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Juha Ruokangas – Being a Finnish luthier

In this second video of the Luthier Chronicle with master builder Juha Ruokangas, I asked what's different in being a luthier in a Nordic country like Finland.

Pics of the Ruokangas workshop

 

Until the next Luthier Chronicle, keep on playing your guitar and check-out your local luthier.

Pierre.

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Springer's name is not unknown on The Channel Guitar since I already had the opportunity to interview Mikaël Springer (in French), a luthier I admire.

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Grover Jackson interview and visit of GJ2 Guitars

While I was in Los Angeles for the 2015 NAMM show, I met completely by chance Grover Jackson one morning in the alleys of the show even though he did not have a booth with GJ2 Guitars. He proposed me right away to come and visit their workshop in Orange County, no need to say I jumped on the opportunity.

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Juha Ruokangas – Captain Nemo guitar update

On the first video of the Luthier Chronicle, master luthier Juha Ruokangas gives a full update on the Captain Nemo guitar project he introduced at the 1st Holy Grail Guitar Show.

Pics of the Captain Nemo guitar

Pics of the Valve Bucker

Until the next Luthier Chronicle, keep on playing your guitar and check-out your local luthier.

Pierre.

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Ruokangas Luthier Chronicle with Juha

The video above is a teaser for a series of nine chronicles recorded with master luthier Juha Ruokangas from Ruokangas Guitars (www.ruokangas.com). After doing an interview with Juha during the first Holy Grail Guitar Show, I wanted to go even deeper into the lutherie world and start the Luthier Chronicle to learn more about the wonderful instrument we all love.

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Tom Anderson interview during the 2015 Winter NAMM show

I am a big fan of the work of Tom Anderson as I think he builds with his team amongst the best superstrat of the market.

Doug Kauer interview, luthier for Kauer Guitars

Here's a Doug Kauer interview. Meeting with Doug in Berlin during the Holy Grail Guitar Show was one of the highlight for me as I am a big fan of the look of his guitars.

Here's a special post to mention all the guitar builders who support what I do on The Guitar Channel by subscribing to an annual Backstage Pass. You have no idea what it means to me when a guitar builder shows his appreciation for my work.

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Jens Ritter interview at the Holy Grail Guitar show
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Jens Ritter instruments – 2014 Holy Grail Guitar show

Jens Ritter is one of the guitar designer you know even though you don't know his name for sure. That's usually how popular his designs are. I was very happy to meet him and do an interview during the show (see an extract below).
Photo album
One of the innovation brought by Jens for the Holy Grail Guitar Show was this incredible guitar based on his famous Princess Isabella model covered by real Converse fabric logo.

Interview of Silvan from Relish Guitars at the Holy Grail Guitar Show

Relish Guitars are made out of aluminium. I had already heard about their product and thought it was interesting to learn some more about their technology.

2014 Holy Grail Guitar Show photo album - Day 1
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2014 Holy Grail Guitar Show photos – Day 1

Below are a small selections of the 200+ photos I took during the Holy Grail Guitar Show.

Juha Ruokangas interview - Builder of the Captain Nemo guitar and the Valvebucker
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Juha Ruokangas interview – Builder of the Captain Nemo guitar and the Valvebucker

Juha Ruokangas was one of the guitar builder I really wanted to meet during the Holy Grail Guitar Show, that's why I was thrilled to do a 45min video interview with him. Juha has established a brand so highly regarded in the guitar world that I had a tons of questions to ask him.

Ulrich Teuffel is one of the reason I came to Berlin for the Holy Grail Guitar Show. In fact when we met earlier this year in Francfort for the Musikmesse, he told me at the end of the interview we did there that I really should come to Berlin. At the time it seemed like a distant project I was not sure I could finance.

2014 Holy Grail Guitar Show photo album - Day 1
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Photo album – 2014 Holy Grail Guitar Show

Below are a small selections of the 200+ photos I took during the Holy Grail Guitar Show.

