Why Randall Smith Was Fired from Mesa Boogie
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- Опубликовано: 6 фев 2025
- Last week, Gibson allegedly fired the founder of Mesa Boogie, Randall Smith. Let's talk about the likely reasons why, what to do now with your Boogies, and where the future of amps are headed.
#mesaboogie #gibsonguitars #guitar #guitaramp #guitaramplifier #guitaramps #fender #guitarist #guitar
This dude was a prophet. First thing Gibson did was to re-issue the IIc+. I would like for everyone to stop buying Mesa Boogie amps and make Gibson sell it to someone who will actually treat it with the same respect Randall did.
Thing is, these must have been in the works for longer than 5 months, as indicated by the pictures from long ago of the prototype 2 channel rectifier reissue. I don't understand how this went down like this. Usually all of this is decided when a company gets sold, along with a timeline, etc.
I actually never got along with his amps (I play Swing, etc), but Randy is an old friend (he even gave me a Maverick Dual Rectifier).
So I won't be buying one anyway, but that said, Mesa Boogie amps are no longer made by, or voiced by, Randy & Doug et al, so if you buy one, you're just buying a Gibson Amp, and NOT a Mesa Boogie.
@@JillandKevin Is that true? My initial thought was that a circuit is a circuit. Randy just configured it in a specific way that worked out great like an artist configures notes in a scale to make hit songs.
The ingredients are standard and available to anyone. I could be wrong, just curious on your thoughts
@@JimMarshallUK If you're the Jim Marshall I think you are, you already know that circuits can be VASTLY different, and Randy got the high gain still going (as you did?).
I'm a Swing player, using 99.9% clean archtop tones, and either Randy's or your amps never made me happy.
I much prefer a clean Fender DR or PR,
Randy gave me one of his Dual Rectifier Maverick amps, and one day I had a friend over for some picking, and I let my friend use the Boogie, and I plugged into an old solid state Crate amp that I got somewhere for $20, and was amazed at how much I liked it over the Maverick!!
I will admit that I have never owned or used a Marshall amp, so not SURE I won't like one, but judging from what I hear, I'm pretty sure I'll stick with my Princeton Reverb, not only because we play a lot of shows and it's small and light, but because I LOVE those tones!!
Either way, I'm sad to see what Gibson did to my friend Randy!! They really have no class at all, and Mesa Boogie is no longer Mesa Boogie!!
(Randy and I played together a lot around 50 years ago, when he was playing Alto Sax, and have kept in tough sparsely thru the years)
I'm curious to see what YOU think.
Kevin
Randy is a good friend from my past. We played together when he was boosting amps in Prune Music in Mill Valley, CA and then building Mesa Boogie amps in his garage in Lagunitas CA. Boogie was TOTALLY Randy back then!
He developed Mesa Boogie into a world class name in his Petaluma factory, along with the amazing ears of Doug West and a great team.
I got to watch Randy and Doug develop a couple of amps, and it was TEAMWORK!!
Randy would make a couple of changes in the circuitry, and then Doug would plug it in and make suggestions on tonal changes, then randy would make more changes and Doug would try it again, repeating until they had a desired tone. They did this almost every afternoon!!!
THAT is how Mesa Boogie tone was developed!!
One can bet the farm that Gibson won't/can't do that!!!
I'm mind blown that Gibson has the gall to let him go! Mesa Boogie IS Randy Smith!!!!!!!
@@JillandKevin one can also bet that they have self appointed tone constables that think they can do what Randy and Doug did…..but no amount of self aggrandizing “audiophiliac” disease can make up for years of tribal knowledge.
@@joerectifier I had a couple of occasions to watch Randy and Doug working together (as they did pretty much every afternoon). Randy would take the chassis to his space and make a couple of changes, then bring it back to Doug. They would plug it in and Doug would play it a little, then say something like "needs a little more top-mid" or the like. Then Randy would take it and make a couple of changes, and they would repeat the process. It was VERY impressive to me!!
Oddly, I'm a Swing/Blues player, and never got along with Boogies, but they certainly knew how to voice them for rockers, etc...!!
Randy wasn’t doing much for a while before Gibson was in the picture. He have most of the company away to his longest term employees and was more or less advising.
My guess he prob got fired for severance.
Randy wasn’t doing much for a while before Gibson was in the picture. He have most of the company away to his longest term employees and was more or less advising.
