COMMUNICATION TOOL FOR YOUR SOUL

As a youngster, playing guitar was just the coolest thing. Learning those first riffs and licks was hard work – but so much fun! Later in life the guitar became a way of life for me – and to my astonishment I’ve realized that slowly but surely, I’ve become surrounded by others like me. Passion for music and guitars! That is what connects you and me.

– Juha Ruokangas

Juha Ruokangas signature

VSOP Shapes

Mojo

 

First I dodged the idea of touching this style that has so often been modified but rarely improved upon. I’m glad I finally went for it – and learned a lot on the way, too. In Leonardo da Vinci’s words – simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

VSOP

 

Ruokangas VSOP
One of the early magazine reviews described the VSOP as a player’s guitar rather than a poseur’s instrument. That warmed my heart, cause that’s exactly how I see this guitar model too. A reliable workhorse that won’t let you down.

Unicorn

 

One of my greatest passions in designing a guitar is to make it sound transparent so there is no barrier between the player and the instrument. The Unicorn is right there – a true communication tool for your soul.

Duke

 

We’re inseparable, me and Duke. It is my first original design, and it has laid the foundation to everything that has followed. Everything fell into place in such profound way, that you can see the ripples in every guitar I’ve designed since.

Aeon

 

The Aeon can well be described as a crossbreed between two of my earlier designs – and yet, it has a strong, unmistakable identity of its own. It is a guitar that allows you to expand your horizons and to learn more about yourself as a player.

Hellcat

 

Hard rock and metal music is all about big emotions in play – soundscapes covering it all from crystal-like cleans to the meanest of distortions. That’s what the Hellcat is all about – a power tool that can handle all that energy without folding.

Steam

 

Steam combines the best features of classic bolt-on basses with my design language, special knowledge of tonewood and a few fresh tweaks not often seen in basses. It is a no-nonsense powerhouse, that helps you get the job done better.

happiness is…

to play the guitar you love

Peace, love & good music

They say there’s no such thing as a stupid question, and having been around in the guitar business as long as I have, I tell you: It is true. Every question is indeed a good question – but there are tons of bad answers around!

That is why I started my Weekly Wednesday Live broadcasts and Zen & The Art of Guitar Maintenance series on YouTube – they’re my attempt to help you get the most out of your guitar. The brand or monetary value of the guitar you play doesn’t matter – we’re all in the same boat here!

Choose your favourite platform: Over 50 episodes of Ruokangas Podcast available on your favourite podcast platform – or watch our YouTube channel with well over 200 videos and more to come. See you there!

dream – create – play!

Design the way you like it

Compose the specs exactly the way you want from our carefully curated choice of options – down to such details as selecting the grain pattern of the top wood from our actual inventory. That’s right – the tops you see in the Creator are the exact same tops we have available here, at our workshop in Finland.

The journey of making your guitar

Having a guitar custom made is a thrill to remember – complete with photos we will send you when making your guitar. When your instrument is ready, we will ship it express to your door – or you can come pick it up from Finland in person. Then it’s time to unbox, plug and play!

Your choices matter

Everything we do has an impact on people and the planet. You and I can do our part simply by consuming less – by investing in goods that will not be thrown away. You never actually own a Ruokangas. You merely look after it for the next generation.

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As good as it gets
Your attention to detail and sonic resonance is as good as it gets. The fretwork is perfect!

Bob Willcutt / Willcutt Guitars (USA)
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Unicorn Artisan
…outstanding craftsmanship and above all of unusual sound capacity, full of freshness, dynamic and vividness.

Gitarre & Bass (Germany)
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Feels just right
In a world of superfluous mass-production it’s a joy to come upon such craft going all the way, becoming true art.

Ole Krogh (Spain)
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Humble thanks
My humble thanks, guys, for the two VSOPs you built for me. May the excellence and mightiness be with you!

Jarska Sipilä (Finland)
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Every little thing
The tonality, sustain, overtones and high notes – every little thing you put in comes out great!

Andi Eichinger (Germany)
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Time to buy
Last time I bought an electric guitar (Telecaster) in 1966, and now it’s time to buy another one. This is superb!

Tommy Emmanuel / CGP (USA)
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Fantastic guitar
Thanks for building me this fantastic guitar. My Unicorn is simply one of the best instruments I’ve ever played!

Anders Hörling (Sweden)
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Like an old friend
The playability of the VSOP Classic is like meeting an old friend.

