Mesa Boogie: The Short History, featuring John Cordy and Fluff
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- Опубліковано 15 чер 2021
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The story of Mesa Boogie is both familiar and yet inspiring. Like many others, Randall Smith took his aptitude for electronics and mixed it with his love for music to create a company. The story took many turns he never imagined and many that I had never known before doing my research.
Thanks for watching.
Keith
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I worked at Mesa/Boogie 1989-92. I was final check /quality control , head of packing . That little card comes with every Boogie ,that's signed off by someone doing quality control on down the line , I was the last guy to sign before we boxed them up . I was there for the Mark 1 reissue , the Mark 4, and the Rectifier , these were all in heavy production when I was there . It was fun times . I was in a band called Colorfinger at the time (it later turned into Everclear, I was the drummer) this is how cool Boogie was, when we went on tour while I was working there they gave all the guys in the band free amps of their choice to use while we toured .
Cool! Say 'Ela' to Artie! \m/
Music used to be so much cooler.
Hell yeah. I’m starting there today.
Well thats cool. I'll have to check my Mark I reissue tag!
Cool story mate. I've got an F-50 which I got in 2005 and it's still going strong.
They told me my addiction to Mesa Boogies was frivolous, unwise and also taking up too much space in the house, but now who is laughing?
Your cramped living space.
@@18JR78 spaces can't laugh
@@18JR78 actually Kevin Spacey can. I was wrong
They're laughing, John.
@@johnnathancordy , sure, spaces can laugh, or scream, but in a vacuum, nobody can hear it.....
O.K. we are going way back. 1980-1981. Something like that. My older brother had just got a Mesa Boogie S.O.B. 1x12 combo. And he compared it to his Marshall stack. It was just as loud or louder than the Marshall stack. I was in the local stationary store a few days later and was reading a guitar and amp magazine. On the cover. "Interview with Randall Smith of Mesa Boogie". One of the first questions the interviewer asked him was "Why are your amps so loud?". Randall Smith answers "Because I don't lie on my specs". "If I tell you that you are getting 60 watts - you are getting a full 60 watts!"
As a teenager, I bought several amps, and then returned them. In desperation, I saved up all my summer job money and sent it to Petaluma for a Mark 2B. It finally arrived, when I plugged in, my hair stood on end. I still have it. Recapped it during quarantine. It still sounds awesome.
Sounds like a grounding issue
@@JavaoftheLava 😂😂
That's awesome, I hope to still have my Dual Rectifier many years from now. Once I finally became an adult I was able to purchase one, it was my dream amp as a teenager.
Hope you sent it back to its father Mike Bendinelli. He just redid two Mark iii blue stripes for me and OMGOSH - Epic tone!
I have a mark 4. The volume suddenly dropped off significantly. Its is now very much quieter than before. I can turn it all the way up with bedroom levels. All channels are reduced but the r1 and r2 are the worst. The tubes are all good. Have replaced them all. Does anyone know what the issue is? Transformer? Caps? I don't have the 600 mesa wants for a bench test and repairs. Please any input would be appreciated.
Today, I’m going to be productive…
*UA-cam notification of the Mesa Boogie Short History*
Annnndddd productivity is gone
plan B: learn more than you ever imagined about Boogie and space out...
As a bass player, the Mesa Boogie Subway line is absolutely outstanding.
My son is a budding producer who is also a bass player. He has lots of excellent bass gear among which is a 300Watt Messa bass head. He loves it.
Back in the early 70’s I aquired a boogie schematic but being broke I decided to build my own and started collecting parts . I bent my own chassis and bought a couple punches for the tube holes. My big problem was getting the output, power, and choke transformers !!! So I wrote boogie and told them what I was doing and would they sell me the transformers. They said they would and gave me a very reasonable price which I jumped on . I received the transformers and in a couple weeks had my own home built boogie in a small footprint open back enclosure I built out of plywood. It worked and sounded great . I never forgot the favor they gave me and now own a bunch of boogies as payback !!!! A great amp and a great company !!!
My Mesa Boogie "ha-ha!" moment was James Hetfield's MONSTER tone on the "And Justice for All" tour. It just ripped my young head off and I became obsessed with chasing that tone. So nasty on its own when "Blackened" began, but absolutely amazing in the mix when the rest of the band kicked in.
To this day the Dual Rec is still my all-time favorite amplifier. Ever.
The rest of the band (minus bass) kicked in.
