Gibson acquires Mesa Boogie!

[surfergirl]

https://www.premierguitar.com//articles/31235-gibson-announces-acquisition-of-mesaboogie

[hurricane hugo]

[font:Verdana]please don't f this up please don't f this up please don't f this up please don't...[/font]

[desertbluesman]

I have had a 4 Mesa amplifiers; a Mark IIC+,A Mark IV, A Strategy 400 stereo power amp with a Quad Reverb preamp, A Lone Star Classic 100 watt head. I liked all of them. I think my favorite one was the Mark IV, then the Mark IIC+, Then The Strategy/Quad pre. The the Lonestar Classic (the least favorite). In fact I still have the speaker from the IIC+ and one from one of the 4 1-12 cabs for the Strategy/Quad Pre era. Good luck Mesa, I hope you survive the change.

[Scott Fraser]

That should go well, since (A) Gibson is insolvent, & (B) Gibson have destroyed every single brand they have purchased since Epiphone. Maybe Gibson will strike an exclusive deal with Guitar Center to carry the Mesa brand.

[CEB]

This fucking sucks.

[Larryz]

With Randy Smith the founder of Mesa Boogie looking forward to being in charge of the Mesa Boogie line at Gibson, I don't see a downside. Gibson has always been lacking in the guitar amplification equipment market IMHO. I think many businesses in the music equipment business (along with many other banks and businesses) will have to merge to stay alive in the upcoming Covid world wide economic recovery. This could be a win win as long as Gibson keeps the Mesa Boogie quality safeguarded and may even allow Randy to make future improvements. Time will tell...

[KuruPrionz]

The end of an era!!!!

 

Not to out Mesa DBM but I've owned 9 Mesa amps. A MK III Simul-Class head with reverb and EQ, a .22 Caliber, a Maverick 1-12, a Blue Angel combo, a Subway Rocket, a DC5 combo, an Express 5:25 1-10 and 2 Subway Blues.

 

I don't have a favorite, they all sounded great in their own way.

 

I don't trust Gibson to manage this well. Randy had a great run and changed the world of guitar amps forever. I'll go dollars to donuts the pre-Gibson Mesa amps become a "thing" almost immediately.

I sold all of mine.

[CEB]

Randy broke ties with GC. GC wanted lower price points. Brought up outsourcing to China and other suggestions. GC doesn"t pay its bills. Randy told GC to stick it and never let GC get him buy the short hairs. Will Gibson get Boogie sucked back into that quagmire?

 

Gibson destroyed a great dealer network preferring to work with fewer, higher volume, less knowledge retailers. What will happen to Boogie"s dealer"s and Boogie"s sourcing?

 

Very few details were announced. The reps didn"t even know about this until 3:00 yesterday. Whatever is announced I"m sure KKR can change the deal whenever they want. Right now it"s being sold as a 'partnership". .....

Kind of like Baldwin Pianos and Trace Elliot Amplification.

[Marzzz]

Oberheim

Steinberger

Opcode

 

I'd say Mesa Boogie is EFFed. Pretty much every company Gibson has acquired has been destroyed...

[Sharkman]

The only way I can see this being a successful "partnership" is if Gibson says "We will provide you with all the financing you need via KKR, and you keep running Mesa Boogie the way you've been running it. You stay successful, and we will stay out of your way." The likelihood of this happening is the same as a 25 year old Vanna White clone walking up to me at the gym, sitting on my lap, and asking "Can I be your new girlfriend?" I would not hold my breath expecting either of those scenarios to happen.

[The Real MC]

"pre-Gibson Mesa/Boogie" guitar amps appearing on eBay with an extra zero to the price in 3, 2, 1...

[The Real MC]

I admired the quality of Mesa/Boogie products. They put quality components in their amps - transformers, caps, tubes, pots, jacks, chassis. Unlike Marshall or other popular tube guitar amps, you didn't have to replace the $300 output transformer in a M/B amp once every year. They're built to last. Once the bean counters at Gibson step in, this will be the first area that will suffer.

[CEB]

As sad satire I posted this on Facebook. It got quite a reaction. Luckily everyone understood the context in which it was meant;

 

'For sale : Pre-Gibson Mesa Boogie DC-5s $15,000 each. Firm.'

[desertbluesman]

As sad satire I posted this on Facebook. It got quite a reaction. Luckily everyone understood the context in which it was meant;

 

'For sale : Pre-Gibson Mesa Boogie DC-5s $15,000 each. Firm.'

 

[KuruPrionz]

I admired the quality of Mesa/Boogie products. They put quality components in their amps - transformers, caps, tubes, pots, jacks, chassis. Unlike Marshall or other popular tube guitar amps, you didn't have to replace the $300 output transformer in a M/B amp once every year. They're built to last. Once the bean counters at Gibson step in, this will be the first area that will suffer.

