#16 - Factory vs luthier.. what's the real difference? Pt.3 with guest Nik Huber

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...

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