Ruokangas Les Paul vs R8, R9 and '59 BURST

mihaitarta · 11-06-2009, 03:43 AM

The unicorn is a Les Paul type guitar built in Finland, but the wood used is Spanish cedar instead of mahogany (for the back and neck) and Baltic birch instead of maple (for the top).
All guitars played through: Victoria Victorilux and '74 Marshall JMP,

YouTube - Ruokangas Guitars Video Diary Episode 16 - The ToneFest!

what do you think of it?

decoy205 · 11-06-2009, 09:48 AM

Those guys can sure play man wow! I really like the splaying style. The guitars are all awesome. Its surprising to me that the burst has a more low mid tone then the others. this is contrary to what i usually see in vintage bursts compared to reissues. usually the reissues sound more low endy and muddy. The burst wasnt muddy but it had a much fatter tone then the others.

viper007 · 11-06-2009, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by decoy205

The burst wasnt muddy but it had a much fatter tone then the others.

+1.

The R8 sounds good.

58burst · 11-06-2009, 11:20 AM

It was a good demonstration of the famous burst "bloom"- on the reissue and the other guitar, after the notes are picked they fade down pretty evenly, but on the burst they actually swell and morph after being picked in a very interesting way-

snaredrum · 11-06-2009, 12:16 PM

very impressive, seeing as it is made of different woods to the others.

i just don't like the cutaway though!

imsilly · 11-06-2009, 05:33 PM

Really don't like the Unicorn thingy.

The R8 was surprisingly good, seeing how you'd expect the vintage burst to run away with things.

Just makes you wonder what the R8s would sound like after 50 years. I don't know if modern materials and construction techniques allow guitars to age as dramatically as the originals did.

R9. · 11-06-2009, 06:18 PM

I thought they all sounded great but I liked the Unicorn the least & the burst the most.

ex-nihilo · 11-07-2009, 08:15 PM

They all sounded great to me. However, there were two places where I think the burst sounded a bit better than the other two: 6:29-48 and 7:31-45.

I imagine the historics are particularly good.... not all of them are the same.

siroliver · 11-07-2009, 08:31 PM

the burst was a bit disappointing to my ears

the unicorn sounds superb clean

brockburst · 11-11-2009, 10:44 AM

I am not even going to lie....and I have an old growth replica and am a big time believer in old wood....but that R9 and R8 i think sound the best in these clips....

i have already been called a communist.

Daeborn · 11-11-2009, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brockburst

I am not even going to lie....and I have an old growth replica and am a big time believer in old wood....but that R9 and R8 i think sound the best in these clips....

i have already been called a communist.

I honestly believe a great guitar sounds great no matter how old or vintage it is. I played dozens of strats before I bought the one I own now twenty years ago, same models and years but mine smoked em all. I played quite a few LPs around town before I bought the LP I own from a forum member on another site. I was more than surprised how great that guitar sounds.

A dog is a dog...

FennRx · 11-11-2009, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brockburst

I am not even going to lie....and I have an old growth replica and am a big time believer in old wood....but that R9 and R8 i think sound the best in these clips....

i have already been called a communist.

i said the exact same thing on LPF.....i thought the Reissues sounded the best, though all of them seemed fairly close.

11-06-2009, 09:48 AM	#2 (permalink)
decoy205 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Brooklyn NY Posts: 3,186 Thanks: 98 Thanked 35 Times in 13 Posts	Re: Ruokangas Les Paul vs R8, R9 and '59 BURST Those guys can sure play man wow! I really like the splaying style. The guitars are all awesome. Its surprising to me that the burst has a more low mid tone then the others. this is contrary to what i usually see in vintage bursts compared to reissues. usually the reissues sound more low endy and muddy. The burst wasnt muddy but it had a much fatter tone then the others. __________________

11-06-2009, 11:20 AM	#4 (permalink)
58burst Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 31 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Ruokangas Les Paul vs R8, R9 and '59 BURST It was a good demonstration of the famous burst "bloom"- on the reissue and the other guitar, after the notes are picked they fade down pretty evenly, but on the burst they actually swell and morph after being picked in a very interesting way-

11-06-2009, 12:16 PM	#5 (permalink)
snaredrum Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Nottingham, England Posts: 2,972 Thanks: 24 Thanked 12 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Ruokangas Les Paul vs R8, R9 and '59 BURST very impressive, seeing as it is made of different woods to the others. i just don't like the cutaway though! __________________ "There is hopeful symbolism in the fact that flags do not wave in a vacuum." - Arthur C. Clarke

11-06-2009, 05:33 PM	#6 (permalink)
imsilly Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 49 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Ruokangas Les Paul vs R8, R9 and '59 BURST Really don't like the Unicorn thingy. The R8 was surprisingly good, seeing how you'd expect the vintage burst to run away with things. Just makes you wonder what the R8s would sound like after 50 years. I don't know if modern materials and construction techniques allow guitars to age as dramatically as the originals did.

11-06-2009, 06:18 PM	#7 (permalink)
R9. Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 5,251 Thanks: 269 Thanked 222 Times in 38 Posts	Re: Ruokangas Les Paul vs R8, R9 and '59 BURST I thought they all sounded great but I liked the Unicorn the least & the burst the most. __________________ Historic Les Paul Database

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11-07-2009, 08:15 PM	#8 (permalink)
ex-nihilo Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 677 Thanks: 3 Thanked 70 Times in 10 Posts	Re: Ruokangas Les Paul vs R8, R9 and '59 BURST They all sounded great to me. However, there were two places where I think the burst sounded a bit better than the other two: 6:29-48 and 7:31-45. I imagine the historics are particularly good.... not all of them are the same.

11-07-2009, 08:31 PM	#9 (permalink)
siroliver Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 363 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Ruokangas Les Paul vs R8, R9 and '59 BURST the burst was a bit disappointing to my ears the unicorn sounds superb clean __________________

11-11-2009, 10:44 AM	#10 (permalink)
brockburst Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: House of Tone Posts: 415 Thanks: 1 Thanked 7 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Ruokangas Les Paul vs R8, R9 and '59 BURST I am not even going to lie....and I have an old growth replica and am a big time believer in old wood....but that R9 and R8 i think sound the best in these clips.... i have already been called a communist. __________________ "Forget musical talent, experience, or skill. All you need is an opinion, and a computer." - GFM on TGP My massive, ever evolving and revolving collection. http://s553.photobucket.com/albums/jj392/jdwright6/

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