The 2014 Holy Grail Guitar show: the best luthier show in the world

Let me say it upfront the 2014 Holy Grail Guitar Show was a great success. It is without doubt the best luthiers salon I've ever been to.

It was one of the highlight of the week-end in Berlin to do a Ken Parker interview during the Holy Grail Guitar Show. Ken is a living legend amongst guitar builders, he is as famous as he is nice to meet and easy to talk to.

Jens Ritter interview at the Holy Grail Guitar show
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Jens Ritter interview at the Holy Grail Guitar Show

Jens Ritter is one of the guitar designer you know even though you don't know his name for sure. That's usually how popular his designs are.

Interview of Silvan from Relish Guitars at the Holy Grail Guitar Show

Relish Guitars are made out of aluminium. I had already heard about their product and thought it was interesting to learn some more about their technology.

Juha Ruokangas was one of the guitar builder I really wanted to meet during the Holy Grail Guitar Show, that's why I was thrilled to do a 45min video interview with him. Juha has established a brand so highly regarded in the guitar world that I had a tons of questions to ask him.

Michihiro Matsuda interview - A living legend of guitar building

There were so many great guitar builders in Berlin for the Holy Grail Guitar Show that it was a tough job to do a selection. Here's a Michihiro Matsuda interview.

Jersey Girl Homemade guitars: interview with luthier Kaz Goto

During the first Holy Grail Guitar Show I had the great pleasure to meet the luthiers from Jersey Girl Homemade Guitars from Japan Miss Akiko Oda and Mr Kaz Goto.

John Cruz interview, master builder at Fender
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John Cruz interview, master builder at Fender

The video above is an extract of an interview of John Cruz, Fender Master Builder, done in Paris on September 29th 2014.

The full interview is available with the Backstage Pass.
Subjects discussed

His first guitar
How he became a master builder
How he deals with his orders
Why an old guitar is usually good
The relations with tthe other master builders from Fender
The impact of the master builder work on the production line
What he would say to Leo Fender

And more !

Enjoy,

Pierre.

At one point or another we all have fantasized on the Jackson guitars during the 90s. The brands Jackson and Charvel were synonymous for high performance guitars.

Here's an interview of Serge and John, guitar builders from Tao Guitars. They are based in Brussel in Belgium.

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Spartan guitar from Springer Guitars: an awesome Junior!

I love P90 pickups, that's a fact. When Mikaël Springer posted some pics of his Spartan guitar, his Les Paul Junior inspired beauty, on his personal Facebook profile, I immediately said I would love to review it. A couple of weeks later I received the guitar at home to spend some quality time with this awesome instrument.
Spartan guitar in video

Specifications
We are in the specifications realm of the Les Paul Junior, a mahogany body, a P90, a volume and tone.

William Grit Laskin interview at the 2014 Holy Grail Guitar Show

Here's a William Grit Laskin interview done at the 2014 Holy Grail Guitar show. Grit was one of the special guest for this very first edition of the show.

I had the pleasure to meet Frank Deimel during the 2nd edition of Guitares au Beffroi. I saw his booth at the Musikmesse but did not have the opportunity to interview him so I was super happy to have in on video at Montrouge and ask him some guitar questions. To tell you the truth

Pierre-Marie Châteauneuf, luthier for PMC, is a great guitar builder from Montpellier in France. I am reviewing here a new creation of his with the Thelonious model.
The guitar
With PMC, we are in the high class guitar area. Starting from the choice of woods to the attention to details and quality of the building, the guitar is a great job and it sounds awesome as you can judge for yourself in the video.

The look of the beauty is beautiful, simple and elegant.

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2014 Musikmesse special edition: 5 guitar interviews

The 2014 Musikmesse was a great edition with plenty of opportunities to meet and interview influential guitar people.

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Ulrich Teuffel interview at the 2014 Musikmesse

Ulrich Teuffel has some very innovative design ideas that he has implemented in his instruments over the years (see photos below).