Interview with Patrick Vega
Patrick Vega just did an interview with Jason of Rock Zone. We just wanted to share his interview and also thank him for all the kind words on our picks! Patrick was just endorsed by us earlier this year.
1. Patrick, I know that you endorse Steve Clayton Custom Made Guitar Picks. First off all, could you please share with our readers how you first met Steve Clayton and what it was about Steve and his company that impressed you the most?
Someone gave me a Clayton pick at a rehearsal studio in downtown L.A. once. I remember that night very well, ’cause the guy had a 9mm pistol sitting on his amp and there was a house on fire across the street:) True story. Anyway, I tried it and liked it. That was my introduction to Clayton.
2. You have gone online and basically let everyone know how much you think of Steve Clayton’s Guitar picks. What is it about these guitar picks that you find to be so impressive?
Claytons last much longer than most other guitar picks. And I have tried many of them. Most guitar picks wear down easily and I do play a lot and before having found the Claytons it was like this: I always ended up with like a third of the pick after like a few weeks of playing -most picks seemed to almost vaporize! Also, I like designing things and Clayton has that really cool pick designer on the Clayton website where you can choose whichever pick you want. The gauge, the color and even upload your own art and insert text. How cool is that I like that sort of thing. I have a bunch of tattoos and my logo and stuff that I put on picks and I always make a design for each new release, featuring either the cover art or the font of my albums. That is how the Patrick Vega Signature Guitar Pick Series was born.
3. As far as your custom guitar picks Patrick, do you get to come up with the
designs for the Guitar Picks or does Steve Clayton have someone who
comes up with the idea as far as the artwork/design of these guitar picks?
There are a lot of pictures and designs you can use that are pre-made by Clayton, but my picks are all me. I just received the new guitar picks that I designed in commemoration of the release of my new record ANIMA. Those designs are the first ones officially sponsored by Guitar Picks by Steve Clayton Inc. and turned out really cool.
4. What has been your biggest seller of these guitar picks so far?
The awesome thing about a guitar pick is that it’s not only a very personal item to give away to fans (everybody loves picks) but that it is actually a highly collectible item. Especially since I do a design for each release. Plus they are being shipped out with every order of Pickbay Guitar Pick pendants which I am also endorsed by. I actually design the picks around the Pickbays, so they nicely fit in the pendants.
5. Do you have a favorite Patrick Vega guitar pick that Steve Clayton makes?
For playing purposes I exclusively use the Clayton “Acetal”, 1.00mm gauge picks. I am after all a pretty technical player and use a lot of picking. Heavier gauge picks just seem to have a better string response; they don’t bend. I use Clayton’s standard shape. As a give away it varies. Clayton makes many cool designs so that enables me to always change it up a bit and come up with something really cool and exciting every time. For example, one of the new designs is a really cool black celluloid, medium gauge pick, featuring my logo, website and the original ANIMA font.
6. How can our readers find out more about these custom guitar picks?
7. As a Guitar Player, Patrick, what do you see as the advantage of having your own signature guitar picks?
Guitar picks are pretty important and actually a very underrated piece of gear (everyone is sooooo very particular about gauge, shape and material). Guitar picks are a very personal item/accessory for a guitar player. It makes a huge difference in your playing and also they’re like a tiny business card!
I always seem to lose a lot of picks, they end up everywhere (I usually find a bunch of them in the car, or the couch, or the washer or the dryer after doing laundry). And I always give some out at clinics and shows. People dig it. It’s something you can take home from a show and keep as a little souvenir. I still have all the signature picks that I caught at shows or clinics and it’s a cool thing to have. The guys actually used them to play the stuff you dig so much. Guitar picks rule.
