MESA/Boogie Founder - Randall Smith Interview
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
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Mitch Gallagher sits down with Randall Smith, the founder of MESA/Boogie amplification for this special interview.
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You're not my supervisor! Are you? Wait... ummm... OKAY!
Greetings from Florida......I hope this is a true story because......well....I'm not a person or faith or religion but if I needed a God...Randall would be it.....this is coming from a dual rectifier rackmount owner.
Bought an eBay MESA Dual Rectifier head in 2007. UPS dropped it, broke every tube, cracked the case. Drove from Sacramento to the MESA factory to see what the damage was. Randall walks out, makes a comment about the non-MESA tubes and says call back in a week. I go to pick it up and he had gone through the entire amp, replaced almost every POT and charges me minimum shop labor. $50
He's an amazing guy
An ounce of kindness goes a long way. Not mention that the product sells itself
Thats the kind of corporation i respect.
Repay him by buying Mesa tubes only from now on.
Randall loves what he does. He's passionate about making the best amps ever. The man has integrity. Mesas are more than worth it. Nothing sounds better, or is built better. And they stand by their products.
Great interview, I could listen to Randall's stories all day, it's hard to comprehend the impact he's had on music. His work ethic is exceptional too, inspiring stuff.
I started out with the SOB, then the MK III and now the King Snake.
@@classicalguitarchase I had a 50 Cal plus combo I gigged and recorded with for seven years. Awesome amp. This thing had fallen down about five staircases over the years with nary a scratch, the tubs were intact because the milspec shockproof chassis is that well made, and it worked perfect. I must have changed the tubs two or three times in the entire seven years I owned the thing. The only reason I sold it was because I needed to down payment dough for a car so I could go to college and work. Wish I still had it.
"I keep my soldering iron hot all the time". Randall's pick up line. I have three Mesa boogies, thanks dude!
Have you ever heard of thye Son of boogie? I bought one last year becasue I needed to pop my mesa cherry
@@loopyloo8169 SOB- The Marshall lover's Boogie amp!
Sekou Bandele no turning back now....
@@loopyloo8169 I have a 1984 Mesa Boogie SOB 1x12 60 watt combo. Make no mistake, this little mother is loud and tasty, also extremely heavy to cart around. Great little amp.
😂
I wrote to to Randall in 1973 when I first saw Mahavishnu in Australia...Boogie had an ad the size of a postage stamp on the back page of guitar player
That was the first inquiry he'd had from Australia...I still have the hand written letter
What a history...what a great man...and I LOVE my boogies ...and I'm leaving them for my grandson who's a guitar player Randall ❤️
Absolutely love my Boogie Mk I. Serial number 1006, Randall's signature on the chassis, heavy as hell, awesome tone. What an amazing piece of music history.
@Sweetwater The interviewer couldn't have done a better job! Thanks for not interrupting Randall.
blessed7fold Didn’t he do the large Randall amps besides Mesa Boogie amps? Randall and Marshall both copied Leo Fender’s circuit from the 4 x 10 Bassman. No copyright violations on patents?
@@thomaspick4123 Not that I know of. Fender was always the foundation of what Mesa built their line of amps off of.
@@thomaspick4123 One must wonder if Leo even patented it. I've never seen mention of a patent to his early amp circuits in any of the voluminous Fender history articles and books that are out there. He took basics from the RCA tube manuals of the era. That doesn't diminish his genius at all, nor do I mean to say that modifications and innovations on top of already existing platforms cannot be patented, but I don't think he ever did.
Dude is a pro
Thank you Randall Smith 👏🏻
ISN'T IT SO GOOD TO KNOW THAT QUALITY STILL EXITS' AND THERE IS CRAFTSMEN THAT LOVE THEIR WORK.
This interview is priceless. What a fantastic human being.
i really love this, brought tears to my eyes, i mean this is the father of high gain, he is the reason we can do what we love to do so much, us metal guys owe him a great debt of gratitude
Ahhhh Ray, Don't forget Tom Scholz either....... just sayin.
don't forget Jim Marshall.
Fan since forever.
Great offering.
I have played Mesa amps for 30 years and don't see myself stopping.