My guess he prob got fired for severance.
@ very possible. I’ve been through the scenario - worked for a very small startup that is very well known as chief engineer, we were bought by a huge well known worldwide corporate entity and I hung in there for awhile. I loved the work but despised the new corporate-speak people and the corporate bullshit, politics and shenanigans - finally i got fired for saying one too many things. Life goes on.
Gibson will ruin mesa. Everyone knew that.
It’s was ruined before Gibson got there.
Gibson needs to reissue their own amps but they are too stupid.
It's such a shame...
Gibson is stupid. Cannot believe Randle Smith sold Boogie. 😢
Corporations ruin everything they touch.
I’m sorry to see Randall Smith go. I’ve known him since maybe 1971-he worked on a lemon of a Fender Twin that I had then. I don’t see him much these days, but I’d run into him in the mid-2000s when I was going to NAMM shows. I hope he’ll do well; from what I’ve heard, he had a year to go on his contract with Gibson. I’d love to know why he was fired-if certainly doesn’t seem like it was mutual. He founded Mesa/Boogie, for cryin’ out loud, and that should count for something. I’ve been fired from bands before, and it hurts, even when I was already looking for another gig.
I don't believe Randall will be the one who comes out of this with a damaged reputation for being "fired". His legacy should be secure. Gibson on the other hand...hmmmm
Gibson could fuck up a wet dream my dude.
@@riloh58 I saw video review of a new $1700. Gibson LP Jr type guitar and the one piece tailpiece/bridge was out of alignment with the pickup pole pieces. It was glaring. I've never before seen this. Not the forward/ back intonation. This was the left/ right placement of the bridge. It was off center from the pickup. This is recent, recent review video of a new guitar. And it has the quality control card with the check marks and the unreadable scribble signature. So that's how ethical and responsible is Gibson. Makes them look deranged and in the toilet. Joke of a company and that guy "Murphy" whoever he is, riding herd over this mess and allowing the company to put a $1700. guitar when they don't even care enough to get the bridge in the right place. And this is with all the advantages of CNC machines. Word up: Don't buy a new Gibson guitar.
one problem … mesa themselves said some years ago they cannot possibly reissue the llc+ , they cannot possibly get the same parts anymore to make it .
i can’t remember where i read it , but they talked about reissuing that amp as its so in demand - but they cannot
the closest they could do is the jp2c or the mark 5 or 7 circuits .
but they said themselves the original parts are not available anymore , it would never be the same amp
so perhaps the argument was gibson will reissue it using different parts & transformers & randall said no way , its a piece of history don’t fuck it up
i hope the main mesa team walk out & leave gibson in the shit
lesa should go out the akg /austrian audio / lewitt / heritage way.
Yeah, but they have a warehouse full of those crappy orange 400v caps that they stuff their amps with.
Who says they would reissue the real deal instead of a cheap knock out with different parts for a gross amount of money?
In someway shape or form I always felt the component argument was bullshit.. I could be wrong
@@3000KTM this could have been one of the things Randall disagreed with Gibson about that led to this… Gibson wants to reissue; Randall says it can’t be done; gibsons says gtfo
Spot on analysis. Complete clash of cultures. I worked for a tech company that got bought by a global empire. Exact same story. All the innovators left within 36 months and the behemoth ran everyone else off in 6 years.
Same, I have worked in IT for 20 years, and have been bought 4 times in different companies. The purchasing company ALWAYS destroys the culture and the innovators of the company they bought. And it's generally about when I start brushing up my resume...
And since this video was made, Gibson is re-issuing the 2c+ 😂😂😂 This video aged perfectly.
that's wild...I wonder if they'll reissue the Mesa Studio or Quad preamps. I own an original Studio from the eighties
I took a shot every time you said "right" and I died after 5 minutes
cant someone just ask Randall. And if he doesnt answer, its probably because he can't legally say anything. If Randall still wants to make amps, im sure he can find people to help him, if he even needs it.
The mesa oversized 4x12 will go down in history as one of the greats.
FWIW: It's not alleged that he was fired. He was fired ! He himself said "I was fired by Gibson" on his new RUclips Randall Smith Channel. I suspect he has a non-disclosure and/or non-compete in place, since he's not delved into what actually happened.
Yeah this was made 4 months ago before we knew that but I did see it the other day!
