Episode 41

Jay Jay welcomes back a very special guest, renowned producer & director Steve Binder. Tune in to catch part two of their conversation, all about The Elvis Presley: ’68 Comeback Special – a televised concert of Elvis Presley which aired on December 3rd, 1968 via NBC, that Steve produced & directed. Hear the story of how Steve & Elvis connected to create this documentary, and how it changed both of their lives.

Episode 42

This week is part II of Jay Jay’s conversation with Mark Mendoza! Tune in to hear these 2 lifelong friends share stories that they’ve never told each other. Mark discusses in depth how he got to where he is in music – from the first bands he auditioned for and played with, all the way to his current musical activity & ongoing projects.

Episode 43

This week’s guest on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music is THE master guitar maker Juha Ruokangas. Juha is a Finnish guitar maker & entrepreneur who founded Ruokangas Guitars. Ruokangas Guitars builds solid-body and semi-hollow electric guitars, including models such Duke, VSOP, Mojo, Hellcat and Unicorn. Their company builds guitars using traditional methods – no modern computer-controlled machinery or serial production methods are used. Each guitar is built individually by a luthier. Tune in to hear how, in the endless world of possibility that is guitar making, Juha & his team have discovered the magical balance between tones & woods that Ruokangas Guitars uses, & why Juha considers guitar making to be comparable to alchemy. Jay Jay & Juha discuss how they met, their mutual respect for one another, & get into the weeds on all things guitars – hear this conversation only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music.

Episode 44

This week’s episode is another must-listen for all guitar enthusiasts. Jay Jay welcomes back Juha Ruokangas of Ruokangas guitars for part II of their conversation. Juha joins Jay Jay from Helsinki & they get right back into it, discussing everything from heat treatments and finishes, to the evolving quality of beginner guitars & the longevity of various guitar models.
Juha discusses the differences between large-scale guitar manufacturers and boutique custom guitar builders, and every type of company in between. Hear first hand what it takes for him & his team to ensure the perfection of every single guitar they make, & what influences have gone into the designing of their 6 signature models.

Episode 45

For the first time ever – Jay Jay welcomes back a special guest for the THIRD part of their conversation – legendary luthier Juha Ruokangas. For the guitar enthusiasts who couldn’t get enough of their previous conversations – tune in to hear Jay Jay & Juha dive even further into the endlessly fascinating world of guitars.
Juha discusses everything from how the internet has led to a renaissance of handmade electric guitars & the importance of guitar archetypes, to the challenges that legacy guitar brands face & impact that iconic models such as the Gibson & Les Paul have had on the world of music. Juha delves into which elements from classic guitar models have influenced Ruokangas guitars, & what he has singled out as areas to be improved – from balance, aesthetic, tone & much more.