The first real tube amp I ever played on was a mark 2, and I have been booked ever since.
The man himself. Awesome interview! I love Mesa.
Love this guy and love his amps! Thanks Randall Smith for all you’ve done for us players.
The beauty of a free society is that it allows men and women like Randall Smith to follow their dreams. Imagine a whole world of free men and women.
Thank you Randall Smith !!! My triple rectifier and F50 are absolute treasures in my collection.
Yes! Randall Smith is such an interesting & cool guy. Such a renaissance man......
Mercedes engine builder & jacking up houses and replacing foundations to fund his love for tube amp development.
I think Randall has raced vintage class cars over the years as well? He and his colleagues built quite a legacy & company.
My friend kept telling me, “ ya gotta get a Boogie” he said he’d tried one in London and it left everything else in the shade! All I could find round the music shops at the time were the usual amps, Fenders, Marshall’s, Peavey’s etc. Then one day I went to a trade show and they had the Boogie stand right opposite the Marshall stand. What an ideal opportunity! Marshall has just released the JMP 1 and the fifty fifty power blocks, very impressive! I went over to the Mesa stand and saw the Triaxis! I asked the guy if there was that much difference between that and the Marshall? He chuckled! First he went through all the Marshall style tones the Triaxis could do then all the Fender cleans and finally the Red channel! That was it! Nothing sounded like that! And with that much versatility? Then he explained how important it was to run all Boogie! Triaxis, 295/395 plus the cabs! The shock came when I asked the price! The JMP 1 was around £400/£500 if I remember correctly, the Triaxis alone was either £2200/£2400! This is not a joke, the first thing I did after selling the house was go out and buy the whole rig! And I’ve never regretted it! The first rig was stolen! Today I have a Triaxis Mk1 395 and 2x Mesa Half Backs! Nothing compares! I’ve tried them all over the years but nothing comes close to Boogie! Those big power amps have a 3D quality that no other amp has! And they sound awesome at any volume! Thank you Randall! You changed everything!
there is NOTHING like a MESA/Boogie
Congrats, RCS, on 50 years of sculpting sound for the world to enjoy and appreciate! Been a fan and user for decades... nothing like a Boogie! Thrilled every time I plug into my IIA, IIB, or IIB+ , and looking forward to my next one. Your team provides incredible service, and your products are built for the long haul.
LOVE my Boogie! I'll never play anything else. Thank you Mr. Smith!
I bought my first Mesa Boogie amp when I was 19-20 years old or so. I went on to eventually get to meet and work with Randy Smith and Doug West and I'll never forget the things I learned. I truly cherish and miss those days. Randy is truly one of the great innovators of the industry and his right-hand man Doug West is a fabulous guitar player and FLAT KNOWS TONE!!!
All the way back to LAB sound in Van Nuys. I started working there when I was in my teens.
@@axessmario2052 It was really the only shop that sold Mesa Boogie exclusively along with Tom Anderson guitars. It was a killer shop!
@@axessmario2052 Yeah it was Brian Swerdfeger, Mike Campion, Glenn Pearce. That was the shop in Garden Grove. I worked mainly at the shop in Van Nuys.
Shawn Tubbs you should pull something out as an homage in one of your videos!
I have a Mesa Boogie Mark IV and a JP2C and I play everything from Tom Petty to Tool and both amps. I've tried them all and I keep coming back to my Mesa Boogie. There's NUTHIN LIKE IT... PIANOLIKE TONE!!! Love em...
@Rumy 73 I am by NO MEANS a CAB expert. I figure once I'm using a black shadow, I can stick in a shoebox and all will be just fine. Having said that I am using an Old open back Theile cab with a black shadow 90Watt (made by Celestial) speaker in it. Its Incredible. But I've never used any other cab with it. Mind you when I first got the JP2C I used my MarkIV combo's speaker as is and it sounded GREAT. I used a CREATE Blue Voodoo 4x12 cab a couple of months ago AND THAT kicked me in the balls. So much are being moved by that 4x12. It was AMAZING. I have a couple of friends that are experts so when I need help I can them. if you need anything in particular give me a shout and I will ask them to get in touch with ya.