 

 

The ease of servicing common parts is also outstanding. Mesa has always used circuit boards and they've always "floated" the pots, jacks and switches to the boards.

Those components are correctly and firmly mounted to the chassis and lead wires with a bit of extra "service slack" are run from the components to the circuit board.

 

Changing a jack, pot or switch is fast, safe and easy, even for an imbecile like me!!!! I also like the use of ceramic tube sockets.

 

Except for the Subway Rocket, which I found out later had been boogered and botched by a hack, the only problems I've had with Mesa amps are tube failure and the simple fact that their Black Shadow speakers are not my favorite.

Not bad but I always liked other speakers better in my Mesa amps.

[desertbluesman]

the only problems I've had with Mesa amps are tube failure and the simple fact that their Black Shadow speakers are not my favorite.

Not bad but I always liked other speakers better in my Mesa amps.

 

I always used EVM 12 L's during my middle playing years and EVM12L's were in all of my Mesa Amps. I started out modifying my Fender amps with JBL K 120's early on, say about 1966. Then I went to the EV's and I have been using EV's ever since. Until one day I decided the EVM 12L's made my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe too heavy. So I put in a 12" Eminence (I don't remember the model) Then I heard about Emience Cannabis Rex speakers so I put one of those in the HRD. I still have 2 1-12 cabs with EVM 12L's in them that have lasted a minimum of over 30 years each of mild daily use. I got one of my EVM 12L's in my Mark IIC+, and when I gave that head to a business associate I took the OEM EVM 12 L out of the 1-12 extension cab, and replaced it with a newer one to give to that business associate/friend The OEM model sounded a little sweeter than the newer 12L's which handled more power..

 

You may ask why I would give a $1500 amp to a friend? Here is the reason;

 

I had a 16 channel Otari 30 IPS multi track and an Otari Half Track with Dolby SR on the stereo of the half track, I also had a 24x16 track TAC Scorpion board (British made) (All three cost me about 50 grand when I bought them), this was back in the early/mid 80's.

 

When it was time to sell them in 1990 I took them to the now defunct Tekcom music store that specialized in recording gear which is where I bought them, and moved for Florida. So the friend Lou Maresca (who owned Tekcom) sold all of that for me and sent me the 25 grand I was asking. Later on I found out he was having bankruptcy problems when he sold my recording gear, and shortly after the company went belly up. In appreciation for his integrity I gave him the Mark II C+ and the EVM 12L filled cab. I still interact with Lou on Facebook, he is the lead guitarist for an Allman Brothers Tribute band called Live At The Fillmore out of Philly.

[CEB]

Black Shadows can be cool. They are rebadges altered to Boogie specs.... usually Celestions. There are several different Black Shadows. I like the C90s in the DC-5 combos. They add a nicer bottom to the open backs. C90s sound like ass in a closed back cab.... IMO

 

The Vintage 30 Black Shadows work well in the small 112 cabs with Recto 25 heads. It depends on the whole rig.

 

EVM 12L in my old Twins were a favorite of

Mine but I put them in a pair of Bandit 65s which was my stereo road rig in the late 80 when we were Peavey artist. The EVMs sucked. They were too clear and too hi-fi. They made the Bandits sterile, lifeless and really heavy. I put the stock Scorpions back in.

 

I"ve wanted to try Pete"s Hempdogs. They are based on the 12L with a hemp cone. Pete Anderson"s old hot rodded Deluxe with the 12L super huge power supply on the early Dwight Yoakam stuff was always my template for how a Tele/Esquire should sound. I"ve always been a Pete Anderson fanboy. I can"t help it. He is why I bought my first Tele. It"s his fault.

[surfergirl]

About a year and a half ago I was considering getting a mark v 35 combo, but I couldn't justify spending $2100. I'm glad I didn't now. I've discovered I've had the amp I want hidden in my closet, my Vox vt40. No more tubes or pedals except a volume pedal.

[Mark Schmieder]

On the same day, Korg USA bought the Aguilar Bass Amplification company.

 

They've been good stewards of Vox and Blackstar, so hopefully that buyout will work out well.

[KuruPrionz]

On the same day, Korg USA bought the Aguilar Bass Amplification company.

 

They've been good stewards of Vox and Blackstar, so hopefully that buyout will work out well.

 

Korg is a solid, stable company built on innovation and diversification. I would rather they had bought Mesa than Gibson to be honest.

[Caevan O’Shite]

About a year and a half ago I was considering getting a mark v 35 combo, but I couldn't justify spending $2100. I'm glad I didn't now. I've discovered I've had the amp I want hidden in my closet, my Vox vt40. No more tubes or pedals except a volume pedal.

Cool amp- at least, it looks like it would be, I just haven't tried one, myself.