You comment about "shitty local techs" is certainly a blanket statement. I've taken various Mesa amps and preamps to a local tech who has always done excellent work, and thank goodness for that - I consider myself fortunate. In general, though, for pretty much any Mesa amp after the Mark III, a tech really needs to know what they're doing, because the complexity will bite them otherwise (and the expense will bite the owner) - components are not well-identified (if identified at all) and may not be located where they might be expected to be in accordance to their in-circuit function. There's a video on RUclips of a tech changing (as I recall) one little cap in a Mark IV and - OMG - the disassembly and reassembly work that he had to do...
Totally understand and I know there are some local techs, especially in larger cities, that can competently work on Mesa Boogies. Honestly, though, there is no one here in San Diego that I would trust with my Boogie. I used local techs here a few times and the amps always continued to have issues or the original issues were not completely fixed. That's why I think it's worth sending to Mike B or Dave Friedman.
@@eldoradoguitars6456same here w my mesas. They never really got 'fixed' when I'd bring them to guys here in SD
Gibson running a company “ their” way… hasn’t worked. How’s trace elliot, Gibson amps? Gibson hasn’t been cutting edge since the 40’s and 50’s.
But people still the crap
I guess you forgot about the 2010’s when they tried to be innovative and it failed. Gibson players want the classics. They learned this in bankruptcy. Amazing how people don’t remember yesterday….
Rest assured, people are going to advertise their amps as pre-Gibson and pre-Randall getting fired, mark my words. I loved Mesa but I doubt I'll grab one made after Randall get fired unless I get a hell of a deal.
You nailed it. Didn't expect a iiC+ that quickly, though.
I needed a new speaker from MB for a combo amp I had, called into there service department, and the guy I spoke to was an arrogant jerk. Acted like he could care less, I was just wasting his time. I was prepared to buy it from them and give them my business, but told the guy to forget about it and just bought one on the used market. A lot of these companies get so big that they think that they are above their customers if you’re not a rockstar.
I understood from an article interview with Randall how important the Output Transformer is to the sound and tone of the Tube Amplifier. I have 25 solid years of Tube Amp repair, restoration and hand-made. Unfortunately Mesa-Boogie is yet another victim of Shareholder Capitalism. No good company is immune from a buy-out. Gibson obviously has other priorities, than making great products these days. A sad but predictable ending to the legacy of a brilliant Designer, Company, Products. The value of “real” Mesa amps has just increased.
Randall Smith didnt even like the modern sounding high gain amps, he just made them because thats what there was demand for Boogie having risen to mainstream prominence in the metal era,
He would've been much happier making amps like the Lonestar and Filmore.
The main development team were all Fender fanboys.
I rarely leave comments on YT posts, but your insights from start to finish were excellent. Makes total sense as to why Randall Smith was fired, pushed out or forced to retire. Gibson does what they do. Thanks for the info about the next gen of amp builders.
Really appreciate you watching the whole video and leaving a comment!
Interesting vid Mike, thanks for sharing your thoughts on the industry...and tnx for the shout out!
Thanks for watching Jason!
So possibilities include being part of the contract that he exits? Or that he was retiring? Yeah that's not what FIRED means. More likely a disagreement in quality and cost concepts and Randall wouldn't sell out to Gibson... Randall is a man of integrity
Randall Smith vowed to never make a Mesa/Boogie any where but in the USA. He also has used quality parts. I'm sure Gibson wants to make Mesa/Boogie amps in China and use the cheapest parts they can get. That's my take on why Randall Smith is out.
This is why Gibson is born to fail.
Smith also ripped off the circuit of the Soldano SLO virtually component for component to make the Mesa rectifier. So F him.
@@jupitermoongauge4055do you think a Mesa Rect sounds like an SLO? Because if you do, you should go to the doctor and get your ears cleaned of the wax.
@@jupitermoongauge4055 Marshall ripped off fender, and fender pulled their Ideas from the RCA tube manual. So what's your point?
@@SteveC-h6o well, there are a number of points that can be made. Fender had already discontinued that Bassman design when Marshall went into production with the JTM45. Mesa ripped off the SLO preamp component for component while the SLO was still in production. The way Mesa ripped off Soldano was way more dishonest and opportunistic than what Marshall did. So what exactly is your point ?
Another note - Jonathan Blick is a tech in Milwaukee and is FANTASTIC. He's factory authorized and you can find his contact info on Mesa's website. Most of the local shops use him and one other guy but I prefer Blick.