Thanks to Randall for the Mark Series and the Triaxis, and to Mike Soldano for the Dual Rectifier :p
Ha!
"We had no idea the biggest thing in amps at the time would be a massive success when we bastardized it for half the price!" Suuure...
I like how he tied the Dual Rec into being a 'modified Marshall' - he's using a snow-shovel to pile on the manure
@@shekador Isn't the SLO a modified Marshall type circuit?
@@208414 the SLO has about as much in common with a Marshall as a JCM800 has with a Fender Bassman. It's very much an original and unique design, regardless of what it started out as, and Randall is very much putting that typical Mesa marketing spin on it. Don't get me wrong, Mesa makes great amps, but the original rectifier is a complete copy of the SLO preamp. He's going out of his way here to sell a revision of the rectifier history.
I love this gentleman..he does all even details to print n etch circuits...kills me..would love to talk to people like him! 👍👌
To guitarists, Randall Smith is a treasure. I've been playing guitar for 23 years and, in my opinion, Mesa/Boogies are hands down the best electric guitar amps in the world. My first Mesa/Boogie amp was a Triple Rectifier that I got in 2007. I then sold it and traded up to a Road King Series II which I still have. I also have one of the old original 2-channel Dual Rectifiers from the mid-90s and I'm going to be getting a Mark V within the next few months.
After the cascading gain preamp architecture that Randy Smith pioneered, the next greatest contributions to electric guitar amplification that Mesa/Boogie developed would be (in my very humble opinion): Simul-Class, switchable rectifiers and Progressive Linkage. I was kinda disappointed that they didn't talk about those at all in the interview.
I love the way he answers questions with experiential context! This one intelligent and experienced craftsman!
If I ever met Randal face to face, I think I could just sit down and listen to man for hours on end! I love and breath MESA! Got a Dual Rect and a Mark V myself! The only amps I ever needed (plus a EVH 5150)! Great interview! Randall seems like a really nice decent and down to earth human!
If you could only keep the Mark V or the Dual Rectifier, which would it be? The Mark V seems like the no brainer answer but I've never owned either of them. I'm in the market for a high gain amp and those are both on my short list. I'm really leaning towards the Mark V 35. It costs a small fortune but it really seems like the only amp I would ever need.
@@MonkyMonk729 Oh mate definitely the Mark V! That thing is a BEAST! Don't take me wrong, the Dual Rect is awesome, but in terms of cleans, crunch sounds etc, the Mark V kills it!! The Mark V you get killer distortion and Fender cleans in the same amp! If I was to choose just one amp for the rest of my life, it would definitely be the Mark V!!
@@musicinsession Thanks! Yeah, I kind of figured the Mark V would be your answer but I know a few people with Dual Rectifiers so I know first hand how absolutely beloved those amps are. I don't personally know anyone with a Mark V so I thought it would be interesting to know which one you would keep. I was honestly expecting to hear you say you would never part with either of them, which might very well be the case, but it sounds like you didn't have to think about that one very long which says a lot for the Mark V cuz the DR is a hell of an amp. But yeah, ultimately the Mark V's versatility does indeed make it a no brainer from the sound of it. Thanks man! Cheers!
I have a Mesa 22 caliber studio Amp...its been on every studio project Ive played on...and every major show Ive played.Bought it in 1988/89..USED!!!GREAT AMP...Tough as nails..Sings l like birds Thank you Randall Smith
What a fantastic interview. Congrats to Mitch for conducting so well. Randall is a genius in his field. Good job.
I did a lot of tile work at Randy's house in the 1990s. Super great guy! Had some great conversations with him. A real gentleman.
Never before saw I Mich sitting there nodding in awe while listening to an engineer. You can almost see the respect emitting from his eyes.
Great interview with a down to earth fountain of amp knowledge. No wonder guitar players like to hang with the guy! Excellent job, Mitch.
To have this much enthusiasm is a goal. I love this!
GREAT! Job Mitch once again........ never a dull moment!! thx
Mr Randall Smith you are a great Man thanks for building the best AMP ever I have a Mesa Boogie Mark 2 B and I love it.
