Episodes
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First I turned down the idea of making a nylon-stringed electric guitar - but eventually I changed my mind. Why? You have to watch this stream to find out. :)
I'd like to dedicate my last Weekly Wednesday Live broadcast for this year to all You out there, who work hard in the field of making music - composing, recording & gigging - in order to bring joy, consolation and a feel of unity to people's lives. It is so very important, and often understated, in these challenging times.
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha
Sign up to my newsletter here!
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
P.S. Wanna watch my Weekly Wednesday streams? Here's the playlist to all them, featured in chronological order: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... -
Why is ebony so highly valued in the world of musical instruments? Let's discuss about tradition and sustainability - and how those two concepts conflict in the case of ebony.
Historically, ebony - this mythically exquisite wood from the dry and intermediate zones in Western Africa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Southern India and Indonesia - was available only to master craftsmen because of the nature of the material and its great expense. The use of it has a long history of use in cabinetwork, decorative items, crucifixes – and in a wide array of musical instruments.
In this episode of my (Weekly) Wednesday Live I'll tell how this story I heard from Bob Taylor years ago changed my thinking - and how it will change your thinking too.
https://www.taylorguitars.com/ebonypr...
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha
Sign up to my newsletter here!
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
P.S. Wanna watch my Weekly Wednesday streams? Here's the playlist to all them, featured in chronological order: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... -
Missing episodes?
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What is ear training about? Active listening? Biomechanical method of teaching guitar..!!? Half a year ago I had no idea - but thanks to Ruben Roeh we'll all know a lot more after watching this interview!
Ruben is a hard working musician and guitar teacher based in Hamburg, Germany. Most of you who follow us most likely have come across demos or other content involving Ruben's input. Yes, we're good friends and work together - would be fair to say that Ruben has become also one of our main test pilots for the Valvebucker invention early on. This interview focuses however more to Ruben's work as a guitarist and guitar teacher. We'll also talk a little about the freshly released album 'Trapezia' by Cosmic Latte!
Buy/stream the Cosmic Latte album 'Trapezia':
https://save-it.cc/baristasfromspace/...
Cosmic Latte 'Title Track' video:
https://youtu.be/NGPNGQ6A2Ls
Cosmic Latte social media:
https://instagram.com/baristasfromspace
https://facebook.com/baristasfromspace
Cosmic Latte on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/BaristasFro...
Sign up to my newsletter here!
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
P.S. Wanna watch more my Weekly Wednesday streams on YouTube? Here's the playlist to all them, featured in chronological order: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
Both Jussi and I grew up in Rovaniemi, a little town smacked right on the Arctic circle, next to Santa's workshop. While I remained in Finland and learned over the years to make a lot of sawdust, Jussi's path took him to Amman, Dar es Salaam, Muscat, Beirut, Helsinki, and eventually to Boston and New York where he continued building his career as a musician, recently relocating to Amsterdam. But that's just a scratch on the surface! In this episode of the Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A, Jussi and I will discuss his journey, entwining into a fascinating transcultural musical rollercoaster ride – and his new album – named Three Seconds | Kolme Toista.
Jussi Reijonen website:
https://www.jussireijonen.com
Watch/Listen to the first single release 'The Veil':
https://youtu.be/Z0dPkglP1ww
Three Seconds | Kolme Toista trailer:
https://youtu.be/shmZt37mFcM
Sign up to my newsletter here!
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
P.S. Wanna watch more my Weekly Wednesday streams on YouTube? Here's the playlist to all them, featured in chronological order: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
This episode addresses many questions asked about our new Valvebucker Mk2 pickup in the aftermath of its launch 2 weeks ago. Many magazines and online medias, Guitar World, Guitar Player, Planetsixstring amongst others, chose to title their articles rather provocatively, focusing to the price of the pickup, and... this calls for addressing..!
P.S. Wanna watch more my Weekly Wednesday streams on YouTube? Here's the playlist to all them, featured in chronological order: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
This episode of the Weekly Wednesday live is many things. It's a wrap-up of my experiences as a YouTuber since I started these live broadcasts a year and a half ago. We'll do a bit of reflecting upon the topics, the people I've interviewed and how we - you and I - have become a little tribe. We'll also talk about what's coming next - both for this YouTube channel and my company Ruokangas Guitars. This is the last episode for 2021 - hope to see you onboard!
P.S. Blogpost by Juha Javanainen (in Finnish language) I referred to in the stream:
https://www.jco.fi/miksi-aikataululla...
P.P.S. The article on Junnu's website I referred to in the stream:
https://www.junnu.fi/en/project/case-...
P.P.P.S. Wanna watch more my Weekly Wednesday streams? Here's the playlist to all them, featured in chronological order: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
One week ago, I removed all social media apps - Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter - from my phone, and have kept notes of how it has felt and what thoughts have emerged. On this episode of the Weekly Wednesday Live I will report to you the results of this cruel human experiment - how is life like without social media in my pocket?
