from: BLUES REVUE-magazine (USA/CAN) May 2001 issue/page 33, written by Art Tipaldi

DON´T THROW THOSE OLD RADIOS AWAY
While we´re overseas, what do Wayne Bennett, Paul Senegal, Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong, Junior Watson, Louisiana Red, Bob Brozman, Eddy Clearwater, Lynwood Slim, T.J. Wheeler, Rick Holmstrom, Alex Schultz, Steve Mugalian, Honey and Rod Piazza and Roy Gaines have in common? They all have been blown away by the unique retro tone of Jussi "Jo´ Buddy" Raulamo, the guitarist and singer for the Finnish blues band Groovy Eyes.
Gaines recently walked into the club in Finland where Groovy Eyes was playing and stayed for the entire two-hour show, amazed by the one-of-a-kind sound of Raulamo´s guitar. "Right after we finished, he wanted to trade our CDs, and he wanted me to write down all of my setups," said Raulamo. "I couldn´t believe my eyes. My longtime hero from mid-1950s Duke/Peacock recordings was telling me that he also wanted to buy himself a tube radio."
That´s right, a tube radio. Ten years ago, Raulamo bought an old tube radio to experiment with. He began playing his guitar through the old radio.
"I use a Salora, a Finnish-made tube radio from 1953 with its small oval speaker. My setups are always up at full capacity. This tube radio amp has naturally more dynamic tone variations than any other guitar amp today. The heavier I hit my guitar strings, the more harmonic distortion I can get. The softer I touch the strings, the more clear and bright sound I can get." Raulamo´s guitar is a German-made Klira archtop from late 1950s.
Gaines once was told by legendary producer John Hammond that when Hammond finally found Charlie Christian in Oklahoma City in 1939, Christian was playing with tube radios. "Gaines told me that I was the first one he had ever heard that tone from ever since."
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