Custom Boards Finland

19/09/2026

03/09/2026

In the mid-’90s, Fender released a new version of their classic Fender VI baritone guitar. I spotted one at F-Musiikki back in the day and fell in love with it, partly because I had seen John Lennon playing one in The Beatles’ videos. But the baritone also had a more modern dimension.

Hiili Hiilesmaa used one extensively in the studio while recording Jimsonweed’s and HIM’s first records. The Fender VI sits tonally somewhere between a guitar and a bass, adding a wonderfully growling texture to the heaviest riffs. I also played this very instrument on Jimsonweed’s Hippies from Hell – the rumbling accents on “Dark Sun,” punk-style riffing on “Precious Ride,” and a Jethro Tull-esque folk strumming at the end of “Planet Girl.”

Around the turn of the millennium, I spent a few years living the traveller life and, short of money, put the instrument on sale at the same place I had bought it from. I didn’t see it again for decades. At some point, I found out that Jukka Puurula, the bassist of Don Huonot, had bought it.

I saw Jukka from time to time, and we talked about the instrument. Now, as we prepare for the Suho Superstar memorial show, I borrowed it from him, and sure enough, those same notes and tones were still hiding inside it. It needed a little maintenance too. By this point, Jukka had replaced the bridge, for the more sturdier version. The electronics needed cleaning, the strings had to be replaced, and the intonation adjusted until the instrument was playing like a dream again.

Playing a baritone guitar takes quite a bit of strength, something my fingers no longer have, but little by little, we’ve found our way back to each other. If the stars align, you can hear this beast at Tavastia-klubi on September 16, when I return to the music of Jimsonweed after a quarter of a century. After the show, the instrument will go back to Jukka, but until then, I am going to enjoy every minute with it.

01/09/2026

Autumn has kicked off with a bang at Custom Boards. In just over a week, I’ve covered pretty much the entire spectrum of what I do.

Pic 1 – Janne Louhivuori wanted to update his pedalboard for Black Devils We added a Dr. Robert distortion to get into Beatles’ Revolver territory. When Janne played the Paperback Writer riff, I couldn’t help but smile. Authentic!

Pic 2 – Tapani Rinne wanted to streamline his pedalboard. I fitted three Radial DI boxes and numbered the channels clearly for the sound engineer.

Pic 3 – A cable loom to clean up a pedalboard’s wiring, carrying the effects loop send/return and amp channel switching.

Pic 4 – Saimaa Matti Mikkola’s Mad Professor amp acted up before important shows. Power tubes were at the end of their life, so I ordered a fresh quartet from UralTone amplification Oy biased them and got the amp back to Matti just in time.

Pic 5 – Musicom switches need replacing fairly often. The customer mailed the unit, I replaced the switch and mailed it back the same day. Basic stuff.

Pic 6 – A pedalboard design project in the works. Soldering starts as soon as this post is written.

Pic 7 – I bought a used P-bass copy from F-Musiikki about 20 years ago. It sounds so good I’ve never sold it. Prepping Jimsonweed’s set for Suho’s memorial concert, so it was time to service the electronics. Maybe it’ll get back on stage.

Pic 8 – Spiha's Timo Paavola’s Laney VH100R started acting up at kontufestarit2026 I gave it a clean and realized it was HIM’s Linde Lindström’s old amp, still carrying my markings from the band’s final tour.

The week also included a remote consultation with a guitarist who wanted to sound like Timo Kämäräinen It turned into a session focusing more on psychology than gear.

My energy is high after the festival summer, so I’m enjoying every minute. If your gear needs maintenance or your sound is missing, get in touch. Still some availability in October before I shift focus back to Ursus Factory show’s.

25/08/2026

This year’s festival season is over, and I’ve slowly made my way back to the workbench at Custom Boards. I did 16 shows with Ursus Factory over the summer, and basically spent the days in between on vacation. Just about the right amount for a 54-year-old backliner 😎

The shows went by without any major technical issues. Jytäkesä Go-Go (pictured) was certainly one of the biggest ones, but Bättre Folk and Puolangan Pessimismipäivät also really stood out as truly unique events.

