He was the lead guitarist and main songwriter for the Finnish band Sentenced. He was also the lead singer from 1989 to late 1992 and bassist in 1996.

The band was formed in 1989 in Oulu, Finland by guitarists Sami Lopakka and Miika Tenkula, and drummer Vesa Ranta.

In his live performances, Tenkula used Gibson Les Paul Studio guitars with EMG 81-89 pickups, BOSS GT-3 multi-effects processors and Laney GH100L amplifiers.

The Les Paul Studio embodies the essential features of the Les Paul with enhancements in playability and tonal versatility. The rosewood fingerboard and slim, tapered mahogany neck provide comfort and effortless playability. The 490R and 498T humbucking pickups deliver tight, high-gain output, while dual push-pull pots offer additional coil-tap options. State-of-the-art Weight Relief was developed through a light but carefully calculated balancing of chambers around the perimeter of the guitar’s body to further reduce weight without degrading the tone. It is designed to provide a solid core in the center of the guitar to maintain that classic Les Paul sound. Unlike a full-chamber design, it is less likely to feedback or affect the guitar’s tonality and resonance.

EMG 81-89

Tenkula replaces the original Humbucker pickups with EMG 81 pickups at the bridge and 89 at the neck, giving a sound that has always characterized the sound of the Sentenced band.

The EMG 81 is the one that started a revolution. Using powerful ceramic magnets and “closed-aperture” coils the sound is designed with incredible detail, incredible high-end cuts and smooth sustain. Traditionally used in the Bridge position, this pickup will make your sound pop through even the densest mix.

The EMG 89 split-coil pickup is like having both a single and dual-coil pickup at the same time, each with its own output. On the single-coil side is an Alnico stacked EMG SA. In dual-coil mode, it features two Alnico coils that create a sound similar to the popular EMG 85 humbucker. Using the push/pull volume or tone knob you can switch between the sounds of a single-coil EMG 89 and a humbucking.

LANEY GH100L

Miika has always used a Laney GH100L amplifier live.

Equipped with 4 matched EL84 tubes, it features a single channel with switchable gain, 3-band EQ, Volume and Presence controls and the amazing Resonance function, which limits the damping of the amplifier and increases the bass response. You will also find on the rear panel an FX loop input selectable in three modes (Bypassed, Series or Parallel) and the speaker output. A rich sound for a wide range of sounds,