Hunt Amplification out in Phoenix does amazingly with Boogie amps. Had my tremoverb modded & given a clean bill of health there in 2021 and she still plays hard 💯
Milwaukeen here. Blick has done right by me several times!
I thought Gibson were dead against ‘knock off’ products and their customers had to play ‘authentic’!
Hard to play ‘authentic’ when you play through a ‘re-issued’ amplifier built from non standard parts!
Gibson are almost doing a Behringer, the biggest difference of course would be the ‘affordability’ for the masses.
Gibson already "behringered" the Maestro pedals. Same paint job, totally different circuits.
if Smith was concerned about new and inovative he wouldnt have sold to Gibson
He won't live forever, he sold because he was lied to by Gibson that they would not do what they are doing.
This was great! Felt like chatting with a pal that I never found in real life haha
Such poor form if he was fired. They could have at least kept him on the payroll just so they still had his name in the company. It’s one salary and it’s a massive company.
Ive always wanted a Mesa. Way out of my price range though.
You can find their older stuff for a steal! I just bought an express 5 25 which is a 15 year old amp I believe and I am always blown away at how good it sounds . You can find them all day for $700
Well this video aged like a fine wine.
Gibson after the exit of Ted McCarty has always been about tradition (well even before Ted McCarty stepped in they were alwasy been about tradition) but at least there were many new products under his time than all the decades of Gibson combined and what always works. Randal Smith and Mesa Boogie has alwasy been about "another way to skin a cat", "moving forward", "dare to break the boundaries", and "trailblazing".
I think it's crazy they did this to him. Personally, I don't like owning Mesas (I'm a potato and can't ever dial them in like other folks seem to be able to), but I damn sure love hearing other people playing them. Hopefully, he'll start making his own (new amps) and build another empire!
I received a response from Peter Stapfer regarding the VH4 blue face. I spoke with him personally at the last NAMM show when he was demonstrating the new VH mini proto . His simple answer was that those parts no longer exist. If they were to replicate it, it wouldn’t be exactly the same amp, and that would mean deceiving our customers.
Great video! I really like the perspective you shared.
Thanks so much!
Great video. First time watching
I’m not going to lie .. every single drink you took, it took me literally every ounce of patience not to shut off your video.
If you have so little patience, you must go insane trying to sit through TV ads
@ it’s the noise of the slurping.
@@ManimaL.75yes
Tequila Ocho!! Great choice, broham. I'd buy a reissue markIIc++ colosseum if it was 3k for sure...but not for the $8k Gibson will sell them for.
Watched this for the first time today - prophetic.
Your analysis on Gibson is funny. Gibson has made a number of extremely high profile and risky attempts to push newness. Their customers almost always hated it. Hard. I don't think it's about Gibson not being interested - it's them being pragmatic.
Crazy that this has 30k plus views. If people are really that interested in Randall Smith's story he has his own channel and you can hear all about it there directly from him and those videos only have 1/10 the views at the moment.
Thats why Alexander Dumble wouldnt partner with Fender. He couldve been rich.
I’ve had the same opinions, but you put them in better context with a much more linear timeline. I love this video. But my favorite had to be when you introduced. The margarita, took a swig, and kept going. Cheers to a great video!
I have one of his OG Prune Music boosted prototype, i love that guy! 😢
imho, tech is ruining our lives, I live in the Bay Area and see the industry giving zero back ,
I believe life was better before cellphones and pc's
He sold his company, he's 80 years old. End of story
💯
But the real question is, what future of amps??? The main issue here is that the best recorded sounds we all seek where captured with those old amps. The tone of rock was shaped long time ago and its not chancing any time soon. There are no longer epic bands that gig with new amps and innovative tones, and the ones that do are in a very small nitch of the music landscape.
I always figured that Gibson would ruin Mesa/Boogie. I’ve got a Mark V and will hang on to it
Thanks for lots of good information, and your very plausible conjectures about the issues. (One humble suggestion -- PLEASE try to minimize the use of "right" as a filler in your speech. Probably doesn't bother many listeners, but wow for some of us the constant flow of "right"s makes it very difficult to listen to your presentation. Thanks.)