Amazingly, James' tone came from his fingers, but was suulemented by two major factors. My friend Randy's amps, and EMG pickups, made by my good friend Rob Turner, who, ironically, as with Randy, is not a guitar player! Rob's a drummer, while Randy is a keyboard player these days, but he played alto sax & flute in his days in the Forest Knolls garage when we played together in amazing jams at the local watering hole in Lagunitas, CA.
Never stop what you're doing Keith. I've learned so much from this channel. You're the best.
Agreed.
Any of the Mesa gear I’ve tried or owned could be summed up in a single word: stellar.
Did I dream the existence of the Triple Crown? Definitely deserves at least a brief mention.
What I love about Mesa is the sheer versatility of tones you get from one amp.
I got a Mark V in 2010 and I’m still finding “sweet spots” in all the modes, amazing amp👌
One of the Best Five watt World....you should make a Marshall Edition like this one...
There are no videos as good as yours on vintage gear, nobody dives as deep into what you really need to know in only a half and hour. Well done as always.
Many UA-camrs garner the viewer’s attention whereas you sir, have garnered the viewer’s respect. Please keep up the fantastic work!
Excellent Hypes! There still one Mesa I need it get. I’m looking for it right now :)
Hi rick!
Greetings Mr B . . Which one might that be?
I’m sure you’ll find it. Finding rare gear is definitely one of your fortes.
Hey Rick, John Hiatt is putting a bunch of gear up on Reverb in a week or two ---- dunno if he's got a Boogie but he's got a blonde Bandmaster and some Perfectly Good Guitars, and who knows what else (maybe one of his Telecasters?).....and when will you do a "what makes this song great?" episode about a John Hiatt song?
He will tell you when he finds it!
My first guitar teacher had a Boogie in 1976, living in the bay area. I purchased a '68 Princeton Reverb/ JBL D-110 on his recommendation from the Prune Music shop in Mill Valley, where they had some amazing tech setting up the amps for a lot of local players.
I'm a Big fan of Mesa Boogie for years. I'm 60. I bought a brand new Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier. Years ago. Omg Loved it. Got involved with a buxom chicky babe. Decided to sell it and move closer to her. What a big mistake!! Uggh. Now I can't afford it. If I make enough money, I'd definitely buy another one. Great Quality. Love Mesa Boogie. Take care ❤️🙏💯👍😎👌🎸🎸. ( Mesa,. Fender, Marshall ,. Hughes and Kettner, and Randall are some of my favorites)
Excellent video Keith! My first real tube amp was a Mark IV, that I got when I was 13. It stayed with me well into my 30's - what a workhorse. A few years ago I got to tour the factory in Petaluma with some friends, and even got a peek into Randall's workshop. Twas a great experience.
mine too. can totally hear u playing a markIV, rj. i miss mine-had it for 30 years. finally traded it in to help pay for my kid’s drums. it was heavy as f tho. but the tone from those 3 channels was to die for.
Hey R.J. love your playing and general attitude! All the Best man you deserve it.
I got a Boogie 50 Cal combo when I was sixteen and stopped lugging my Marshall stack all over L.A. It was such a relief! That thing was so loud. I gigged with it for years. It was a heavy amp, but with it's Celestion a lot lighter than the Mark III combo I almost bought which had an EV and castors. It was a simpler amp to operate, not that I didn't understand the Marks which I did. I just knew I'd be dialing and using this or that push-pull and the time so the fact that the 50 Cal was two rather than three channels was a good thing for me. That amp really cut through any mix, live or recording, and I loved gigging with it. The thing got me so many compliments on my sound and soundmen at clubs were relieved to see me and the combo because I wasn't gonna be some primadonna with a stack and 4X12 cabs trying to find the perfect sweet spot. It meant and could setup and breakdown a lot quicker, and as was my habit I always helped the drummer setup and breakdown their kit because I took no time at all once the mic was placed where the soundman wanted it.
@@jeremyversusjazz Me 3. I ordered a MKIV (you could only by factory direct at the time) and it was my first "real amp". It was literally instant gratification thanks to the settings quick guide they provided - and still provide, as seen with my new MK5:25, which is also a great lil amp, typical of Boogie...Am a Boogie fanboy for sure.
@@jeremyversusjazz That is why they build furniture dollies. We aren’t spry young bucks any longer.
Gary Moore recorded Parisian walkways with a 59 LP into a Boogie mkI enough said.