The God of tone, himself. Amazing amps. My favorite by far.
The God of tone is Mike Soldano!
I finally got my mesa boogie. The Fillmore 25. It is such a great amp. Great interview 🤘
I sold a Mark III many years ago but just picked up a Fillmore 25 last month - an amazing and extremely versatile amp!!!
Its so great to get an understanding of the design development of Randall Smith... thanks so much to present this information- I have two of his amps and this discussion grants so much insight! Thank you!
Randall Smith🎼Always 'Amp and Audio Royalty' Always!🏆🌈
"This little power switch is one that makes me happy"
I’ve got one of the most misunderstood amps to ever come out of the Mesa factory, a 45 watt Nomad loaded with 4 10 inch speakers which I acquired from a friend of mine on the cheap. Granted, it needed repairs, but once I got it back-Man, does it rip! Reading the manual for that amp is a must, since Mesas are special beasts that are different from anything else. Within minutes, I knew that all of my other amps are goin’ bye bye. Thanks, Randall!
I could listen to Randall all night 🙏🏻
So much love and respect for Randall Smith.
Amps don't have the flash of the electric guitar, but they really are the major piece that makes it all work. The unsung hero in many cases.
Mr. Smith is a true inspiration - dedication, hard work, as he said several times.
You got it, it's like the rider getting all the glory of the race horse that wins the race. Sumpins not right here....... ";^)
Wonderful interview. I bought a Mesa Express some time back, and love the amp. Just looking at the switches and parts, it is clear that Mesa goes the extra mile to put out a quality product. Little things like the length of the cord on the foot switch being plenty long really mean a great deal to a guitarist. A lot of companies would have made the cord a third the length and would have made the pedal itself out of plastic. Great products, great sound.
Bought the Express 5:50 a few years back and really enjoy it.
Mesa/Boogie’s are worth every penny. The way they stand by their product is a very rare thing.
I could listen to his stories for days. Man would love to get up in the morning, grab some coffee and start my day listening to him talk about his experiences. Think we're about the same age. Hope people are still able to fufill their dreams like we could back in the day. Thank you Mr. Smith. Been enjoying my Mark Five 25 for about 4 years now. Great amp love the choices.
I'm so happy and lucky to own one of his amps. Such a good person and company, will support their products for life.
Both Randall and Sweetwater "Iconic"🏆
What a cool guy. I've had my Boogie thirty five years...still love it every time I switch it on. :-)
Great interview!
Recently I switched to Mesa Boogie Lonestar classic with a purple plexi pedal in the front, with reverb and delay in the effects loop
Man alive that combination is magical! I was a fender amp chap for years! Not anymore! Makes me smile every time I plug in!
Thank you Boogie!
Boogie user all my life. Wow, what excellence. Thank you Randall. You are a music legend.
I had to bring one of my amps up to Ross St. and they walked me around the shop while they worked on it. I asked if Randall Smith really thought up & designed all these MESA circuit boards, etc. The answer was, "Yes, he dreams this stuff at night. His garbage cans at home are full of wadded up rejected ideas." The man never stops thinking. Thank you, Randall Smith!
He’s what you call an easy interview. Plenty of stories and loves to tell them.
Great interview. Love my Boogies, had them for decades now and they still make me smile and sound amazing.
I'll admit to still being slightly hung up on the dual rec stereotype as someone who was a teenager in the 90s. I'm really glad Randall came on and showed he's an historian of all styles. Changes my perspective on M/B. Thanks for doin this Randall. You're a good dude and seem like someone who would be awesome to work for. Keep it up
Randall Smith is a genius as validated by his awesome sounding, tweakable amplifiers!!!! Also, Mesa Boogie's customer service provides outstanding support, too!!!
Personally, own the Transatlantic TA-30 head and 2 x 12 Mesa cabinet and this beast will be with me forever!!!!!
Also, like to buy American made equipment and keep jobs in USA, not China. Mesa Boogies' are manufactured in Petaluma, CA... way to go, Mr. Randall Boogie Smith!!!!
I have several Mesa amps but the Mark II C plus, hands down the greatest amps ever IMHO
still have mine...awesome!