All in all, I got to visit several festivals I’d never been to before, which was really inspiring. The band was on fire, the guitar amps were singing loud and proud all summer, and the crew really came together along the way, just as it should.

Now it’s time for a month or two of catching my breath, followed by some serious soldering at the office, working on pedalboards and whatever else comes my way.

Pic: Pekka Koret

Kalle Nurmi Henna Koskinen FullsteamAgency Lördag

29/06/2026

Today the memorial concert for Suho Superstar was announced. Without a doubt, it’s going to be an emotional and memorable night. Who knows, I might even end up picking up the bass myself 😌

On stage you’ll see Jimsonweed, Nasty Needs, and Jericho Fuzz, along with a host of vocalists and special guests. All proceeds from the evening will go toward supporting young people’s music school.

You can find more info and the ticket link on Tavastia-klubi ’s Instagram profile 🙏

27/06/2026

Trip to Seinäjoki’s felt like a proper trip down memory lane. I’ve been partying here since the 90s, seeing bands like Black Sabbath, QOTSA and RATM — but I guess age is finally catching up.

This time I was teching for Ursus Factory. Went straight to the site for load-in and line check, and after the band’s energetic show… I went pretty much straight to the legendary Hotel Lakeus for a proper rest. Rock ’n’ roll, right?

On the way back, we stopped by Gas Guitarworks to test some guitars, get inspired, and drink unhealthy amounts of Vichy Original in between.

Can’t say I always felt this rested back in the day — but hey, times are changing.

Pic 2 by Väinö Huusko

16/06/2026

is an alternative progressive metal band from Finland. Guitarists Jukka Salovaara and Niko Meriläinen needed help with their pedalboards, so we had a consultation session after I wired boards for both of them.

Both guitarists follow a similar approach to their sounds. Most of the gain comes from their amps, with a few boosters and overdrives placed before the preamp. Modulation effects, reverbs and delays are placed in the amplifiers’ effects loops.

The guys already had their effects, power supplies and cable snakes ready, so I mainly wired the boards, adjusted the snakes and added strain relief at both ends. Both pedalboards sounded fantastic, so this was a great upgrade for their live shows.

In the pictures, you can see the boards both with and without the cable snakes attached. I would recommend using cable snakes for all guitar and bass players, especially at summer festivals, where changeovers can be fast and hectic.

Need help with your own setup? Check out our services via the link in our bio 👆



Voodoo Lab Evidence Audio Van Damme Cable

All supplies provided by UralTone amplification Oy

13/06/2026

Had a great time working at Kesärauha yesterday. Ursus Factory played on the YleX Stage and absolutely nailed it. The crowd seemed to enjoy the show too.

I really like this festival. I was here two years ago with the Music of Kingston Wall -collective and spent all three days enjoying the atmosphere. This time it was just a quick visit, but I saw many familiar faces, which made me already looking forward to coming back to Kesärauha, hopefully next year 😊

Pic: Pekka Koret

10/06/2026

From what I’ve heard, we have a great Jimi Hendrix tribute act here in Finland, one I have not seen yet. Room Full Of Hendrix is playing at TAVASTIA-klubi next Wednesday, so this might be my chance to finally see them live.

About 13 years ago, I dug deep into Jimi Hendrix’s effects and sounds and wrote an article about them. It had been offline for years, but I recently discovered it on my hard drive and published it again on my Substack. I think it is still a relevant take on Jimi’s playing and sounds.

If you are into Jimi’s sounds or thinking about seeing live, reading this blog post will get you in the mood. The link to the article can be found in the comments.

13/04/2026

Exactly one week from now, on Monday, April 20 at 13.00, I’ll be speaking at the Rovaniemi Main Library about touring abroad with rock bands and everything related to it, maybe even a bit about writing as well. If you live nearby, come say hi and feel free to bring a friend along.