Sad news, Randall Smith booted from MESA

[Sleestak]

Absent an official statement from the man himself, this looks like a standard "golden handcuffs" arrangement. You buy a company, and offer critical leadership / braintrust a generous financial incentive to remain onboard for a few years. This gives you time to stabilize and integrate, as well as to do some knowledge transfer, and provides assurance to shareholders that you are carefully optimizing the value of the new investment. After three years, that retention bonus is fully vested, and the parent company might assume they can take it from here on their own, and opt out of renewing the former leaders' high-value contracts.
It's a cold take, but this is fairly normal for corporate acquisitions. As a person who used and loved Boogie amps since the 80s, this doesn't feel great. If I force myself to view this just as business, it doesn't seem unusual. Big companies purchase smaller companies, and like it or not, the culture / vibe may change. Gibson has an opportunity to demonstrate some vision here, and they need to show the world (and their investors) they have the reigns on this bronco. Let the off-track wagers begin.

 

[GitGuy513]

credible journalists

Great oxymoron.

 

[la szum]

Love seeing staunch and bad-ass Rockers siding with "the Man"--or, at the very least
giving "the Man" a pass because of the boilerplate, lawyer approved press release from
today.

So ballsy and rebellious!!

 

[sprint]

Love seeing staunch and bad-ass Rockers siding with "the Man"--or, at the very least
giving "the Man" a pass because of the boilerplate, lawyer approved press release from
today.

So ballsy and rebellious!!

that's how she goes these days eh: logical, undramatic conclusions frowned upon

 

[nicolasrivera]

Can you imagine the reaction if the MESA customers if Gibson stated they had to fire the creator MESA. They will never say it! But Ryan Bruce has the insight info of what happened. Randall will not say anything.


Hey... Clint Eastwood is 94 and he is working hard on what he really loves! Maybe its not the end for Randall, maybe he will go back to engines...

Thank you and Good luck to Mr. Randall Smith, MESA stands strong as a iconic Brand that gave us all the precious GAIN we all wanted.

 

[Dave Merrill]

That’s actually a pretty rare version, something you could order when it was all special order then. There were only a few hundred ever made, from what I understand. Rare bird!

Did you see that mine had labelmaker labels on the back panel? Gotta think that wasn't a mass production strategy

 

[Rick]

Did you see that mine had labelmaker labels on the back panel? Gotta think that wasn't a mass production strategy

Absolutely! That was a hallmark of the early ones… Randy and Rayven living the DIY mentality in a really cool way. I remember using those Dymo labelers back then, and sticking those labels on everything. Who knew they’d stay stuck for so long?! Randy’s initials and the date 5-3-76 are written on the chassis between the tubes.

Here’s the back on mine:

 

[Dave Merrill]

Absolutely! That was a hallmark of the early ones… Randy and Rayven living the DIY mentality in a really cool way. I remember using those Dymo labelers back then, and sticking those labels on everything. Who knew they’d stay stuck for so long?! Randy’s initials and the date 5-3-76 are written on the chassis between the tubes.

Here’s the back on mine:

View attachment 144152

Like an old friend!
Been quite a while since mine though.

 

[TheOtherDave]

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.

The “when” is “after you hide a few cabs throughout the neighborhood so that nobody knows who to call the cops on”.

 

[Dave Merrill]

Absolutely! That was a hallmark of the early ones… Randy and Rayven living the DIY mentality in a really cool way. I remember using those Dymo labelers back then, and sticking those labels on everything. Who knew they’d stay stuck for so long?! Randy’s initials and the date 5-3-76 are written on the chassis between the tubes.

Here’s the back on mine:

View attachment 144152

What model is that again Rick?
Memories...

 

[Rick]

What model is that again Rick?
Memories...

It’s an original Super 60, later known as the Mark I. I was fortunate to find this one with its original owner, now in his 70s. He’d had it all these years, and decided it was time to pass it on but wanted someone to have it who understood what it was. We talked for a bit, shared some early Boogie stories, and agreed to a very fair price. The original speaker had been changed, but he was amused to find out I had two era-correct Altecs in my closet! “Meant to be” we both decided. I was thrilled to purchase the amp that, were money no object, I would have bought the year I started playing! He was glad for me to have it. The kind of gear experience few ever have.

The amp is shockingly powerful and has an authority in the tone that is smile-inducing. When you think of what the amp world looked like when this came out, you understand why it was such a hit. Like Carlos said, “that little thing really Boogies!’

So it’s a lot of things for me. An incredible amp, certainly. But personally, it’s a portal to a 16 year old me and the way things were in the 70s… never a time like it. And then it’s a legitimate piece of guitar history, as much as any amp out there. I feel fortunate to have it, closing a circle for me that started long ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

So, back to the OP, yeah… Mr Smith and I go back a long way, and I can’t help but wish him the best.

