Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: lbpesq on January 06, 2021, 12:21:00 PM

Title: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: lbpesq on January 06, 2021, 12:21:00 PM
Well, Mesa Boogie isn’t completely dead.   Gibson bought them ... they’re just in Purgatory!

May the Four Winds Blow You Safely Home

Bill, tgo
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: gtrguy on January 06, 2021, 12:21:57 PM
Wow! And here I just sold my 2 vintage MKIII's.
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: StefanieJones on January 06, 2021, 05:53:21 PM
Isn't a chance to stay alive a good thing?
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: FC Bass on January 06, 2021, 07:42:09 PM
Our pre Gibson collection :-)

(http://fcbass.nl/pregibsoncollection.jpg)
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on January 06, 2021, 09:59:00 PM
Isn't a chance to stay alive a good thing?

Not when you consider the fate - quality-wise and longevity-wise - of once-great names that have "joined the Gibson family of brands."  Epiphone was once Gibson's biggest competitor, and lost that standing not because their instruments were inferior to Gibson's (they most certainly were not), but because when Epaminondas "Epi" Stathopoulos died, it turned out his brothers lacked his business acumen.  Now Epiphone mostly makes cheaper versions of Gibson models - and of all the brands Gibson has acquired, they've fared the best.

Peter
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: jacko on January 07, 2021, 12:41:15 AM
Gibson took over Trace Elliot, ruined the product then sold them over to Peavey. They did the same to Tobias, churning out inferior instruments then turning them over to epiphone.  Nothing good will come of this. I'm lucky I already have more Mesa Boogie kit than I'll ever need.

Graeme
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: lbpesq on January 07, 2021, 01:26:37 AM
I got myself a Mark III Combo when I graduated law school.  Imbuya cab with the cane grill.  Weighed a ton.  I later added a matching Thiele cab.   I played it for years.  Also had the “holy grail” Mark IIC+ head.   But when I started playing Alembics, it seemed they just didn’t get along with the Boogies.  My Electrum, then Series I, just seemed to sound better through a Fender voiced amp.   Eventually sold all my Boogies, including a TA-15.

Bill, tgo
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: paulman on January 07, 2021, 04:31:18 AM
Gibson messed up Steinberger too.  However the recent Gibson brand Epiphone made (Korea) Spirits have been very nice.
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: mario_farufyno on January 07, 2021, 06:44:04 AM
Our pre Gibson collection :-)

Nice!!!
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: mario_farufyno on January 07, 2021, 06:46:37 AM
The 400+ is one of the most pleasant amps that I've ever got a chance to use, that's sad.
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: Glynn on January 07, 2021, 04:05:09 PM
I believe Fender dabbled with GenzBenz but thankfully Jeff Genzler started up again with Genzler.  I have GB and G products and also Bergantino and had a lovely reply from Jeff Genzler about a question only this week.  Also had a great reply from Holly Bergantino about something this week - Jim Bergantino was similar some months ago.  The so called "smaller companies" are still offering a personal service which gives me great hope and a nice feeling.
Glynn
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: rv_bass on January 07, 2021, 04:30:53 PM
Wow, that’s one impressive den of low end FC!  :)
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: peoplechipper on January 08, 2021, 12:38:38 AM
Fender's been doing the same thing and destroying good brands, although they somehow didn't ruin Gretsch...
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: BeenDown139 on January 08, 2021, 04:44:08 AM
Quote
Isn't a chance to stay alive a good thing?Isn't a chance to stay alive a good thing?

I suppose, but without your dangly bits, what's the point?

FWIW my last rack setup was a stereo all-tube rig i built to accommodate my series basses with an F2-B on top and a mesa-boogie stereo tube power amp at the bottom to give it some ooomph.  Heavy as heck but even the guitar players noticed how good it sounded 😎
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: gearhed289 on January 08, 2021, 07:39:21 AM
Fender's been doing the same thing and destroying good brands, although they somehow didn't ruin Gretsch...

They killed Hamer, which seemed incredibly stupid. They own the company that made better "Gibsons" than Gibson - their biggest competitor - and they kill it off. Genius!  ::)
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on January 08, 2021, 08:33:38 AM
Fender's been doing the same thing and destroying good brands, although they somehow didn't ruin Gretsch...

Guild had some tense moments, but they have escaped from Fender & fully recovered.

They own the company that made better "Gibsons" than Gibson - their biggest competitor - and they kill it off.

The company that makes better Gibsons than Gibson?  That would be Heritage.

Peter
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: bigredbass on January 09, 2021, 05:18:16 AM
"I'm 75 years-old and still at work every day,"

At that age (and I'll soon be 66), HOW LONG do you get to wait until you can walk away, smell the roses, and enjoy a life after one hell of a career? I can understand this from Randall Smith completely. No matter how wonderful a job is, at some point, you just want to be out from under the day to day churn and burn, I'd think especially so after FIFTY YEARS on a job.

I also was told in no uncertain terms by a serious pro guitarist who doubles as a floor manager for a big guitar store here in Nashville who'd be the first to pooh-pooh Gibson, that the Gibsons they get in these days are the best they've ever seen, by far.

I'm a former Gibson Nashville employee, and these are the 'post Henry J' days, thank goodness.  What a piece of work !

So, I hope for the best.
Title: Re: R.I.P. Mesa Boogie
Post by: StefanieJones on January 09, 2021, 07:55:30 AM

I also was told in no uncertain terms by a serious pro guitarist who doubles as a floor manager for a big guitar store here in Nashville who'd be the first to pooh-pooh Gibson, that the Gibsons they get in these days are the best they've ever seen, by far.



My brother bought a new Les Paul and it had problems in the first month after buying it. One of the pots stopped working. Then they couldn't get the part for two more months.  May be a one off, but I'd think if the pots on other guitars came from the same batch there may be more guitars with the same problem. I tried to tell him not to buy new in the first place but he wanted to relive his glory days...