Knockout
Active member
I've been diving into boutique waters as of last couple years, just to see whats all the hype about (even though I play thrash and shit, and cad do with DK2 easily). I've had bunch of different ones, whatever I could get afford, or trade for. Mostly used, couple brand new (had to import from Europe).
Here is what I tried.
Suhr. Pros, Moderns, Custom Moderns and Standards of all kinds and colors, drips were my weakness. Never found one that I like the sound, the pickups in all of them were too bright, too soft etc. However, I did enjoy playability and the build quality. Suhr Pro S3 was the first boutique I got. I'd rate Suhr somewhere at the bottom of the boutiques for overall sound, build and playability. I know those are fighting words but Suhr would always find a way to disappoint me. Not the same way as USA/Custom shop Jackson in which I would always found a flaw, without fail out of 30-40 I had. Suhr though, never had any flaws, it just never made me wanna hold on to one for longer than a month.
Tom Anderson. I had Drop Tops with 2 and 4 bolts, one Cobra S. The best American boutique builder for super strats. Beats Suhr, in every way. For me at least, and again I'm biased as I'd like my guitar to play metal while being beautiful and have the playability only boutiques can provide. No flaws, great sound and feel guitars.
Knaggs. Had Stevens first pink-black sig, Severn tier 2. The one getting into the 'ultra-boutique' waters. The one reason I can say about them is that you can somehow feel their boutiqness and just can't justify the money. That is the only problem I had with them, they sound and feel great but feel like you are holding a big hunk of glass and don't want to touch it anywhere. Just me though. Still better than Suhr.
Paoletti (Italy). Had Stradospheric Croc Wine. If it wasn't for baseball bat neck I'd keep the one I had. Playability was awesome, it smelled differently (150 year old wine barrel body and skin draping) it sounded differentially than anything I 've heard before. I read somewhere that it was similar to true vintage sound of strats in 50s. There were some tiny flaws with the guitars that could pick up though. I'd put Paoletti below Suhr overall.
Mayones (Poland). Only had 2 so far. The best boutique shredders all around, only one of the two following guitars can be set up lower than mayo. True metal machines.
Amfisound (Finland). The one I have is the Les Paul done right, and it is done right. No Gibson I have ever touched (and there were dozens in the late 2000s) would come even close in playability, quality or even sound, none.
Ruokangas(Finland). Just got V.S.O.P. Went on the limb, the pictures I got wasn't even good ones, and that guitar is the epitome of the 'pics don't do justise'! I just set it up and I can't even put a thin pick between the 12th fret and the strings, it is that low and no buzz. It sounds badass, whatever pick ups in it are done right (Ruokangas with wooden covers). The guitar is a classic strat shape but I'd be damned if it doesn't feel better than anything I had before! It is 10 for ten on playability, quality, sound, and of course for me it would lose point on looks as I's look at anything Mayones before I look at anything Ruokangas, even their $10K guits do not stand up in the looks department against even average Suhr Modern lava drip. However, Suhr would not ever win a 'build off' against Juha (Ruokangas), in quality, sound or playability. If the all above mentioned builders would ever decided to build with the same materials and see who would do it better I bet Finland would take that trophy.
So anyway, that is only my opinion on some boutiques and I'm writing it as I'm a bit impressed with Ruokangas.
* and a shit picture to finish this off. Some day I'll learn how to use camera.
Here is what I tried.
Suhr. Pros, Moderns, Custom Moderns and Standards of all kinds and colors, drips were my weakness. Never found one that I like the sound, the pickups in all of them were too bright, too soft etc. However, I did enjoy playability and the build quality. Suhr Pro S3 was the first boutique I got. I'd rate Suhr somewhere at the bottom of the boutiques for overall sound, build and playability. I know those are fighting words but Suhr would always find a way to disappoint me. Not the same way as USA/Custom shop Jackson in which I would always found a flaw, without fail out of 30-40 I had. Suhr though, never had any flaws, it just never made me wanna hold on to one for longer than a month.
Tom Anderson. I had Drop Tops with 2 and 4 bolts, one Cobra S. The best American boutique builder for super strats. Beats Suhr, in every way. For me at least, and again I'm biased as I'd like my guitar to play metal while being beautiful and have the playability only boutiques can provide. No flaws, great sound and feel guitars.
Knaggs. Had Stevens first pink-black sig, Severn tier 2. The one getting into the 'ultra-boutique' waters. The one reason I can say about them is that you can somehow feel their boutiqness and just can't justify the money. That is the only problem I had with them, they sound and feel great but feel like you are holding a big hunk of glass and don't want to touch it anywhere. Just me though. Still better than Suhr.
Paoletti (Italy). Had Stradospheric Croc Wine. If it wasn't for baseball bat neck I'd keep the one I had. Playability was awesome, it smelled differently (150 year old wine barrel body and skin draping) it sounded differentially than anything I 've heard before. I read somewhere that it was similar to true vintage sound of strats in 50s. There were some tiny flaws with the guitars that could pick up though. I'd put Paoletti below Suhr overall.
Mayones (Poland). Only had 2 so far. The best boutique shredders all around, only one of the two following guitars can be set up lower than mayo. True metal machines.
Amfisound (Finland). The one I have is the Les Paul done right, and it is done right. No Gibson I have ever touched (and there were dozens in the late 2000s) would come even close in playability, quality or even sound, none.
Ruokangas(Finland). Just got V.S.O.P. Went on the limb, the pictures I got wasn't even good ones, and that guitar is the epitome of the 'pics don't do justise'! I just set it up and I can't even put a thin pick between the 12th fret and the strings, it is that low and no buzz. It sounds badass, whatever pick ups in it are done right (Ruokangas with wooden covers). The guitar is a classic strat shape but I'd be damned if it doesn't feel better than anything I had before! It is 10 for ten on playability, quality, sound, and of course for me it would lose point on looks as I's look at anything Mayones before I look at anything Ruokangas, even their $10K guits do not stand up in the looks department against even average Suhr Modern lava drip. However, Suhr would not ever win a 'build off' against Juha (Ruokangas), in quality, sound or playability. If the all above mentioned builders would ever decided to build with the same materials and see who would do it better I bet Finland would take that trophy.
So anyway, that is only my opinion on some boutiques and I'm writing it as I'm a bit impressed with Ruokangas.
* and a shit picture to finish this off. Some day I'll learn how to use camera.