 

[TG3K]

Can you imagine the reaction if the MESA customers if Gibson stated they had to fire the creator MESA. They will never say it! But Ryan Bruce has the insight info of what happened. Randall will not say anything.

Insight info? He's got you fooled. Ryan Bruce is in the business of selling clicks. He sells more clicks by saying Randall was "booted" than he would if he said Randall "retired". Controversy sells. It's as simple as that.

 

[vector]

Absolutely! That was a hallmark of the early ones… Randy and Rayven living the DIY mentality in a really cool way. I remember using those Dymo labelers back then, and sticking those labels on everything. Who knew they’d stay stuck for so long?! Randy’s initials and the date 5-3-76 are written on the chassis between the tubes.

Here’s the back on mine:

View attachment 144152

 

[Rick]

You’re right, but it’s got a lot of music left to make before it retires! Just like it’s happy custodian

 

[rrhoads17]

Didn’t Soldano have a big falling out with Randall because he claimed the Dual Rectifier preamp circuit was identical to the SLO circuit? I always found that a bit dubious because they don’t sound anything alike.

 

[Bruce Sokolovic]

As if I needed another reason to not like Gibson. The balls it takes to fire him from Mesa, I just do not get it. Why? Keep him on as a consultant until he retires officially. What good did this do other than get people to NOT like your brand even more? Is anyone saying “hey, check it out, they fired Randall Smith. Let’s go out and buy everything gibson”? All this did is hurt the name more than building shoddy Les Pauls for a decade or better. ehhh, whatever. No dog in the fight because I’m never buying another Les Paul anyway. Or KRK for that matter because their customer service SUCKS.

 

[Joe Bfstplk]

Didn’t Soldano have a big falling out with Randall because he claimed the Dual Rectifier preamp circuit was identical to the SLO circuit? I always found that a bit dubious because they don’t sound anything alike.

The circuit architecture is very similar, as is one of the Peavey amps whose preamp was borrowed and placed in their TubeFEX preamp/processor. Small parts value changes can make a big difference in the amp's sound, as can output transformer specs, power supply specs, etc.

 

[magooch]

I used to play an older Mesa fairly frequently. I think it was a Mark IIB, as best I can recall. 1x12 combo, No EQ sliders, EVM12L speaker, felt like it weighed 100lbs and was unbelievably LOUD.

Probably my favorite amp I've ever played. I know most people tend to associate Mesa with their gain sounds (and not without good reason) but that was the best clean tone I've ever heard!

 

[Domct203]

As if I needed another reason to not like Gibson. The balls it takes to fire him from Mesa, I just do not get it. Why? Keep him on as a consultant until he retires officially. What good did this do other than get people to NOT like your brand even more? Is anyone saying “hey, check it out, they fired Randall Smith. Let’s go out and buy everything gibson”? All this did is hurt the name more than building shoddy Les Pauls for a decade or better. ehhh, whatever. No dog in the fight because I’m never buying another Les Paul anyway. Or KRK for that matter because their customer service SUCKS.

While I’m not exactly pleased that Randall sold to Gibson, there is no proof that he was ‘fired’ other than some YouTube influencers or online forums stating such. Randall is 80, and surely sold Mesa so he could finally retire.

As long as ‘Tone Boy’ Doug West is still on board I would think that the ‘Mesa Tone’ and Randall’s legacy will continue.

There are also photo’s shared by John Petrucci of a recent ‘celebration’ for Randall, and with the timing I’d say it was a retirement party without calling it such.

Since there are no official statements either way, it’s all speculative.

 

[Bruce Sokolovic]

While I’m not exactly pleased that Randall sold to Gibson, there is no proof that he was ‘fired’ other than some YouTube influencers or online forums stating such. Randall is 80, and surely sold Mesa so he could finally retire.

As long as ‘Tone Boy’ Doug West is still on board I would think that the ‘Mesa Tone’ and Randall’s legacy will continue.

There are also photo’s shared by John Petrucci of a recent ‘celebration’ for Randall, and with the timing I’d say it was a retirement party without calling it such.

Since there are no official statements either way, it’s all speculative.

They will either mothball or ruin Mesa, guaranteed. It is just a matter of time. They’re king Midas in reverse. Everything they touch turns to shit.

Just to be clear, with all the damage control they’ve done in the past decade to make themselves look a little less shitty, they’d just let the firing of Randall Smith rumor float on the way it is if there was no truth to it? The damage control they attempted to do over it doesnt say they didnt fire him.