Weekly Wednesday Q&A with Juha Ruokangas

Factory manufactured - or luthier made? What's the real difference?  And whatever it is... does it matter to the player?

On the 4th episode of this epic series I had the privilege to interview Tom Anderson - a living legend and a true pioneer of the scene that later became known as 'boutique guitars'.  The first guitar made by a small builder I ever held in my hands was made by Tom Anderson Guitarworks - and in some respect it's fair to say that this was one of the crucial nudges for me, on my path to becoming a luthier myself later on.

So... does Tom have a new perspective to enlighten us with? I asked him in the interview what would his advice be for anyone looking to buy a guitar - and Tom's answer was absolutely brilliant! Listen to the podcast to find out more! ;-)

A little disclaimer - this broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars, be it guitarists, guitar 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.

Talk to you soon,
Juha

This week - the 3nd episode of my 'factory vs luthier' series - you'll get to meet the famous German luthier Nik Huber, whose career I have been paying close attention to for well over 20 years, and with whom I have exhibited at the same shows in Europe and North-America countless times. Heck, we've even built custom guitars for each other! 

Regardless of all the fun times, this live stream is no place to stroll down the good old memory lane. Instead, I'll be interrogating my brother in arms with a tough set of questions in the hope of understanding better whether there is indeed meaningful, tangible differences between a mass-produced and luthier-built guitar! 

I hope these conversations will shed light on the fundamental differences as well as similarities of factory made guitars in relation to instruments crafted by luthiers -  and whether those differences make any meaningful difference to the player, or not.

A little disclaimer - this broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars, be it guitarists, guitar 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.

Talk to you soon,
Juha

Factory manufactured - or luthier made? What's the real difference?  Does it matter to the player? In the previous broadcast William "Grit" Laskin and I got the wheel turning - and this week I'll continue with another living legend to explore this fascinating topic.

This week - the 2nd episode of my 'factory vs luthier' series - I'll dive in to deep end with John Page, who worked over 2 decades for Fender, 12 years of which as a co-founder and the head of the Fender Custom Shop. Fast forwarding to 2006, John Page Guitars was born. A heavy duty professional who has experienced first hand both sides of our story: the factory - and the hand made.

I hope these conversations will shed light on the fundamental differences as well as similarities of factory made guitars in relation to instruments crafted by luthiers -  and whether those differences make any meaningful difference to the player, or not.

A little disclaimer - this broadcast is targeted to all of you who enjoy guitars, be it guitarists, guitar 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.

Talk to you soon,
Juha

Factory manufactured - or luthier made? What's the real difference?  Does it matter to the player? Let's discuss about it!

A huge and many-faceted topic, worthy of writing books about! Definitely not something that I could wrap up in one live youtube broadcast. Thus, I decided to interview various experienced professionals in the guitar business. I hope these conversations will shed light on the fundamental differences as well as similarities of factory made guitars in relation to instruments crafted by luthiers -  and whether those differences make any real difference to the player, or not.

This week - the first broadcast of my 'factory vs luthier' series - I have a very special guest with me. Please give a warm welcome to William "Grit" Laskin, a dear friend and a living legend - undoubtedly an authority of highest rank in understanding the different layers of North American guitar making all the way since early 1970's up until today.

A little disclaimer - this Live Q&A broadcast is targeted to all who enjoy guitars, be it guitarists, guitar 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.

Talk to you soon,
Juha

What..!? How could there ever be a good reason not to order a new custom guitar - some might argue. Join me on this live stream and you’ll find out the 5 most common pitfalls that you should be aware of! 

A little disclaimer - this podcast is not about the guitars we make in my company. Instead, it's simply a dialogue to help you, who are interested in learning more about your own instrument. The brand of the guitar makes no difference whatsoever.

These podcasts have been edited from my Weekly Wednesday Q&A YouTube live streams. You'll probably notice this from time to time when listening. If you feel you're missing a detail due to the lack of moving picture, you can always find the equivalent content on YouTube! 

Talk to you soon,
Juha

Let's continue where we were left off a week ago! We discussed a bunch of different whammies as well as a few T-style bridges last week, so now we'll dive in to talk about tune-o-matics, wraparounds and as an icing on the cake I'll report to you what I've learned about the Evertune bridge when we've installed those to a number of custom guitars over the past years.

A little disclaimer - this podcast is not about the guitars we make in my company. Instead, it's simply a dialogue to help you, who are interested in learning more about your own instrument. The brand of the guitar makes no difference whatsoever.

These podcasts have been edited from my Weekly Wednesday Q&A YouTube live streams. You'll probably notice this from time to time when listening. If you feel you're missing a detail due to the lack of moving picture, you can always find the equivalent content on YouTube! 

Talk to you soon,
Juha

Today we’ll talk about guitar and bass bridges. What makes a good bridge? What makes a bad bridge? A huge topic - impossible to do much more than scratch the surface in this one broadcast, but let's do our best!

