Say Hi to Hugo!

Please give a warm welcome to Hugo Merida, who just recently joined the Strymon team as our customer service and technical support “go to” guy. Hugo is very knowledgeable when it comes to gear and by all accounts and measures is an all-around cool dude. So if you send us an email or give us a call, it’s likely that Hugo will be the guy you’ll be talking with. You’ll also be able to find him offering support and answering your gear-related questions on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. And you might also see him pop up from time to time on several gear forums.

Ok enough from us, let’s hear from the man himself. How about we throw a few questions his way?

What was your first guitar?
A Peavey Predator strat knock-off that I got from a pawn shop when I was 13 after working with my dad for a few weeks that summer.  Still have it and still love it (after some upgrades).

Favorite artists/bands?
I love music that gets people dancing like Daft Punk, James Brown, !!!, and Chromeo.  Passion and soul like Bill Withers, Curtis Mayfield and Sade.  In-your-face loudness like Comets on Fire, Death From Above 1979, and The Mars Volta.  King Crimson just because…

Any speeding tickets yet with your GTI?
None at this time, thankfully.  It’s only been a year though.

What was the first CD you ever bought?
My first CD I bought myself is actually 2 that I bought at the same time:  Nirvana Nevermind and Snoop Doggy Dogg Doggystyle 🙂

What was the weirdest job you ever had?
Telemarketing job calling people up to take surveys.  People can get pretty mad when they get unsolicited calls.

What’s your favorite restaurant in LA?
I loved Electric Lotus in LA for indian food when it was open, but that’s gone now.  Los Toros Mexican restaurant in Chatsworth just for the margaritas!

And you may be wondering, what happened to your customer service guy Rick Miller? Well our good friend Rick and his wife Kelly decided to move back to Connecticut so their 1 year old daughter Olivia could be closer to grandparents and relatives. So while he now has to deal with the crazy cold winters, at least he found himself a new hobby to stay occupied—he’s already caught an 8 pound pickerel. He can keep the fish for himself, but we fully expect him to ship a few pints of his homebrew back to us in California!