I was loosing my mind after the 100th like and 500th "right"
And lip smacking too
Gibson is not “perfectly content” to sell the same guitars over and over. Some of their innovations were less successful than others such as robot guitars and the Firebird X. Gibson constantly issues new designs and configurations. Some of the models that come to mind are the Les Paul Axcess with Floyd Rose, the Semi hollow Les Paul ES Memphis, the Blueshawk, The bulk of their business obviously comes from the tried and true models and reissues. But to imply that Gibson has no interest in innovation is plain silly. It took Mesa Boogie seven years to come up with the Mark VII.
The Jp2c is the VI. And there's nothing wrong with a 7 year life span on the V even if you don't consider the JP as a VI. A lot of amps out there with much longer lifespans.....that are far more simplistic.
I think this is spot on. Even if they don't have the exact same parts, they will still try to put out artist signatures and reissues. Maybe he will have his own custom shop for artists or something that are one offs. That would be interesting.
I am lucky to have some pre-Gibson Boogie equipment - a Mark IV, a Mark I Reissue, a Triaxis and 20:20 and a couple of Thiell 12" speaker cabs. Change happens.
DEAD ON! Well done!
Thanks Henning! I love your unique videos.
How do you evaluate the studio series products released by Marshall in recent years? Is it a re-release or some kind of innovation?Boogie Mark 7？
Marshall is a weird company because they've allowed other manufacturers to make the amps they should have made. Examples: Bogner Helios, Friedman BE-100, Metropolous Metroplex, etc. They haven't really done much innovation at all in the last 15 years.
The Studio Series is all the "innovation" Marshall can muster right now, which is pretty sad. They're literally just 20w versions of the big iron amps. Fairly affordable and they sound good (except for the Jubilee), but there's not really anything new there.
Dude, outstanding video! I couldn't agree more with your take on Randall's departure. This is my first time here and I'll def be back (liked & subbed).
This was concise and well done! Thanks for all the info and tips.
I know nothing of this situation, but I am getting older (past retirement age, but still working) and I can see a scenario where Randall wasn't about to take criticism from some Johnny-come-lately in the industry and he wasn't going to hold his tongue. I have become that guy. Some old geezers carry a lifetime of wisdom. Laugh at their methods, but take their advice seriously.
I've commented on this in a similar video on this same subject. Cesar G. Is the guy in charge, he presents himself as this cool charming guitar enthusiast, very likable but his background is private equity finance - he's a killer, and if you're not with him then you're out. His intent is to squeeze Gibson, Boogie, et al, of whatever value there's to be had and sell off the carcass.
And I'm glad he didn't hide somewhere and silently accepted his fate, he created an YT channel - RandallSmith2 when he shares interesting stories. And confirmed, he said he was fired.
This is a good video. I think a lot of your predictions and thoughts are probably right. The only thing is we don't know if tube amps will retain value in 20 years, but I would argue that if that's why you're buying tube amps there are much better and much safer alternatives. Buy them because it's fun to piss off your neighbor and feel the music.
not sure tube amp retain value in 20 years, but tube looks getting expensive, i think in Russia some manufacturers still making new tube today ?? at least few years ago still making, lot recording still using tube and hifi nuts like tube amplifier, tube wont go away soon just like combustion engine i guess .
I wish Randall Smith would get close to Peter Diezel and build a new Mark V amp that would be fullly digitally controlled by relays like the Diezel VHX… that would be my dream amp!
20:35 “Randall amps, they’ll give you a SOLID deal” 😂
Hey man, I think you’re on the money. Randall’s MO is to try many experiments and see what sticks. This means designing and building a thousand units. Most will not turn into scalable money-printing products, but 1/10 will be a blockbuster. Gibson as you said is way more conservative. They only want to bet on sure things. And sure enough, the first two things coming are the iic+ and the dual rec reissue. They will make easy money in the short run but are sacrificing the long term existence of the company.
I have to argue this point - Gibson tried a bunch of new stuff, but no one bought it. Firebird x as example - brass nuts and motor tuners, blueshawk guitar, etc. no one bought it.
I just want a Hetfield Mesa signature with his four favourite channels
Dude, you're a fortune teller.
He nailed it!
Randall Smith confirmed he was fired.
Use the preamp of your Mark series Mesa into the power amp of a Marshall (Preferably the Plexi 18W for me) and use TL/806 "Thiele" with Electrovoice EVM12L.
