I want to share my thoughts and pay my respects to my friend Andy Richardson who passed away on Labor day this year. He was a great family man, all around good guy, my Zvex connection and a brilliant musician from Minneapolis. He will be missed by many!I first met Andy at the 2011 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA. He was his usual cocky and quirky self but in a good way. His insight and knowledge in Zvex pedals is what made me gain so much interest in the effects line. He knew the ins and outs and could tell you anything you wanted to know about the pedals. Partly because he was a great musician and used the pedals for his own creative outlet and partly because he was the front line sales guy for Zvex and did his job well.However, the reason I took such a liking to Andy was his personality. He was a witty guy and could make me laugh on dime. He had a great outlook on life and was fun to talk to. This past year he and I were coming up with new ideas for custom hand painted pedals. I'd come up with some crazy ideas and he'd say "I like your ideas but maybe you could..." and come up with an even better idea. I also enjoyed his perspective on things and laid back attitude. Throughout the next few years I really looked forward to seeing him at the trade shows, talk about new guitars or amps we had bought and just catch up on what was happening in our lives. I'm really gonna miss hanging out with him at the shows.Andy had so many friends in this business and they're all getting together to help out his family so October 6 thru the 13th Reverb.com is sponsoring "An Auction for Andy" to benefit his wife Moe and their 3-year old son Bronson. Manufacturers, dealers and friends are donating all kinds of great gear like guitars, amps, effects so please bid and buy. This is a worthy cause!
