by Juha Ruokangas | Jan 9, 2022 | Players
FINLAND’S NATIONAL GUITAR HERO NUMBER ONE One day I’ll make you a guitarThe year was 1992. I went to see Jukka Tolonen Trio play at a local club. The gig was fantastic, and afterwards I had a chance to shake hands with Jukka. I gave him my card and told him:...
by Juha Ruokangas | Jan 6, 2022 | Players
Very ‘Eavy Very ‘Umble From trash bin to my turntableI was 12 or so, when my father came in with a bunch of vinyl albums he had found at the dump when taking trash there. I spotted two Uriah Heep albums – Very ‘Eavy Very ‘Umble and Sweet Freedom. I had...
by Juha Ruokangas | Jan 4, 2022 | Players
MY MUSICAL HOME In Juha Mattila’s own words: From pop to growlI have a relatively long history in a number of Finnish bands as well as some cover projects, with musical styles from hard-hitting speed/thrash metal during the mid-80’s, moshing through the legendary...
by Juha Ruokangas | Jan 1, 2022 | Players
Good things come to those who wait Not yet!This page has been in the making for a long time – perhaps longer than any other featured player page of ours. I wanted to do it years ago, but Saalas kept saying with an adamant tone of voice: “Not yet”. He was as strict...
by Juha Ruokangas | Dec 1, 2021 | Players
STAGE PRESENCE THAT UNITES AN AUDIENCE The stars were aligned rightI was assigned to build a very special guitar for the Montreal Guitar Show organizers back in 2010, and a few years later I get a call from Blake – he had won that guitar in a competition organized by...
by Juha Ruokangas | Nov 1, 2021 | Players
The biggest blues artist in Spain Let the instrument speakI received an email from Javier in March, 2019. He told me he had discovered my guitars at a music store in San Sebastián, Spain. Javier had fallen in love with a Mojo Deluxe and now he used it all the time....