I will attempt to address the main guitar bridge styles, including the classic T and S style, tune-o-matic, locking whammy, wraparound - and hopefully we have a moment to discuss about the Evertune bridge as well.

A little disclaimer - this podcast is not about the guitars we make in my company. Instead, it's simply a dialogue to help you, who are interested in learning more about your own instrument. The brand of the guitar makes no difference whatsoever.

These podcasts have been edited from my Weekly Wednesday Q&A YouTube live streams. You'll probably notice this from time to time when listening. If you feel you're missing a detail due to the lack of moving picture, you can always find the equivalent content on YouTube! 

Talk to you soon,
Juha

As a guitar player - the wood quality of your guitar matters, whether you know it or not. Why? Because the wood materials are the very key element dictating whether any guitar has the potential – the genes – to become a decent musical instrument.

Today we'll talk talk about Thermally Aged Tonewood. If you're not familiar with the term, you still might have heard about roasted or caramelized maple. All this stuff might sound to you like esoteric mumbo jumbo that has nothing to do with rock'n'roll, after watching this live stream you might think otherwise!

I have invited a guest who knows all there is to know about thermal modification of tonewood. My teacher and mentor for many years, please give a warm welcome to the grand old master guitar maker Rauno Nieminen.

A little disclaimer - this podcast is not about the guitars we make in my company. Instead, it's simply a dialogue to help you, who are interested in learning more about your own instrument. The brand of the guitar makes no difference whatsoever.

These podcasts have been edited from my Weekly Wednesday Q&A YouTube live streams. You'll probably notice this from time to time when listening. If you feel you're missing a detail due to the lack of moving picture, you can always find the equivalent content on YouTube! 

Talk to you soon,
Juha

So you're considering the possibility of becoming a guitar maker? It is a fascinating profession, indeed - but not so easy to succeed in it! 

In this live stream I'll reveal to you a few key challenges you'll face on your path to becoming a luthier. I'll also discuss about my personal experiences, having earned my living from making guitars already for 25 years. 

A little disclaimer - this podcast is not about the guitars we make in my company. Instead, it's simply a dialogue to help you, who are interested in learning more about your own instrument. The brand of the guitar makes no difference whatsoever.

These podcasts have been edited from my Weekly Wednesday Q&A YouTube live streams. You'll probably notice this from time to time when listening. If you feel you're missing a detail due to the lack of moving picture, you can always find the equivalent content on YouTube! 

Talk to you soon,
Juha

This week's podcast title is a bit cryptic, isn't it? I agree - and it is intentionally so. Let me explain a little. 

A French author named Emmanuel Bighelli recently published a book about French guitar makers. Congrats, Emmanuel! Now he's in the middle of making another book in English - and he chose me to be one of the luthiers to be introduced in this book. Great! Emmanuel sent me a questionnaire, asking this and that - how I got started as a luthier - who have been my influences, and so on. The last question was about innovation. Emmanuel wrote: "What remains to be invented in lutherie today? Has it all been done?". 

Not an easy topic! I spent the best part of yesterday writing an answer to Emmanuel's last question, and the ideas kept dwelling, growing and changing shape - until it dawned to me: "I have to talk about this stuff in my podcast!" 

To conclude my mystery title, I'll ask YOU a question: "What music remains to be composed? Have all the meaningful songs already been written? How to come up with anything new!?"

You see, the way I look at things, it is all connected. Innovation - whether it is a musical instrument, or the music played with that instrument - comes from the same source. Let's talk about creativity! What is it? Where does it come from? Is it different today than it used to be?

A little disclaimer - this podcast is not about the guitars we make in my company. Instead, it's simply a dialogue to help you, who are interested in learning more about your own instrument. The brand of the guitar makes no difference whatsoever.

These podcasts have been edited from my Weekly Wednesday Q&A YouTube live streams. You'll probably notice this from time to time when listening. If you feel you're missing a detail due to the lack of moving picture, you can always find the equivalent content on YouTube! 

Talk to you soon,
Juha

Buying a guitar on tight budget is not easy. First off - there are so many cheap guitar brands and types available! And more importantly - how can you know if any of them are good!? Let's talk about that on my live stream!

Ok - it's not always the case of being broke when one needs to find a guitar for small money. Sometimes friends or family might ask for your help to buy a guitar. Maybe it is the first guitar for a child - or something not too valuable that you can grab along to the backseat on that road trip you're taking. One of the most common situations I've faced is when someone is intrigued by the idea of learning to play guitar, but isn't yet quite sure... and wouldn't want to spend a fortune to guitar gear to get started.  On this podcast I'll do my best to help you avoid the most common mistakes when buying a cheap guitar.

I've repaired guitars since the early 1990's, and I've seen a fair bit of the potential issues cheap guitars have. I had to add, however, that I'm not exactly at the top of the game regarding all the cheap stuff available today. That's why I invited Henning Pauly / Eytschpi42 to have a serious talk with me. Henning certainly has experience on this field... but... can we trust his advice? Let's find out!