Is that the guitar called Greenie? Kirk Hammett owns it now. Was owned by Peter Green from Fleetwood Mac initially. Some lineage.
@@DevRSVR That’s the one!
Just wow! I knew nothing of these amps. Now I want 7 of them. Thanks Keith!
I have the honor & privilege of being friends with Randy Smith since the Prune Music and "Garage" days, when, oddly enough, he was playing Alto Sax back then (he's now playing mainly keyboard).
He and many other good friends played together in a big jam session at our local watering hole every Friday & Saturday, and whoever was not playing gigs showed up. Those were amazing times!
A few luminaries were also involved, such as Elvin Bishop, members of the Turk Murphy Band, and loads of great players from all over the country that happened to be in town for concerts & shows.
Randy, of course, was a regular, and when the bar had to close at 2am, we would frequently go up to Randy's place to continue after hours.
He had an original Gibson ES 150 "Charlie Christian" that I usually claimed, and us guitarists had a choice of Boogies to use.
I don't see Randy so often any more, but when we do get together, we have a wonderful time talking about those days when Boogie amps were built in his old garage.
He's a great guy (as are all his long time employees, including Mike Bendenelli, Doug West, et al)
Brad Gillis deserved mention here. His tone from I believe a Mark ii on Ozzys Speak of the Devil album took the Sabbath songs to a new level IMO. Still one of the best live sounds I've heard.
I heard him say, iirc, that it was two mark II c amps, separated by a 10 millisecond delay on Speak of the Devil
John Sykes made me fall in love with Mesa, that tone is unique
Hey Keith, excellent video. I saw Santana at Madison Sq. Garden in 1978. The band actually took a break during the show. After the break, Carlos came out on the stage with his guitar, and a roadie followed him pushing a cart with two Mesa Boogie on it!!! I had only seen Mesa Boogie amps in Guitar Player magazine. The band jumped into "Biala Mi Hermana", Carlos scorched the house with that solo section, WOW!!!!! Carlos blew the house down that night.
I'm late to the party but thought I'd share that I inherited a 1979 Mark II from my musical partner-in-crime who died from ALS last year. I just had it re-capped and it sounds FANTASTIC. It's a trip to pull the amp out of the cabinet and see the handwritten notes on the aluminum in magic marker along with the date it left production. The amp was built before Mesa used serial numbers. A groundbreaking amp that's up there will the great pioneering amps of the 60s and 70s.
I´ve had and played many amps in more than 30 years...Nothing beats a Boogie...
“Beefy Keith” and the 5watts ..... now, that’s the name 🤘👍🤷♂️
Keith Beith the Behemoth
It's always a magical day when Keith releases a Short History video! This was no exception - entertaining and super informative. I've said it before, and it's true, that Keith has become our Ken Burns for gear nerds everywhere. Bravo!
I love these videos and I was so psyched to see Jonathan Cordy, one of my favorite UA-cam players. Not a ton a subscribers but regardless is an absolutely amazing player and a master of legato. Glad he is getting noticed. Keith, way to expose a great player somewhat under the radar! I’ve been watching this channel from the first video and you’ve always been a super humble guy so I’m not surprised you’re willing to help others. Maybe a brief history of Soldano next…??? 🤷🏻♂️
Not next but he’s on the list. Johns become a real inspiration to me. Huge fan of his playing and video “style.”
This video is a 'repeat viewing' top-tier production. Massive respect for the research, preparation and presentation.
No doubt! There's so much research in Keith's videos, you're bombarded with facts & history through from start to finish, and as you say well presented with a top-notch soundtrack.
Great video! It’s easy (for me at least) to forget that Mesa has present at almost as many legendary moments in musical history as the more established brands of Fender/Marshall/Vox etc. And they’ve reinvented themselves many times to suit the changes in music and demands of musicians through the years while continually innovating. No small achievement.
The Dual Rectifier has a secret number 39… thank you Soldano
As a technician I never enjoyed repairing them much.
I own a boogie late 70's that go's from 60 to 80 and to 100 watts with 4 pull out knobs and 5 slider eq. None of the band's I played in could take the volume it's that loud. Not sure but I believe it was a special build for the sailing song guy who sold it to his cousin who sold it to me. Send my wife out shopping when ever I feel like earthquaking the hood. God bless n rock on my brothers n sisters.