 

Personally, I never quite gelled with any MESA/Boogie amps, so I, personally, wouldn't think of spending a lot of money on one; though it's been so long since I tried one, not only have they had a lot of new, different models and features, my own playing and "ear" have changed, evolved- who knows, one MESA/Boogie amp or another might suddenly feel like a perfect fit!

 

Volume pedals are great, very useful! I love mine! And somehow they seem underrated and not as popular as I'd expect...

 

Now, you have some GREAT pedals, I'd think that using at least some of 'em with that amp would be a lot of fun and variety and offer up some great tones; like your fuzz, your 2B Boost/Buffer/Limiter, your Keeley Compressor... I used to spend a lot of time playing through a DigiTech GNX4 digital-modeler/multi-effects and headphones, and later, playing with a band with it plugged directly into a PA and monitors, sometimes with a real-live tube-amp in parallel (HUUUGE stereo sounds that way!!). I found that putting some of my favorite pedals in front of it- and even a couple after it- really improved on the tone and greatly expanded variety and versatility. Yeah, more cablers and power supplies, but for me, the results were well worth it! The combination of the two was incredible.

[Winston Psmith]

I could never afford a Mesa, but OTOH, it was never my Holy Grail of Amp tone, so I didn't feel left out. Still, for everyone who loves them, and for everyone who will be drawn to the name in the near future, I really hope Gibson doesn't screw this up. Unlike Fender, Gibson has never been known for an Amp line, so it makes sense that they'd want to acquire one.

 

I have to agree about Korg, it's a good, solid company with some great product lines. They've also been smart enough to offer fun, innovative gear at every price point, which is a great way to build a loyal customer base. Give them something good and affordable when they're starting out, and they'll keep buying up through the product line.

 

Here's another mark in their favor: When a friend was shutting down his Music store, and trying to figure out how to deal with the stock on hand, and the invoices still outstanding, the ONLY sales rep who offered to take back their stock and make adjustments to the final payment was the rep from Korg. I can't imagine that's something a sales rep would offer without it being company policy?

[KuruPrionz]

I could never afford a Mesa, but OTOH, it was never my Holy Grail of Amp tone, so I didn't feel left out.

 

I think we tend to stereotype amps and decide they have "sound x" and are played by guitarists in "genre y" and that's that.

 

Can you guess what amp was used for the solo on Moonage Daydream from the Ziggy Stardust album?

Hint: it's not a Mesa.

 

Not sure about recording but Keith Richards has had a Mesa amp in his live backline for decades.

 

The Subway Blues and Blue Angel don't have a master volume or tons of gain. Either of them will provide a wide range of tones depending on how you set them, what guitar you plugin etc. I used a Maverick 1-12" with a Peavey Scorpion Plus (one of my all time favorite guitar speakers) in a Motown Tribute band but it would also provide shred tones from Hell. There are jazz and country players using Mark series amps.

 

Mesa amps do take a bit of tweak-time to find your sound. The controls are interactive, changing one may mean you need to change another. It can take some time to find your happy place and you may find new happy places in your journey towards your sought after tone. Changing the speaker can change the character of the amp considerably, whether that is good or bad depends on your taste.

 

The Express 5:25 I had could be switched from 2 el84s in push pull at 20+ watts to 1 el84 running single ended Class A at 5 watts - very different sounds and different from my other Mesa amps. DC-5 could do brutal but also sound pretty "Twin-ish".

 

I never had a lot of money and only owned 2 Mesas at once 1 time until I sold them both and bought something else. I'd love to try the California series small combo - 2 6V6 and I believe a rectifier tube.

 

Not saying you should get a Mesa, not at all. Just noting that they are certainly not one trick ponies.

[Larryz]

My Holy Grail and One Trick pony amp has always been a Fender Tuber. My favorite amp for many years was my Fender Twin for that "Twin-ish" clean and pretty sound. I just need that Verb and seldom use the Tremolo LOL! Like Surfer Girl, I find the $2,100 price for a Mesa above my pay grade. My Twin, HR Deluxe, HR DeVille all clocked in used around $300 to $400. The most I paid for a new amp until now was about $500 for my Roland Street EX amp/pa combo. Now that Fender came out with a Solid State modeling amp that sounds just like a 65 Deluxe Reverb at half the weight, I sprung for the clean spring verb sound at around $800 minus my 20% discount at GC.. That's as high as I have ever paid. So for me, Gibson makes guitars that are too expensive and they price players out of the market. Thus, they may as well have an expensive amp to go with them LOL!

