitars gives them a unique look you can't find anywhere else and it is a superb tonewood giving the guitars great punch and brightness.
The Duke Series of guitars are Juha's attempt to capture the classic Les Paul sound and these guitars are
completely handmade. The Mojo and VSOP guitars have their bodies roughed out on CNC machines but are then finished entirely by hand.The
pickups are all handwound and carefully matched to the instrument through close collaboration with the German pickup guru Harry Hausel.
As well as the standard models Ruokangas can make custom models to order for the ultimate unique personalised guitar. Any guitar is available with
the Buzz Feiten Tuning system.Juha has a new model on the way - the Unicorn. Juha has created a video diary of the construction of the first guitar so you can see for yourself what a handmade guitar is really all about - check it out here. We have one on order but they will be in short supply as the the order book is filling up everyday.
Duke
Duke Sonic
VSOP
Mojo
The full range of Ruokangas Guitars are available via Jam Guitars.