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
Terms such as 'sustainable', 'organic', 'ethically correct' are the trend of the modern age. We're looking for ways to calm down our conscience with the consuming choices we make & save our planet on the side. But... a vegan compatible guitar? Why!?
Today we're celebrating the 50th episode of my Weekly Wednesday Live broadcasts by closing a circle. With this video, we're going back to the very beginnings of my Guitar Love rants on YouTube. A couple of years before the Weekly Wednesday Live, I had already done a couple of videos in a similar style - the first one was 'Why Guitars Cost What They Cost?', and a sequel 'The Ethical Footprint of Guitars'. Well, today we're back, exploring that same puddle from a few different perspectives.
A link to the CITES article I mention in the stream:
https://ruokangas.com/support/cites/
A link to a vegan compatible guitar I mention in the stream:
https://ruokangas.com/spotlight/vegan...
A link to an article about Ruokangas guitars 'nut' material:
https://ruokangas.com/specifications/...
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
... I proclaimed to my mom that I didn't need a high school education and I wasn't going to return to school. My mother wasn't thrilled. "You only have two more months until graduation," she said, incredulous. "Thing is, Mom," I confessed, "I haven't been in school this entire year; I haven't been to class once." ... "So, what are you going to do?" she asked, resigning herself to my decision. "Don't worry about me. I'm going to be a rock star." - Jay Jay French (quote from the book 'Twisted Business')
When I got Jay Jay's book in my hands, I have to admit I was really nervous on behalf of my friend! Had Jay Jay succeeded (as I hoped!) in accomplishing something more than just the typical stroll down the memory lane, a drug-dripping, scandalous memoir, for the sake of 80's nostalgia...?
I bought Jay Jay's book immediately as it became available. Why? Not because he's my customer. Not to dwell in the Twisted 80's nostalgia either. No, I wanted to read the book because after all the years knowing Jay Jay as a friend, I just knew he had a lot to share! A ton of stories that are not only entertaining and provocative - but valuable information to learn from.
Well, now I've read the book and in this episode of my Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A we'll put Jay Jay under interrogation! I'll also reveal to you guys what I honestly thought of it, and whether you should run out to buy it or not... 🧐
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
Petteri Sariola is an internationally touring fingerstyle virtuoso singer-songwriter guitarist from Finland. What makes Petteri tick? What can we learn from Petteri's experience? Let's find out!
Last week I interviewed Mika Tyyskä and asked how does he make a living in music, in the modern age. Well, this week we'll get to hear the story of yet another man who has literally forged his own path as a musician over the past decades. How does he do it? How has the pandemic affected to Petteri's work as a musician? These questions and more will be answered in this interview - stay tuned!
A little documentary of Petteri, check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-L_K...
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
Many of us have faced this situation. You love music and you've found your instrument to express yourself with - and all you'd want to do is play! But.. how to make a living in music? Is it even a viable option in the modern world we live in? Or would it be better to work elsewhere and have music as a hobby?
There aren't obviously any single correct answer to these questions. Mika Tyyskä is, however, one of those musicians who have found a way to make a living in music, in the modern age. How did he do it? Is there something you and I could learn from his experience? Let's ask the man himself!
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
I've been asked repeatedly to comment the very popular '5-step setup' video by the famous YouTuber Paul Davids, and... Well, after watching his video a couple of times... ok! I'd like to mention a thing or two about it. Let's see where this leads!
I admire Paul's YouTube channel greatly! He is a super talented guitarist and his videos are always very entertaining. Paul is a fantastic teacher, too - top notch ! But... how does he succeed in his tutorial showing how to do a full setup to a guitar? Watch this live broadcast to find out..!
Paul Davids is a well-known YouTuber with over 2,5 million followers. His videos range typically from guitar tutorials to music theory and from ‘Live Guitar Looping’ videos to deconstructing famous songs. His main goal is to inspire fellow guitar players all over the world and to create and play music - and in that, Paul has certainly succeeded extremely well!
Here's the link to Paul's 5-step setup video:
https://youtu.be/aAyDdbNldig
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
"I often talk about the future of guitar - future of music - future of design. Hmmm maybe not a coincidence I'm a also a big fan of science fiction literature and movies, ha! Needless to say that I'm very excited of this possibility to interview a man who seems to own a better crystal ball than most of us do."
Let's have a chat with Douglas Castro, the founder of Darkglass Electronics and Neural DSP. Why has he succeeded so remarkably well... twice!? Two companies built from ground up to market leaders in just a bit over 10 years. A rare occasion, to say the least!