Rytmi Magazine (Finland)
Sonny Landreth with his Ruokangas guitar
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Dream to play
Man, I love this guitar! It’s a dream to play and sounds terrific!

Sonny Landreth (USA)
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My absolute favorite
The Mojo Classic has become my absolute favorite guitar in all aspects. I love it!

Tomas Jonsson (Sweden)

AN INSTRUMENT TO MATCH

YOUR LOUDEST DREAMS

What you see is what you get

 

20 years ago I spent my office hours answering questions how different features would work in a finished guitar – that’s when I realized the importance to find a way to visualize your dream instrument! Our solution was an online guitar configurator. By now our modest app from the early days has evolved into an advanced 3D tool that makes ordering a custom guitar great fun!

Playing doesn’t need to hurt

 

Each Ruokangas instrument is built for you, the individual customer, by one single luthier, taking into account your preferences and the style of music you play. Playing doesn’t need to hurt – a well designed instrument helps your body to relax and prevents back aches and muscle pains. When playing is your passion, it should stay that way for a lifetime!

Nothing to hide

 

Bad news spread faster and wider than ever before in history. This can have detrimental results for a guitar maker if he makes mistakes and breaks his promises to the customer. We welcome with open open arms the transparency of the modern world. We work hard to communicate openly and inform you about our values and practical solutions regarding every detail of our work. Living is easy when one has nothing to hide.

Premium responsibility

 

As a consumer, you have a right to expect more. That’s why we only use tonewood from sustainable sources, be it locally harvested or the FSC-certified imported species. Our paints and other chemicals are governed within the strict EU legislation and the recycling of all our waste is promptly organized and monitored. All this is part of the premium quality you pay for when buying an instrument from us.

BUILT FOR LIFE

We want to create the ideal tools for your art of making music that lasts through generations. To reach this goal, each of our guitars is individually handmade to the highest standard by one of us, the Ruokangas master guitar makers, using the finest sustainable materials that will stand the test of time. No serial production methods or automated processes are involved in the making, to guarantee quality you can rely on.

Ruokangas 20 Year Warranty

Built with the best players in mind

We want to help you in reaching your musical goals, wherever they may lead you to. That’s why our instruments are built with the best players in mind. It means the guitar will live and grow with you, and you don’t need to worry if the instrument you own might set limits to your development as a player.

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Juha Ruokangas
Praise the Mighty Juha Ruokangas – God of Fretted Instruments!

Edmund Piskaty (Austria)
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It’s meant for me
It simply feels like it’s meant for me and is the most beautiful sounding and looking guitar I’ve ever had.

Stella Christine (Finland)
Petteri Sariola - featured Ruokangas player
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Fits right in
The Duke Sonic is the most versatile guitar I’ve had the pleasure to fondle. Fits right in in every situation and band.

Petteri Sariola (Finland)
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So inspiring
The harmonics are also very rich and well defined. This bass blows me away – it’s so inspiring!

Markus Setzer (Germany
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Never enough
I can say to all discerning collectors of fine musical instruments that one can never have enough Ruokangas guitars!

Jay Jay French / Twisted Sister (USA)
Antti Pesonen - featured Ruokangas player
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Impeccable
I thank Juha and everybody at Ruokangas for their impeccable work. I respect their fine attitude towards life!

Antti Pesonen / CDFmE (Finland)
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Perfect for sessions
The ultra-clean electronics of the VSOP are perfect for sessions where avoiding noise is an important factor.

Aaron Kaplan (USA)
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Guitar evolution
The Duke is the most astounding guitar-evolution I’ve ever come across!

Hans Elmers (The Netherlands)
Juha Björninen - featured Ruokangas player
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Essential
The VSOP is very comfy to play both sitting down and strapped on – essential when playing through long sets.

Juha Björninen (Finland)
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Own path
These guitars are for men who walk their own paths.

Rainer Nygård / Diablo (Finland)
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Wherever I go
Wherever I go, I keep getting compliments of how great the Duke sounds and looks.

Saku Mattila (Finland)
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Friendly frets
Absolutely gorgeous, love it. Beautiful! I like how the frets feel too. They’re very friendly frets.

Tommy Emmanuel c.g.p. (USA)
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Truly green
There are green guitars. But this one is truly green!

