 In the Press
UK's Guitar Buyer reviewed the Flaxwood Liekki in their July 2008 issue:
"Although the guitar produces some very credible distorted tones, with plenty of P-90-style grit and bite, it's in the clean department that it really excels. There's plenty of detail and an overall evenness to the frequency range that flatters complex chords and Andy Summers-style jazz-tinged riffs."
"The Flaxwood company has succeeded in building an electric guitar from environmentally friendly materials that plays as well and sounds just as good as (if a little different from) a traditional wooden instrument."
"We reckon that companies like Flaxwood are to be commended for pushing the envelope and exploring new materials and methods of construction."
Australian Guitar Magazine reviewed the Flaxwood Liekki:
"...Flaxwood have responded to both environmental and instrumental concerns by developing a process for creating a synthetic tonewood that may well change the way guitars are constructed in the 21st century."
"Technology without playability is worth the sum total of bugger all... and for a guitar that will retail for around $3600 in this country [Australia], a lot of playability is required. It doesn't matter how environmentally aware or what sort of future-fetishist you are, a guitar has got to speak to you before you go laying down that sort of money to make it your own. Thankfully, the Flaxwood Liekki is a damn fine player."
"The guitar is exceptionally well balanced, and there is not a single issue I have with it physically. Similarly, there are no concerns about the way this one sounds. From the minute you pick it up and play it unamplified, you suspect that this one will sound special."
"If this were not both a technological and environmentally sound innovation, yet still possessed the tone and playability that it does, we would still be absolutely mad for it. Regardless of its design and construction, this one is just a stellar electric guitar."
"Flaxwood Guitars of Finland... have made what is quite possibly the most significant guitar innovation in a generation."
"Flaxwood has come up with a patent for something many thought impossible: to create a resonant, warm sounding, environmentally friendly raw material (no rare hardwoods are used) that can be used with modern, mold-injection technologies, and at the same time, produce instruments with great playability and gorgeous, wood-based tones."
"The end result is a truly remarkable "boutique" quality instrument with a much more affordable price point."
"Great tone, great playability, great feel and look, and a consistency from guitar to guitar that was simply not possible before Flaxwood. DestroyAllGuitars is thrilled to be representing such revolutionary and evolutionary instruments."
20th Century Guitar reviewed the Flaxwood Liekki:
"The hollow-bodied Liekki is akin to a Formula One race car with its sleek, compact and efficient body design accented by graceful contours."
"...incredible acoustic resonance and sustain. Hit a note anywhere on the Flaxwood neck and you can feel the energy being transmitted through the entire guitar."
"The Flaxwood Liekki embodies the Flaxwood philosophy of classic vintage elegance with modern design. Combining new school technology with old school assembly by a team of experienced and skilled luthiers makes the Liekki a real winner."
GuitarMart.co.uk reviewed the Flaxwood Liekki in December 2007:
"What makes Flaxwood guitars stand out from the crowd is that they produce a whole range of high-end guitars using a composite material that hold their own when compared to the best tonewood guitars on the market..."
"...Flaxwood guitars like the Liekki shouldn't be regarded as 'sound-alikes' for more traditional guitars, but should be judged in their own light. In this respect the flawless build quality and unique voice - which can in part be attributed to the composite construction - set these guitars apart (not to mention the Liekki is fitted with a resonator back plate)! This in itself is enough to make them interesting to anyone who is looking to expand their sonic horizons."
"In conclusion I think Flaxwood really have done their homework - on those long cold arctic nights! While their guitars do not look too startling different, which will please a very conservative guitar buying public, the construction materials and process are potentially years ahead of the competition."
Read the entire review by GuitarMart.co.uk's Clive Warner here.
GrandGtrs reviewed the Flaxwood Liekki in their 2/2007 issue:
"Guitarists are known to be a bunch of conservative people, which is not necessarily a bad thing but invariably leads to the fact that innovations are met with suspicion even though the advantages might be obvious. Many guitarists tend to happily stick with the well-known flaws of good old designs. Yet with Flaxwood things might turn out to be different."
"The theory to enhance wood without having it lose its natural warmth works out just fine. The guitar vibrates as if played for years. The tone is open, with virtually no compression."
"High quality does not always mean high-priced... a fair deal to explore ways in music far beyond the mainstream."
- translated by Alexander-Lars Dallman
Musikermagasinet reviewed the Flaxwood Rautia and RZZ in their August 2005 issue:
"An innovative and well-built instrument, stable and easy to play, superior dynamics and sustain, a wide sound register, good hardware and electronics. -- Anyone who is looking for a modern guitar like a PRS or Parker, should not forget Flaxwood - it could be an encounter that changes everything. Hurray Finland!"
UKGuitars.com reviewed the Flaxwood Rautia:
"As a guitarist would you choose the Rautia over a similarly designed PRS or a top of the range Parker? If you're looking for a truly innovative guitar that will set you apart from the traditional crowd of PRS, Gibson, Fenders - then yes! The guitar carries enough tonal range through its onboard tone controls and pick-up selector switch to leave you to concentrate on playing rather than twiddling the amp's bass, mid and treble settings. All in all, it's a fun guitar to play both from its tremendously comfortable and light body through to its unique feel and range."
Total Guitar reviewed the Flaxwood RZZ in their November 2004 issue:
”We're impressed. Someone has put a lot of thought, and no doubt a few late nights, into design of this unique guitar. The feel and the sound of the RZZ makes a strong case for composite guitars. The guitar is flawlessly put together and we had lot of fun with those P90 pickups. However we would suggest that fans of heavier sounds should look at the company's other guitars that are fitted with Humbuckers. Just make sure you that you try at least one."
Guitarist magazine introduced the Flaxwood RZZ on their centerfold in the Summer 2004 issue:
"Flaxwood RZZ - Best Gear First."
Finland's Riffi magazine tested Flaxwood Guitars in their 7/2004 issue:
"Structure, material, design, playability and tone; the Flaxwood has all the characteristics that a quality guitar should have. With good reason, we can wish Flaxwood Guitars good luck on their way to the World's guitar markets"
PLEASE NOTE:
To commemmorate our 2007 line and our website's visual makeover,
Flaxwood models were given new Finnish names. Hence, some of the
reviews quoted here refer to our guitars with their old model names; of
our new line, the Liekki corresponds to the old RZZ mentioned in the
quotes above.
www.flaxwood.com
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