BTW, don't you forget the Marshall JMP-1, the 9001, the 9005, the wonderful and overlooked EL84-20/20, the EL34-100/100, and hey, the 25th anniversary blue series which have their channels changes by MIDI
Well, if they want to reissue something, they need to reissue the Triaxis : THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THIS!
As a tech, I have no issues at working on a MesaI built several clones when I was younger since the Boogies were far too expensive for me :)
Thus, I can't guarantee anything about the Triaxis, I managed to repair one but I still don't know how I succeeded.
Right right right right...like I'm back at my fucking corporate job watching this...right?
The only thing I can say, if Randall left because of Gibsons push just to make money. Man, much respect for him. I remember going into the Hollywoods Mesa store, I was still in high school, and would go and hang out after school. That sweet tube smell. Finally saved enough money to buy a Mesa single rectifier combo. That was good old day. And now I'm looking forward meeting Mr. Freidman when I take my amp for service.
I am not ‘The Randall Smith’. Just checked in to say that you are one of the few guitar RUclipsrs who has a clue about business. I agree with your perspectives on this.
I was worried that you were going to make a generic video regarding Mesa but I love the turn you took making declarations and issuing responsibility where it is due, and that is to the POS company that Gibson has become. This is the first video of yours I’ve seen, automatically subscribed.
you should have to take a drink every time you use the word right, it would make the video more interesting, right?
I’d be annihilated after 3 mins in
Speculation regarding Randall Smith's departure aside, I appreciated your insights on Gibson's reissue objectives and the future of amps. Great video!
Gibson is known for buying brands and then killing them off. Its what they do best which is alienate the long standing and loyal followers, ruffle up production facilities and employees and eventually force their design and cut corner practices on the brand. Kramer was dead for years and only now is enjoying a slight come back. Firing the guy that drove the complete tidal wave that is MESA is not a step in the right direction by any means. My advise is for people to buy the original Boogies up because soon they will not be produced the same and will likely see a huge price bump. Boogies are hard for newb tech too work on but many well versed techs have no problems repairing them. Ymmv.
What you’re saying makes sense. Because the community is very loud and clear about the 3 channel rectifiers not sounding as good as the old 2 channels. No one wants a new rectifier. I 100% agree with those reissues.
Thanks for posting this video - this was a very well thought-out and insightful bit for us folks that have used Mesa amps for many years and have been holding our breath as this transition has unfolded. I've been a Mesa Boogie user since I first bought my Mark III Red Stripe more than 30 years ago and my first concern when I found out in 2021 that Gibson purchased Mesa, was the availability of parts. I had two trusted amp techs that I regularly use; first one would grumble out loud about anything other than a Fender for the first five minutes every time I brought an amp in and the second is a Mesa Certified tech and knows the routine. The first one passed away several years ago (R.I.P. Richie) so I no longer get to listen to his "complaining", though most of it was just part of his grumpy old amp tech routine that we all kind of enjoyed regardless.
All us Mesa folks will always hold Randall Smith in high regard and only wish him the best.
(BTW, I bought my first Mark IIC+ at Guitar Center about 20 years ago for $299.00; they had no idea what it was!)
say "Right" one more time!
Every time Gibson attempted innovation, it's customers turned their backs on it.
I bought a Mesa Baron years ago and called up the company and the dudes that made it still worked there and helped with schmematics for something they made 30 years ago. Very few companies out there that stood by old gear and kept great talent.
Jim Marshall.........not so much. BlackStar amp were engineers who broke off because Jim squashed their innovations. He didn't like the American -British adjustment pot. I wonder how many things got buried?! I stumbled on this video after making a comment for the pricing of the Mark IIc reissue, it's out. You were right and it's almost 4 grand. I think your probably correct about what happened. I thought it was weird they would let him go. My big worry with Gibson taking over was quality.
Here’s the thing about reissues: they put them out because there’s only so many of the originals made and these companies don’t make any money from the 2nd hand market. Sure the reissues, relics, etc., cost less than vintage, which is nice and let’s more players experience those specs, but let’s not be so brand blinded that we overlook the true motive - to get a piece of that pie. And make no mistake, they’ll put out whatever they can make a buck on. It has less to do with musical altruism than double digit quarterly increases for the shareholders. I worked for GC corp in the 90’s & 00’s when they went public with stock and saw the change in the product mix and new directives on selling inferior proprietary product over time tested or sought after new gear that didn’t meet their minimum gross profit margins. Ultimate point: sometimes a musical instrument entity has to go teets-up before said company will actually make sustainable changes that benefit a company long term, i.e. releasing new, innovative gear. You can only package a “greatest hits” collection so much before people get bored and move on.
