Press Release: The Ruokangas Valvebucker pickup
Ruokangas unveils the Valvebucker® – the first and only tube driven electric guitar pickup in the world
The Valvebucker® is “just one pickup” – and yet, it offers a whole array of different sounds. The Valvebucker® functions in a different way than other pickups, and thus a guitar equipped with a Valvebucker® doesn’t quite fit any old school genre of guitars – its wide tonal spectrum and organic dynamics are simply different from other guitars.
The design architecture of the Valvebucker® circuit is noteworthy, making use of sweet spots found from outside the typical operational points of vacuum tubes, by using relatively low voltages. The power consumption of the Valvebucker® remains within the given values also during startup – an important feature when using commercially available pedal power units. Every Valvebucker® unit is handmade and finetuned individually in Finland. The Valvebucker® design team is: Lassi Ukkonen (the designer of Simble Overdrive, etc), Jorma Kostamo, Jyrki Kostamo and Juha Ruokangas.
The Valvebucker® will be introduced at The NAMM Show 2019. The Valvebucker® is available as a custom option for Ruokangas guitars from January 2019 on, adding EUR 1200 to the cost of an ordered instrument.
The Valvebucker® features include:
Tube amplified active preamp circuit
Military grade triode and pentode NOS tubes with lifetime warranty
Volume and Tone controls
3-way switch for a variety of sounds
2-way boost switch
A floor unit included, to connect the Valvebucker® -equipped guitar with the rest of your signal chain
A 12VAC power supply included
A 10-foot XLR cable included
This is how the Valvebucker® works
Your Valvebucker -equipped guitar comes with a floor unit in the size of a standard guitar FX pedal. You connect the Valvebucker guitar to the floor unit with a standard XLR microphone cable.
The Valvebucker is powered through the floor unit, that connects to a 12VAC power source. Use either your regular pedal power (12VAC, min. 250mA) or the power supply provided with the guitar.
The floor unit has two inputs and a true bypass A/B switch to easily alternate between the Valvebucker -equipped guitar and the rest of your guitars. The signal chain continues through the floor unit normally to your pedalboard and/or amplifier.
Ruokangas Guitars launches new website
Finland’s largest guitar maker Ruokangas Guitars has launched a sleek new website.
The new Ruokangas website features updated product information…
…and a very informative section on the company’s long list of players.
A spanking-new 3D-version of the Ruokangas Guitar Creator is about to be introduced very soon.
Pictures from the Fuzz Guitar Show 2016
Finnish luthiers were well represented at this year’s Fuzz Guitar Show in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Vuorensaku’s Saku Vuori displayed his aged T-Family guitars and basses, as well as his hand-wound pickups.
Vintage & Rare’s Nicolai Schneekloth took time to check out Vuorensaku’s instruments.
Here’s Viitasaari Guitar’s Olli Viitasaari (r) together with Swedish guitarist Tommy Sahlin (l).
This red Viitasaari OM comes equipped with three pickups and a five-way switch.
Ruokangas Guitar’s display included a lefty Mojo model and one of the new Unicorn Supersonics.
Here’s the Unicorn Supersonic in the hands of a Fuzz Show visitor.
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Finnish distributor and instrument retailer Musamaailma now offers Tokai guitar and bass models in Sweden under the Tokai Guitars Nordic banner.
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Finnish amp and effects company Mad Professor was represented at the show by its Swedish distributor These Go To Eleven.
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Find Kitarablogi’s complete Fuzz Guitar Show 2016 picture gallery HERE.
The Holy Grail Guitar Show 2015
The Holy Grail Guitar Show 2015 pidettiin Berliinissä 31.10. ja 01.11.2015.
The Holy Grail Guitar Show 2015 was held on the 31st of October and the 1st of November 2015 in Berlin (Germany).
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Suomi oli – jälleen kerran – todella hyvin edustettu:
Finland was – once again – very well represented:
Ari-Jukka Luomuranta (AJL-Guitars) ja hänen erikoismallinsa, Model Gypsy Fire, jolla on iso soikea ääniaukko ja tummanpunainen viimeistely.
Gypsy Jazz specialist Ari-Jukka Luomuranta (AJL-Guitars) with his special large-holed Favino-type Model Gypsy Fire in burgundy red.
AJL-Guitarsista saa nyt myös firman ainutlaatuista Quiet & Portable -matkakitaraa.
To our knowledge, AJL-Guitars’ Quiet & Portable travel Gypsy guitar is a world first.
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Amfisoundin Sampo Leppävuori (vas) ja Tomi Korkalainen (oik).
Sampo Leppävuori (l) and Tomi Korkalainen (r) from Amfisound Guitars.
Amfisoundin uudistettut Halti-mallit saa nyt uudenlaisella Set-Lock-kaulaliitoksella, joka helpottaa huomattavasti pääsyn ylimmille nauhoille.
Their updated Halti-models are now made with Amfisound’s Set-Lock neck joint, which makes it easy to reach the neck’s dusty end.