Absolutely
Agreed. I worked at Mesa for two years. I played a lot of the amps that were made during that period 2014-2017, as well as stuff that had come in for repairs. Mike B pulled me aside one day and said "hey check out this amp". I plugged in and my mind was blown. Best tone I have ever personally experienced. Hopefully one day I will procure one for myself. Thanks Mesa.
I have my IIC Simulclass from 1984. Who mods these mow to C+?
@@jrockofages5413 Check with Mesa/ Boogie, I think they still upgrade C's. If not ask on the boogie board forum, some one there could stear you in the right direction.
this guy is a bonafide genius
I'm so blown away from this interview. What a humble guy and so amazing.
This is an awesome interview, I am smiling at my screen as Randall talks, lucky man to have lived through the greatest time in blues/rock history.
They need to sell and market this munster amps in every music store , before the rock desapair in front of our eyes
Bought my very first Triple Rectifier in 2018, crazy story was I had this Fender Deluxe Reissue I sold for $600 and picked up the Boogie for like $700. This I thought was CRAZY, got to love Reverb what a deal! I remember taking the Amtrak train 1,000 miles back home to my house I couldn't wait to see it, I got there and there it was beautiful. Like Christmas. To this day I haven't had a single issue with this amp. It has the best sounding clean tone in the world. Its iconic and legendary
Got my little 30w Mesa/Boogie combo at age 18, bought it with my hard earned dock-working cash. It's been dragged around everywhere and been to atleast 2-300 gigs, and Ive never had a singel problem with it. I'm 33 now, and its still my go-to-amp for whatever I'm doing. Its built like a goddamn tank and it sounds amazing! I love it!
Thank you Randall Smith! Amazing guy.
What a tremendous interview from one of the great innovators in amplification! Great job Mitch!!
My 1994 Tremoverb has been my main amp for years! As soon as I sell my Victory Kraken and cab (also great amps! I just want more Boogie!) I’ll be grabbing a Mark V. Then once I get a TC-100 someday, I’ll have the perfect trifecta of Mesa tone
Absolutely the BEST🎶
Thank you for changing your dream!!! You’ve changed SOO much for ALL of US👍🏼
Great interview....Randell is such a cool guy...It's good to see a builder so excited about what he does even all these years later.
Bought a Californian Tweed a couple of weeks ago. It's a great overall unit. His 50 years of R&D alone is worth the price.
So nice to see the man and hear his stories.......great interview........ thanks
I want to thank Randall Smith for giving me more than 20 years of bass-playing pleasure. I was a dedicated “Ampeg guy” from the early 1970s until the 1990s (those monster SVT heads and a pair of refrigerator-sized cabinets that weighed a ton). Then, I discovered Mesa bass amps, and I have owned, and continue to own, virtually every Mesa bass amp model that has been made! My 112 Walkabout Scout combo is great for small to midsized gigs, and for the blues jams that I host at a Philadelphia club every week. When I play festivals and outdoor gigs, my new Subway WD-800 amp powering a 212 Barefaced cab usually does the trick just fine. I’ve also been using a variety of M6 and M9 Carbine amps over the last decade, and when I was still touring I replaced the SVTs with Bass 400+ heads and Powerhouse cabs. In my less-than-humble opinion, Mesa not only makes the best guitar amps, but also far-and-away the best bass amps available today!
Absolutely love this interview! I have a Roadking v1 combo and after 9 years it still amazes me with the different tonal options I can get out of it.
Carlos Santana has been on the edge of it all.Mesa Boogie amps and PRS GUITARS..These to instruments Changed music
Still remember early '80s, when I was starting my musical "career", the am guy in my favorite music store was talking about the "Boogie stage" in a modified Fender amp.