Randall Smith got canned because Gibson got tired of him showing up to work totally nude carrying a soldering iron and a spool of rosin core solder...😇😈👹👺☠️☠️💀💀👻👻
Thanks this was great.
Randall Mitch is a genius. Check out one of his RUclips videos he did while still at Mesa
Check out his new personal videos, post Mesa, telling old stories, his channel is his name
I’m still convinced the Randall should have sold Mesa Boogie to PRS…
back in the 90s and 00s, the winning combo was a PRS Custom guitar with a Mesa Boogie Amp
@@Spidouz This is not false! My guess is PRS doesn’t have the capital to purchase Mesa. Also, PRS builds their own amps; Gibson does not (not really…)
use the word 'right?' more and giggle more. sprinkle with occasional 'fuckin'.. It shows how articulate you are enhances your credibility
Not entirely true regarding the reissue theory. Mesa actually continues the legacy of old circuits by including them in the new designs with a little more refinement. All the technology that was developed throughout Mesa history is then instantiated into the new amps. You get the all the mark circuits in a mkv starting with the mk one. Then you got dynawatt power that was developed in the mid eighties in every el84 based boogie (amazing power amp!) you get the the transatlantic technology where your amp can go from a blackface to a Brit sound with stunning authenticity and no oscillation problems when switching channels. Nobody but nobody has been able to get very real American and Brit sounds in one chassis with no compromise. You can’t start an amplifier company and just dream up a Mark series amp and release it in a couple years. It’s the amalgamation of 55 years of R&D. Obsessive, meticulous design.
Randall was most likely fired because of his eccentricity and attention to quality and detail with no compromise. Big corporations seek those types out and terminate them.
I bought a Mark V 90 and Triple Crown 100. Want a Fillmore 50… nah
You know, a real man wouldn't be up there spouting stuff that he has to say supposedly and allegedly every other word.
I personally think it was several reasons. #1. Gibson wanted a Mesa import line.
#2. Importing specific components that make them more inexpensive to produce.
#3. Reissuing the Rectifier.
All valid reasons imo. Gibson will ruin Randall's baby. And he knows it. That why he's gone.
The Dual Rec 90's reissue that got announced today brought me here 😂
@@evildeadalive 😂😂😂😂
@@evildeadalive this was four months ago
Interesting theory. If this is their master plan hopefully these “re-issues” you talk about aren’t just modeled/profiled digital versions, just another cheap way out and not the same as the real thing.
@@armandodiaz3485 I doubt they will be. Th it’s not gibsons thing. Theyre a legacy brand for older players with a lot of disposable income. Plus amps cost more than modelers.
Within 2 years we’ll be seeing a whole slew of Chinese-made Mesa Boogie junk. $49.99 “Boogie” headphone amp anyone?
Seems that Randy was on his way out over a year ago, as in Guitar Player article published in June of last year, “Smith has hinted it’s the last Mark amp he’ll design, and while it’s anyone’s guess if that actually turns out to be the case, the Mark VII is a stunning achievement…”(Art Thompson)
Where do we go from here?? Nik at Ceriatone all the way😂
Yeah Gibson, Apple and more companies have the same vision of money above what actually got us in the map. This theory makes sense and I’m sure it’s the case
Because Speculators and Short Sellers are running these companies. They only care about grabbing as much as possible because tomarrow may never come mentality. Buyers Beware.
I too am worried about the future of Mesa Boogie. Randall Smith is just one of those guys who not only builds great amps, but has an attention to detail so good, he addresses common design flaws in amps, like the tube bias is a fixed value and grades the tubes to match it so there's no need to take it to a tech to adjust it, or building the chassis in such a way that the amp doesn't just sound good, but it's built like a tank.
The Badlander I think is an excellent example of how traditional tube amps can still be relevant in the world of Kemper and Axe FX. Thanks to the Cabclone, you can hook it directly into a DAW or PA without the need for a speaker cabinet and still get real tube tone. Kempers do have more amp profiles on tap, but I personally get option paralysis. I had a Mark 5:35 and each channel had 3 voicings and while it was an amazing piece of kit, I was forever trying to decide which one I liked best, so God knows how I'd cope with a Kemper. But the cool thing about the Badlander is that you have the same clean, mid gain and high gain option on each channel, so you can have two identical clean channels with different settings if you wish. Its voicing options keep it fairly simple, but that added flexibility is a stroke of genius. Well done Randy!!!!! The world of amps is gonna miss him.