 

Like Surfer Girl, I think it's great to have an SS amp that you can go straight in with sans pedals and tubes. But, like Caevan advised, plug in one or two of those pedals for fun one of these days. Something caught your ear when you bought a pedal, a guitar or an amp. I can do with or without a volume pedal depending on which guitar I'm using and how the controls are designed and located. I use a comp for a clean boost on some guitars, on others I can just roll off/on the volume knobs with a 3way. Many a good sounding clean amp can get many different genres with a multi-effects or a rack of pedals in front of them. I just have to have a clean amp with a little verb...

[Mark Schmieder]

I always respected Mesa but they were never my favourite amps for the most part. I bought a Lonestar 1x12 combo a number of years ago but it wasn't Fender-y enough to satisfy me, then I went ahead and got real Fender amps. But as I don't like modern Marshall amps (Korg didn't either, which is why they dumped them for Blackstar), and refuse to pay boutique prices for old ones, the Royal Atlantic fit the bill and I do like it though I use it more on other electric stringed instruments than guitar (where my Fender and Vox -- and now Orange -- amps reign supreme).

 

It's the bass amps that I dig so much, and McCartney is in agreement (though he changes gear a lot and I think he might have switched again recently). My current one (back in CA) is the Prodigy, all-tubes and yet so light! Many personalities, one of which is the Ampeg SVT that I almost bought but balked at the weight.

[Caevan O’Shite]

By the way, I just remembered, that I did kinda like that little MESA/Boogie Maverick combo-amp, years ago...

 

I could never afford a Mesa, but OTOH, it was never my Holy Grail of Amp tone, so I didn't feel left out.

 

I think we tend to stereotype amps and decide they have "sound x" and are played by guitarists in "genre y" and that's that.

 

Can you guess what amp was used for the solo on Moonage Daydream from the Ziggy Stardust album? Hint: it's not a Mesa.

Long a favorite. I'm guessing that it'd be something "tweed"-y, like an old tweed Fender Deluxe or Champ, close-miked, with a wah and a Tone Bender fuzz. 'Cause it's got "fat calves"- tweed mids and low-mids, as opposed to skinnier, scoopier "blackface" or "silverface" Fender amp tones. And also not that monstrous 200 watt Marshall stack that he used in concerts... !

[surfergirl]

I'll try some of the things you suggested. I have used both the Vox and my Super Sonic before but just switching not together.

[KuruPrionz]

By the way, I just remembered, that I did kinda like that little MESA/Boogie Maverick combo-amp, years ago...

 

I could never afford a Mesa, but OTOH, it was never my Holy Grail of Amp tone, so I didn't feel left out.

 

I think we tend to stereotype amps and decide they have "sound x" and are played by guitarists in "genre y" and that's that.

 

Can you guess what amp was used for the solo on Moonage Daydream from the Ziggy Stardust album? Hint: it's not a Mesa.

Long a favorite. I'm guessing that it'd be something "tweed"-y, like an old tweed Fender Deluxe or Champ, close-miked, with a wah and a Tone Bender fuzz. 'Cause it's got "fat calves"- tweed mids and low-mids, as opposed to skinnier, scoopier "blackface" or "silverface" Fender amp tones. And also not that monstrous 200 watt Marshall stack that he used in concerts... !

 

 

Very good guess. I read an interview with Mick Ronson somewhere years ago and he said he used a Les Paul plugged straight into a Fender Deluxe Reverb (did not specify Black or Silver Face) dimed. I'd guess it was the neck pickup from the sound of it and either the tone on the guitar or on the amp (or both) backed off in the trebles enough to get that "sugar pie" tone.

[Caevan O’Shite]

I'll try some of the things you suggested. I have used both the Vox and my Super Sonic before but just switching not together.

I was just meaning, try some of your pedals with that Vox Vox VT40 amp. But dual amp set-ups can be awesome, too- though a bit cumbersome to set up, lug around, set-up and tear-down and lug again...

 

Very good guess. I read an interview with Mick Ronson somewhere years ago and he said he used a Les Paul plugged straight into a Fender Deluxe Reverb (did not specify Black or Silver Face) dimed. I'd guess it was the neck pickup from the sound of it and either the tone on the guitar or on the amp (or both) backed off in the trebles enough to get that "sugar pie" tone.

I'd lay money that he had a wah parked in a sweet-spot, acting like a sort of a mid-boost/treble-booster/EQ kinda sorta affair. He did that a lot, and it sounds like it there.

[The Real MC]

I bought a Lonestar 1x12 combo a number of years ago but it wasn't Fender-y enough to satisfy me

 

The stock speakers in Lonestar combo amps are crap. They sound much better with Celestion speakers. Instead of the combo I bought the Lonestar head and used it with a Marshall 4x12 rewired from 16ohms to 4 ohms (M/B amps have no 16ohm tap). With a set of 65w Celestions you get both worlds - Fender clean/blackface dirt with the rhythm channel, Marshall/high gain crunch with the lead channel.