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
"There are many legendary guitarists who have become known of playing just one guitar - Brian May, Danny Gatton, John Schofield, Mike Stern and Larry Carlton, to name of few. It is an intriguing thought, isn't it? Just one guitar! But... is it possible? Can one guitar be the answer to all my needs as a player..!?"
Let's talk about the "Ultimate One Guitar Collection" - on my Weekly Wednesday Live episode #44. Looking forward! Thank you Manuel V. for the inspiration to make this video.
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
Last week Erik M. asked me in the Weekly Wednesday stream chat: "Do you have a theory on what the 59 burst magic is about?". Stephan S. emailed me a day later, continuing the question: "Do you think a new guitar can not cope with a burst?". Thank you guys - you're the inspiration for this week's topic! ;)
At the time of its production, the 1958–1960 sunburst Les Paul was considered a commercial failure, with low sales. This led Gibson to discontinue the model for nearly 10 years. Today, however, the Les Paul is one of the best-known electric guitar types in the world - and the original instruments from the era in question, 1958-1960, are the most sought after electrics ever, selling for hundreds of thousands of euros/dollars. But... why..!? What is the magic? And... is it possible to have it in a new guitar..? This Wednesday I'll give my shot on the topic! Please invite all the Les Paul fanatics to join in the live broadcast!
The video diary playlist mentioned in the stream:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3...
Aaand the direct link to the 'Tonefest' episode, as mentioned in the stream:
https://youtu.be/a-ug6TN3oOw
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
"Never before in the history has there been so much information easily available to us. For those of you who want to learn to make guitars - play guitar - or basically learn any new skill - there's an endless supply of content to learn from - books, videos, online courses and what not. But how to choose the good stuff..?"
Last week we talked about future guitar design, and I was asked to make a video about books that would be helpful in learning to make guitars. I had already promised to make such a video a long time ago, but never did. And now, as I started to approach the topic, I remembered why I never got it done. A very difficult topic, that I don't necessarily feel I am the best expert of. But - a promise is a promise, so let's try to tackle this!
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
"We've seen the Telecasters, Stratocasters and Les Pauls in an endless variety of reincarnations. We've seen the radical deviations from tradition by Steve Klein, Ned Steinberger, Ulrich Teuffel and their modern day incarnations such as Strandberg and the like. We've seen the beautiful designs by Ritter, Pagelli, Spalt, Ergon and so many more contemporary master guitar makers. But... what is next? Or have we seen it all?"
I've flirted with this topic before. A couple of years ago, on my video 'Electric Guitar... Dead?' I mused on the future of electric guitar and guitar driven music in general. On a more recent video 'I have a great idea! But how do I convince the world?' I shared my thoughts on the creative process itself, and the challenges one can face when attempting to break through with a new idea or concept. Let's continue from there, and dive in to the deep end of the world of guitar design!
To climatize yourself to the topic, I recommend you to watch the two videos mentioned above!
https://youtu.be/1eOcoEjb6bA
https://youtu.be/BTlZQeCbgB4
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
"Can something bad happen to my guitar because of winter? How should I prepare my guitar for the seasons changing?"
A lot of players keep asking me about seasonal changes - what does the shift from summer to winter do to their guitars? There are many perspectives to look at! The winter doesn't mean the same thing for all of us. A new guitar reacts to seasonal change often differently from an old guitar. The country of origin of the instrument makes a difference as well. Many variables here to address!
On this episode of my Weekly Wednesday Live I'll talk about the coming winter. What does it do your guitar? How can you prepare yourself.. or can you, even? I look forward to your chat questions and comments!
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
"Why does a guitar need a truss rod? How come fret files are so expensive? Can rosewood be replaced by thermally aged other species? How can I make my guitar strings last longer?"
These questions and much more have been waiting in my questions-to-be-answered pile. Let's continue the "interrogation" we started a few weeks ago! On this episode I'll answer as many of your old and new questions as I can..!
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha -
"How high should the pickups be adjusted? Which guitar companies are your idols? Can a heavy weight guitar sound good? What's the weirdest tool you own?"
These questions - and tons more - have poured in in the live chat, comments and private messages during the first 12 months of the Weekly Wednesday Live existence. Some questions I've answered live when they've been asked, but a lot of them we've only gathered for future addressing. I started doing the show a year ago - so it's long overdue for me to sit down "under your interrogation" and answer as many questions as possible. Another marathon of a stream..? 😉
This broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars and basses, be it players, enthusiasts or collectors alike! The program is not about the guitars we make in my company Ruokangas Guitars. I'm doing this for you, who are interested in learning more about your instrument. The brand or monetary value of your guitar makes no difference whatsoever.
This podcast was originally published as a live stream on YouTube, and the imagery of the original video is obviously missing from this audio-only version. Tune in on YouTube and search Weekly Wednesday Live Q&A with Juha, and you'll find the originals!
Talk to you soon,
Juha - Show more