There was another RUclipsr I listened to the other day who has been a working musician in Nashville. What is interesting is that he believes that Nashville is moving towards getting amplifiers completely off the stage even in larger venues. Since Gibson is based in Nashville I have to wonder how that might be affecting their decision making.
I agree that Gibson is probably going to be taking advantage of reissued amplifiers. Proof is the new Falcon series of amplifiers. I have no idea how well those sold, but they aren’t cheap.
What I find interesting is that both Fender and Marshall put their name on inexpensive solid state and digital amplifiers. This is bread and butter for them and it works. I would bet that a grand majority of working musicians in Nashville owns a Fender Deluxe and a lot of them may have started off with something like a Frontman.
Almost everybody on broadway st seems to be using Katanas these days. And as far as studio stuff the plugins are perfectly viable substitutes at this point. Even the most ardent tube purists are easy to fool in blind tone tests.
Randall Smith was all about giving players what they want, on HIS TERMS. Players begged for a true Mark IIC+ reissue for 35 years. Not the JP model. Mesa, under Smith flat out refused, or said they couldn’t, which was bullshit.
The only amp designed that almost fully catered to players, is Mike Soldano. Who Randall Smith ripped off circuit design from to design the Rectumfrier series.
I purchased a new 1959SLP, Artist Edition 100, and JP-2C because I don't want to deal with older amps...I have two '76 Super Twins, and one needs some work, another was damaged by UPS. I do buy used newer amps.
Unless you know what you're buying when it comes to vintage amps, and have a good tech or can do it yourself - I'd rather spend the time playing than repairing and sourcing vintage parts for old amps.
I would probably say that Gibson’s customers are in the business of reissues. The company just gives them what they want. I’m just on the sideline looking, but Gibson made the robot tuners Firebird x Which did not sell. Also, you can’t tell anybody how to run their own company. Its my speculation that Randall smith tried to tell Gibson how to run their own company and they were not having it.
I am an amp tech, and I will repair Mesa Boogie amps but you will pay me extra for it. It's certainly NOT the complexity of anything that Mesa ever made. It's their wonton shitty design for the layouts, the garbage board specs & designs, and the crappy parts selection that drives amp techs into a rage. There are amps that I dislike working on even more than Mesa Boogie amps. Mesa has had pretty good tech support over the years, but if you are working in a Mesa licensed repair shop, they do some really super shoddy work to make the amp work again, until the warranty expires. They will NOT pay any tech to take all the boards out to fix a bad FET. You will halfass it in and pray it holds together until the warranty expires and that is precisely what the Mesa techs will tell you to do, step by step, and I have no problems with it either. I don't own it. Go buy a green zinc chromate cage nut for a Ferrari. You will pay $259 for a $1 cage nut. It's simply price of owning that product. If I want a MkIIC+, I will simply make my own and build it to my specs and tastes. I doff may cap to Randall Smith for his clever marketing ploys to keep selling musicians new designs that in reality kind of sucked, but they sure did look and sound really cool, unless you are an experienced EE.
Considering they just reissued the mark iic+
That makes sens
Great video !
Demand is why any company manufacturers products. Les Pauls are IN like never before. People buy reissues because they want the storied design, a sweet R9 is $7k, a real one is $300k!
Reissue is driven by reality that best designs made and public wants those tools, that sound the best.
Old tube amps, i have a dozen, are temperamental people want a new Mark Boogie because a boosted Fender sounds best for most of our old rock and blues. Smith must have clashed over politics, timing, he warred with someone at Gibson, recently acquired by venture cap firm, so both Gib and Mesa belong to this fund who seems to like making good stuff because Les Pauls right now are sweet
I think amp builders are going to join collectives like Boutique Amp Distribution that work from a shared platform with built-in digital features such as cab simulation. The future (as much as it hurts) is digital, and working on some hybrid designs with preamps and tubes but modern digital convenience features will keep analogue and the guys working on it relevant for longer. If this would have happened earlier, maybe Randall would have done work for Synergy to release some of his amps as modules and benefit from the shared knowledge in those circles for the "modern" stuff.