A little disclaimer - this podcast is not about the guitars we make in my company. Instead, it's simply a dialogue to help you, who are interested in learning more about your own instrument. The brand of the guitar makes no difference whatsoever.

These podcasts have been edited from my Weekly Wednesday Q&A YouTube live streams. You'll probably notice this from time to time when listening. If you feel you're missing a detail due to the lack of moving picture, you can always find the equivalent content on YouTube! 

Talk to you soon,
Juha

How can I know if it's my guitar or my technique to blame when my hottest licks just keep failing me..!?

Truthfully - I felt that I'm kinda walking on thin ice with this topic... so I invited the Shaman of Shred himself to discuss all those crucial technical elements when racing through the fretboard in lightning speed - a big welcome to the Sorcerer of Soloing, Sensei Mika Tyyskä alias Mr. Fastfinger!

A little disclaimer - this podcast is not about the guitars we make in my company. Instead, it's simply a dialogue to help you, who are interested in learning more about your own instrument. The brand of the guitar makes no difference whatsoever.

These podcasts have been edited from my Weekly Wednesday Q&A YouTube live streams. You'll probably notice this from time to time when listening. If you feel you're missing a detail due to the lack of moving picture, you can always find the equivalent content on YouTube! 

Talk to you soon,
Juha

What is a dead spot? Can it be fixed?

Dead spot is a common term related to a note that decays significantly quicker than the other notes. Why does it happen - and more importantly, is there a cure? That's what we'll talk about on this episode of my podcast!

A little disclaimer - this podcast is not about the guitars we make in my company. Instead, it's simply a dialogue to help you, who are interested in learning more about your own instrument. The brand of the guitar makes no difference whatsoever.

These podcasts have been edited from my Weekly Wednesday Q&A YouTube live streams. You'll probably notice this from time to time when listening. If you feel you're missing a detail due to the lack of moving picture, you can always find the equivalent content on YouTube! 

Talk to you soon,
Juha

Someone asked in my earlier live stream about string gauges, and I answered something about it briefly... but the topic has been bothering me since - so let's dig deeper and find out what is the absolutely best string gauge to your guitar! 

A little disclaimer - this podcast is not about the guitars we make in my company. Instead, it's simply a dialogue to help you, who are interested in learning more about your own instrument. The brand of the guitar makes no difference whatsoever.

These podcasts have been edited from my Weekly Wednesday Q&A YouTube live streams. You'll probably notice this from time to time when listening. If you feel you're missing a detail due to the lack of moving picture, you can always find the equivalent content on YouTube.

Talk to you soon,
Juha

Ok… so your guitar doesn’t stay in tune? Where to look for the solution? Let’s talk about tuning issues in guitars! Can be electric or acoustic, doesn’t matter - many of the fundamentals are exactly the same. 

A little disclaimer - this podcast is not about the guitars we make in my company. Instead, it's simply a dialogue to help you, who are interested in learning more about your own instrument. The brand of the guitar makes no difference whatsoever.

These podcasts have been edited from my Weekly Wednesday Q&A YouTube live streams. You'll probably notice this from time to time when listening. If you feel you're missing a detail due to the lack of moving picture, you can always find the equivalent content on YouTube.

Talk to you soon,
Juha

"The sound of my guitar is too dark. It doesn't cut through in my band - something's missing! Should I get new pickups?"

Where does the electric guitar sound come from? Is it the pickups? Or the amplifier? Does the acoustic/unplugged sound matter at all in an electric guitar? In this episode we'll talk about all that. Come challenge me with your most tricky questions! I promise to do my best to help you out so your guitar would sound better.

A little disclaimer - this podcast is not about the guitars we make in my company. Instead, it's simply a dialogue to help you, who are interested in learning more about your own instrument. The brand of the guitar makes no difference whatsoever.

These podcasts have been edited from my Weekly Wednesday Q&A YouTube live streams. You'll probably notice this from time to time when listening. If you feel you're missing a detail due to the lack of moving picture, you can always find the equivalent content on YouTube.

Talk to you soon,
Juha

"Today, when I picked up my favourite guitar, it didn't feel like it did the day before. It was harder to play and even the sound felt flatter. What had happened?"

Many of you may have experienced the same. In this episode we'll talk about what makes a guitar feel good to play. I'll do my best to help you understand your instrument better, and give all tips I can how to make the most out of your guitar - so you could enjoy more making your music. 

A little disclaimer - this podcast is not about the guitars we make in my company. Instead, it's simply a dialogue to help you, who are interested in learning more about your own instrument. The brand of the guitar makes no difference whatsoever.

These podcasts have been edited from my Weekly Wednesday Q&A YouTube live streams. You'll probably notice this from time to time when listening. If you feel you're missing a detail due to the lack of moving picture, you can always find the equivalent content on YouTube.

Talk to you soon,
Juha