Mika Tyyskä / Mr. Fastfinger (Finland)
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The right tradition
Ruokangas guitars are well-made and they sound really sweet. They’re built in what I’d call the right tradition.

Mick Box / Uriah Heep (USA)
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Setting the bar
Ruokangas sets the bar as a standard by which all of the boutique guitar companies should be measured against…

Jay Jay French / Twisted Sister (USA)
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Better and better
I totally fell in love with the VSOP and yet it’s getting better and better. The sound of this guitar is unbelievable.

Falco Karassavidis / The Jooks (Germany)
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Ultimate combination
Ruokangas guitars are the ultimate combination of vintage vibe with modern possibilities, looks and reliability.

Hans Elmers (The Netherlands)
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No rival
There is just no rival to the consistant and balanced tone of my Ruokangas guitar.

Petri Lassila / Tera (Finland)
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Time to buy
Last time I bought an electric guitar (Telecaster) in 1966, and now it’s time to buy another one. This is superb!

Tommy Emmanuel / CGP (USA)
Sami Ruusukallio - featured Ruokangas player
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The only bass I play
All I can say is this – from the day I bought the Steam bass, it has been the only bass I play both in studio and live!

Sami Ruusukallio / Eppu Normaali (Finland)
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Not a toy
It’s definitely not a toy – but it makes me play like a child!

Mika Tyyskä / Mr. Fastfinger (Finland)
Antti Pesonen - featured Ruokangas player
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Like no other
It responds to my touch like no other solidbody I’ve played.

Antti Pesonen / CDFmE (Finland)
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Raising the standards
Ruokangas really raises the standards and expectations of guitar players world wide – can’t wait to buy another one!

Tom Fay (United Kingdom)
Jukka Tolonen - featured Ruokangas player
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Superb
This is superb. The Duke is the best electric guitar I’ve ever had!

Jukka Tolonen (Finland)
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Players’ choice
The Mojo Grande survives rough life on the road. The players’ choice!

Jani Wickholm (Finland)
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An indispensible tool
My Duke is an indispensible tool in my toolbox. I use it all the time.

Josh Smith (USA)
Antti Pesonen - featured Ruokangas player
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My search
My Duke has ended my search for a perfect dual-humbucker style guitar.

Antti Pesonen / CDFmE (Finland)
Antti Pesonen - featured Ruokangas player
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Plays wonderfully
The Duke plays wonderfully, sounds clear and sweet, is built extremely well and is resonant and versatile.

Antti Pesonen / CDFmE (Finland)
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Owning a Ruokangas
Owning a Ruokangas, to me, is like owning 3 albums worth of material you haven’t written yet!

Ben Wigler / New Beard (USA)
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Makes me smile
Grabbing one of my Ruokangas guitars makes me smile – how an earth can they feel and sound so great!?

Pasi Ojala (Finland)
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Another one
One day I might need another guitar – and it will certainly be a Ruokangas, too!

Sami Saarinen / Status Minor (Finland)
Aaron Kaplan with his VSOP Classic
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The only guitar I need
The immense amount of tonal variation make it the only guitar I need for sessions and gigs.

 

Aaron Kaplan (USA)
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Unique sensitivity
I enjoy the unique sensitivity of the Steambass – whatever nuances I play, all can be heard.

Markus Setzer (Germany)
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Kick ass
The Ruokangas guitars kick ass!

Matias Kupiainen / Stratovarius (Finland)
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Finally
I finally have an instrument which effortlessly and boldly goes by my command.

 

Mika Tyyskä / Mr. Fastfinger (Finland)
Juha Torvinen - Eppu Normaali
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Life’s too short
Life is just too short to play bad guitars.

Juha Torvinen / Eppu Normaali (Finland)
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Fantasy
This guitar is perfectly balanced, plays like a fantasy, and is extremely robust.

Ben Wigler / New Beard (USA)
Saku Mattila - featured Ruokangas player
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We’re pals
Me and the Duke, we’re pals. This guitar has been my main instrument since I bought it. I’m really happy with it

Saku Mattila (Finland)
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Flawlessly designed
The Ruokangas team brought my vision of a perfect guitar to life! Every little intricate detail is flawlessly executed!

Tom Fay (United Kingdom)
Matias Kupiainen - featured Ruokangas player
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Obvious choice
I’ve always wanted to walk my own paths, and for me Ruokangas guitar was an obvious choice.

Matias Kupiainen (Finland)