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A-P Paasosen Soitinpaja Jasesoi esitteli Holy Grail -messuilla uudet akustiset mallinsa, jossa kaulaliitos on 13. nauhan (!) kohdalla.
A-P Paasonen’s company Jasesoi introduced their new steel-string model with a neck joint at the 13th (!) fret.
Kuvankaunis!
What a beauty!
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Anders Liljeströmin (vas) uusi, kevyesti vanhennettu malli kiinnosti sekä messuvieraat että muut soitinrakentajat.
Anders Liljeström’s (l) new aged-look guitar was met with a lot of interest, both from players as well as colleagues.
Tässä Anders on kokeilemassa uutta Jasesoi-mallia.
Anders even found time to check out Jasesoi’s new model.
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Lottonen Guitarsin Juha Rinne (vas) ja Juha Lottonen (oik).
Juha Rinne (l) and Juha Lottonen (r) of Lottonen Guitars.
Parlour-kokoiset Lottoset löytyy nykyään jo monen soittajan arsenaalissa.
You should really try Lottonen’s parlour-sized acoustic guitars!
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Juha Ruokankaan Ruokangas Guitars on nykyään jo käsite myös muualla maailmassa. Tämän Mojo-mallin kannessa on Juhan tyttären maalaus.
Juha Ruokangas’ company, Ruokangas Guitars, is already well-established in the field of boutique guitars. This Mojo-model comes with a top that was hand-painted by Juha’s daughter.
Uudessa Unicorn Supersonic-kitarassa on erikoisviimeistelty loimukoivukansi.
The brand-new Unicorn Supersonic comes with Ruokangas’ special Bare Bones finish.
Mr Fastfingerin luoja Mika Tyyskä saapuu Ruokangas-ständille.
Mika Tyyskä, Mr Fastfinger’s human alter ego, arrives at the Ruokangas stand.
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Tyyster Guitarsin Matti Gran (vas) and Ville Tyyster (oik).
Matti Gran (l) and Ville Tyyster (r) from Tyyster Guitars.
Tyysterin Pelti-malli on erinomainen Blues- ja Roots-kitara.
Blues- and Roots-players will surely enjoy the Tyyster Pelti with its metal thinline body.
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Lisää kuvia The Holy Grail Guitar Showsta löydät TÄÄLTÄ.
For more pictures from The Holy Grail Guitar Show click HERE.
Press Release: Ruokangas Guitars release two new models
Ruokangas Guitars celebrate their 20th Anniversary by releasing two new models:
Unicorn Supersonic™
The Supersonic features a new unique Bare Bone™ finish by Ruokangas. Another new original feature are the Lock-Thru-Body™ bridge bushings, that make the guitar stronger (the wraparound bridge will not bend forward over time), and guarantee unparalleled energy transfer from the bridge into the body of the guitar.
Selling Price starting from: 3 700 €
Supersonic as pictured: 3 950 € (varies depending on options)
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Aeon™ Classic/Deluxe/Artist
The Aeon comes in three versions – the Classic with a thermo-treated alder body and bolt-on neck – the Deluxe with a spanish cedar body, an arctic birch top and a bolt-on neck – and the Artist with a spanish cedar body, an arctic birch top and neck-thru-construction. As always with Ruokangas, you have a truckload of options for customizing the guitar to fit your style. The word ‘Aeon’ is latin, and means ‘infinity’.
Selling Price starting from: 3 200 €
Aeon Artist as pictured: 8 000 € (varies depending on options)
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Contact: Ruokangas Guitars
Ruokangas 20th Anniversary + Mr. Fastfinger 10th Anniversary Party
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ruokangas Guitars and the 10th anniversary of Mr. Fastfinger, Juha Ruokangas and Mika Tyyskä (the creative brain behind Mr. Fastfinger) threw an invite-only party in Helsinki’s Cinema Andorra/Dubrovnik Bar complex.
Juha Ruokangas (centre) and his wife Emma were on hand to greet their guests (yes, this is Finnish Prog Rock legend Jukka Tolonen on the right)…
…as was guitar virtuoso (and animator) Mika Tyyskä.
The Dubrovnik quickly filled with illustrious guests, such as Mad Professor’s main man Harri Koski (left) and – legendary Finnish band – Eppu Normaali’s guitarist Juha Torvinen (centre).
Here’s Finnish bass ace Jan-Olof Strandberg (centre) joining the party.
Juha and Mika officially opened the evening by taking to the stage and sharing a drink with their guests.
The centrepiece of the evening was the world premiere of Ruokangas Guitars’ and Mr. Fastfinger’s joint movie ”The Spirit of the Guitar Hunt”, which will be released in segments on You Tube. The invited guests were shown the full movie.
A few words from the hosts, and then it was time for the world premiere:
The film received standing ovations.
The creative team behind the ”Guitar Hunt”…
The premiere was followed by delicious food, as well as great live music from Antti Paranko and his band, and Mr. Fastfinger.
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