Sad news, Randall Smith booted from MESA

[LanceZ]

This is me every time I see a nice amp head and start GAS-ing. Eventually after a little while I start thinking to myself "when the hell would I ever use it?". I got little kids and live in the burbs. Ain't no way I'm cranking a 90-120W tube head into a 4x12 or even a 2x12. I'd just end up playing my AxeFX anywho.

Not to temp you, but a Mark VII into an X-Load into a Radial ReAmp into the Axe-FX III (bypass the amp block). Oh yeah. Still... why? I can conjure "Mesa" vibes already with everything I already own, especially with the AFX3. (You sense the GAS war in my brain.)

 

[Dave Merrill]

End of an era yes, but he's entitled to retire and move on too.

 

[LanceZ]

Randall made it, and it’s staying with me.

So cool.

 

[Dave Merrill]

This thread has me nostalgia-ing hard.

I remember when I got my Mark-nothing, used, I had some questions. Called Mesa, and Randy, as he was known back then, answered the phone himself, talked to me for a long time, about possible mods I could do myself, integrating an Alembic F2B as an independent clean tone, etc. (Amp was one channel, only switching was a footswitchable boost that basically dimed all the tone controls, so a separate clean path was really useful.)

If I'm not mistaken, Mesa was Randy's garage at that point. My amp had labelmaker labels on the back, serial B-0015.

He really did change the world. Not a lot of people have that kind of impact.

 

[Rick]

This thread has me nostalgia-ing hard.

I remember when I got my Mark-nothing, used, I had some questions. Called Mesa, and Randy, as he was known back then, answered the phone himself, talked to me for a long time, about possible mods I could do myself, integrating an Alembic F2B as an independent clean tone, etc. (Amp was one channel, only switching was a footswitchable boost that basically dimed all the tone controls, so a separate clean path was really useful.)

If I'm not mistaken, Mesa was Randy's garage at that point. My amp had labelmaker labels on the back, serial B-0015.

He really did change the world. Not a lot of people have that kind of impact.

Yes, back in Lagunitas he was building in an old greyhound kennel building. The magic started there.

 

[GitGuy513]

I had a whole WDW rig (all Mesa amps and cabs) in the 90’s. I was a huge loyal fan. I had since sold all of it, but was still a fan. When I saw Gibson bought Mesa and every time I see a Mesa ad with Gibson at the bottom I cringe. I wasn’t even sure if Randall Smith still had anything to do with it.

I figured retirement was the reason back with the sale. I would think that’s still the reason. Or else Gibson got whiff that he’s been working on things in the background and was violating his “non compete” agreement.

 

[nicolasrivera]

My Randall Smith era Mark III, its a beast of an amp.

 

[vector]

Randall era Roadster, Mark V, JP2C, Stiletto, MK5 35. Thank you Mr Smith.

 

[unscarred]

Randall era Roadster, Mark V, JP2C, Stiletto, MK5 35. Thank you Mr Smith.
View attachment 144103

So clean

 

[vector]

So clean

 

[la szum]

Randall era Roadster, Mark V, JP2C, Stiletto, MK5 35. Thank you Mr Smith.
View attachment 144103

That space, man! So tasty!

 

[vector]

That space, man! So tasty!

Thank you!

 

[FullReverse]

Randall era Roadster, Mark V, JP2C, Stiletto, MK5 35. Thank you Mr Smith.
View attachment 144103

I could pretend to get a lot of work done in there…

 

[bchulse]

Very sad to see. Bought my first Boogie (MkIIb) in 1981. Still have that one, plus
several more (MkIIC+, MkIII blue, MkIV head, MkV Head). Never use them out.
Been with Fractal products since 2011.

Also just tried out the Synergy IICP module. Plugged in to MkIII power amp in,
the Synergy matches the amp almost exactly. Haven't tried it with the C+ yet.

Love my boogies, probably never sell them, but I'm not lugging them around!

 

[Domct203]

Love my boogies, probably never sell them, but I'm not lugging them around!

And that’s exactly what brought me here. I have a Voodoo modded Roadster that absolutely slays, but it need to be at gig volume and it’s heavy as hell, just like the Recto 4X12’s.

 

[vector]

And that’s exactly what brought me here. I have a Voodoo modded Roadster that absolutely slays, but it need to be at gig volume and it’s heavy as hell, just like the Recto 4X12’s.

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amazing wow

 

[vector]

I could pretend to get a lot of work done in there…

"work" hehe

 

[Domct203]

And another YT influencer passing hearsay from a subscriber.

I’m more inclined to believe RS finally retired.

 

[Xrocker]

Fixed that for you.

He pretty much invented multiple drive stages as a thing, and extra-quality boutique level amps too. Changed the industry in a big way.

Couldn’t agree more! Randal Smith was Cliff before Cliff was cool.
I bought my first Boogie in ‘79 and played them exclusively until my first AxeFx in 2008.

We are so spoiled by Fractal Audio.

I bought my MKII hardwood and wicker with 100/60 switch and an anvil case in 79 for $2500, paid in full in advance. Took just over a year to take delivery. Ended up 10 years later with 2-24 space racks with 2 Triaxis (Triaxi?), a quad preamp, 2 290 power amps and 4 oversize 4x12 cabs with Diamond plate.

Went from 6-800 lbs of guitar rig to a 3 space rack unit and I’ve never been happier.

 

[pauly]

Is that a JBL in there??

I’ve got 4 real Mesas at this moment. I started playing in 1976, and a vaunted Boogie was the holy grail for me. My first, a wood/wicker Mk III Simul-Class 1x12, came in the 80s and I played nothing but Boogies for years after. Randall is a visionary amp builder, and I hated to read of the sale but business is business, I suppose. It is, indeed, the end of an era.

I did finally get that original Boogie, a ‘76, some 40-odd years later. Randall made it, and it’s staying with me.

EDIT: Thought I’d ad a pic of that one. Number A511, an early example made in the original “Home of Tone” workshop.

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