My very first amp was a LABSeries L7. The second one was the Roland JC120. The third one was a Boogie MKII B 60W. That was back in the 80s and it was something to own a Boogie at that time here in Germany. I felt like a super pro. So I bought this amp and went straight to our basement where we used to practise. The bandmembers were already waiting in anticipation. I turned on that thing and everybody was stunned! Now here's the thing: the singer had a Kittyhawk 60W Amp, which basicly was a copy of the Boogie MKII B. He suggested a comparison of the two. So we put them up side by side. To make a long story short: they sounded identical! Believe it or not, there was no difference at all! The main difference was the price tag: 600 DM for the Kittyhawk and 2.200 DM for the Boogie! The funny thing was, everybody realised it, even I did, but my friends didn't want to mention it. They didn't want to embarrass me because I was so happy. As the years went on I had several MKIII's and even an early MKI. I loved them all. But after a while I switched to the more traditional amps like Fender, Marshall and Vox. It was a musical journey I will never forget. I loved it! Today I don't have an amp anymore. Sold the last one a few years ago. But everytime I see a Boogie MKIII with a solid natural wood chasis, caning and that EQ on the front panel, it brings back those memories because those were the days.
Randall is a cool Dude. I've been a Mesa Player since 2001 and my Recto has taught me a lot about audio, electronics, and tone. It continues to do so to this day. All the options they give you in the amp create a lifetime of tone exploration and discovery.
Heard it from the man himself! I love the way he describes himself as a tinkerer and how he started with ham radios. It shows the passion he has for what he does. Great interview
Mitch!
I hope Mesa Engineering has a succession plan for Randall. His vision and expertise have always amazed me. This guy is a visionary treasure; along with Leo Fender, George Fullerton, Paul Rivera, D'Allesandro, Dumble etc.
Mike Soldano, David Friedman, Reinhold Bogner, Peter Diezel and the list goes on.
Thank you Mitch and thank you Randall for such cool and inspiring amps.
Very cool interview. I'm glad that this kind of stuff is being recorded for future generations and posterity purposes. This man lived through some incredible times on this planet. HIs mark upon electric guitar amplification cannot be over stated. Kudos to Sweetwater for taking the time to capture and record a piece of music history.
I have a Mark IV combo, i bought it used. It was shipped from the Mid West USA to Northern Canada, and it works like a dream ,
Thanks Randall for making such a great amp.
I remember my first encounter with a Mark IV, the lead guitarist in my band let his Strat rip on the heavy section of Stairway and damn near threw me off the stage! What a sound! Now a proud owner of a 4x10 Lonestar, lovely amp. Thanks, Mr Boogie!
Randall Smith is a genius!!!
I'll tell you Boogies are made to last a lifetime! I have a 1981 Mark II B and a 1991 50 Caliber and they are fantastic. I don't think I'll ever need to buy another amp again!
Excellent interview.
I never realized how much innovation happened back in the early days of Mesa Boogie.
Really cool to hear this stuff.
Excellent video, I love the fact that Boogie came from Carlos Santana. Also the unbelievable work ethic of Mr. Smith. The Mesa coming from the building foundation/Mercedes Engine rebuilding companies. Thanks for making this one.
So many people behind the music scene over the years that help shape the entire industry, and this is one of those giants.
This is an amazing interview. I’ve never knew this about the founder, this is crazy!
Dani
Mitch - this is so so so good! Thank you for this!
After watching this all I can say is, Wow. I had no idea that this guy is to thank for some of the most revolutionary innovations that effected the way we hear music to this day!!
Santana named boogie!! Awesome
i thank this guy for making the best and versatile amps in the world. I love Mesa Boogie amps
Thanks Randall: My DC5 is sitting right next to me. I've used it for years.
This is fantastic. What a legend
During the 2008 recession I ended up having to sell my Mesa Dual Rectifier and my Gibson Les Paul Custom.....I still miss my Rectifier
Yeah I’ve done the same thing. Didn’t think I would need a gigging amp and family was having financial struggles so I got rid of it. I hope to get a Boogie again one day.
Man, I love my duel rec...
Only mod i'v have don to it is to had it retubed with EL34's
The sound iv allways dreamed of...
Thank Randy Smith for inventing the sound of modern metal.
\m/
Thank God for Randall Smith, living legend.
I've played for over 40 years and Mesa Boogie showed up at my house more than any other brand. If I could only have one amp, it would be a Mesa of some sort. Thanks Randall for running one of the most friendly 'shops' around... where you can actually talk to another human on the other end of the phone line.