Keith: you don't need much to play guitar
Also Keith: let me tell you about all this God gear
I’ve been a professional drummer since I was 17 ( 43 years ago. ) I’m a guitar geek and own around 25 guitars. I was 17 when visiting my cousin, he put in an 8-track tape of Moon Flower. It was a transcending moment that I still remember as if it was yesterday ! I just got my Messa totally redone at their factory.., Boogie indeed !
Ever since early teen years in the late 80ies I lusted after Boogies. Picked up brochures from the local music store and day-dreamt about being able to own one of these amps. Later in adult life used a 20/20, DC-5 (for a long time), Studio 22, TA-15 (the only one I was not too happy with the build quality), 3-ch. Dual Rectifier (regret selling this one) and lately am very happy with an old caliber 50+ head next to my trusty Studio 22. I tried many other amps, but there is just something in the Mesa-Tone & flexibility in all its forms that I keep gravitating to. Thank you Mesa!
Great history of Boogie...they were coveted by my poor (monetarily challenged) playing friends in Arizona and Southern Cal in the early 70s.
The Moon Flower album is what inspired me to get a Boogie (Mark IIC+ that I still own to this day) It has always given me the sound I hear in my head.
The creamy tone John Cordy is getting from his MKIII sounds very much like the Dumble tones guitarists seem to be chasing.
Loved the video. You covered a lot of territory here. I have owned 3 Boogies. I had a Mark III Simul-Class combo, purchased in 1996 and sold in 2016. I have an Express 5:25+ and I just bought a Fillmore 50 combo a week ago. You got most of their amps in the video. Conspicuously absent were the Heartbreaker and the Express series.
Saw Walter Trout live in Aarhus, Denmark in 1989. I was just starting out on guitar and the sound of his Mesa Boogie on a small club stage was life changing.
I Picked up a Rectoverb 50 on a whim for $500. Glad I did. Has been my main amp for two years. So versatile. Power scaling is great! Very under rated!
WOW….. you stole it!!
@@slowwwwBurnnnn813 I did. Have not played one but I hear the 25 is better. Rock on . Hope nothing but good things come your way !
I have the 25w Dual Rec combo! Best versatile amp I’ve played from Heavy, Blues, to clean tones! What my ears prefer anyways. Cheers
I especially love that Steve Kimock got a mention. Not only an incredible Boogie player but he worked for Randy and Boogie.
My Mesa experience was replacing the entire tube set in a 1965 Twin Reverb with a Mesa Engineerring set….AWESOME!!!
I’ve owned a lot of amps, but the most magical amp I’ve ever owned was a Mesa mkiib. I just couldn’t stop playing it. I’d tell myself that the was done playing and then I’d just play a couple more notes just to hear the amp. I’d then be stuck there for hours just intoxicated by the sound. I eventually traded that amp and have owned several mesas since then. Rectos, Mkiv and is still have a mark iii blue stripe. But none of those have the magic of that mkiib. It was literally magical to me.
The Mesa Mark V has been my only amp for the past 11 years. It does everything really well. As we evolve as musicians, our tastes may shift and change, and it is an amazing feeling to be able to discover new tones from a single amp that has been a companion for so long. Thank you again for all of your great well-researched content. You love what you do and it shows.
The Mark V does it all
My magic moment was hearing Mark Knopfler playing a Schecter Dream Machine through a Mesa Boogie MKIIB In 1983. It just soared. The only amp that maybe got close to the tone was his SLO100 but it was a different beast, and a different sound.
I think the SLO is just a better rectifier. Or the rectifier is a worst SLO hahahaha. The SLO is. Rectifier that doesn't need a TS in front of it.
@@douglhorvath 😃 the recto is actually partly stolen from the SLO circuit…..both great
I bought my Super Sixty (Mark II?) foot-switchable Boogie in 1980, after hearing Santana’s Moonflower. The guitar sound of the song Europa, in particular, blew my mind. My son still plays that amp on tour and locally in Richmond, VA. I bought that amp via mail order while living in Manhattan. I’ll never forget the trip out to JFK airport to pick that sucker up. Changed my musical life.
I lived and moved down to Orange County, went down to Costa Mesa, when I heard about their grand opening mesa boogie, and that very day, Carlos Santana came down to pick up his first mesa boogie. He played his white, Les Paul custom through it through a few of us, Patreon standing around I got to have a small conversation with him and he turned me onto norms, rare guitar in reseda. And subsequently after that one time I went over and I met Norm and I bought a 1955 gold pop from him. Fun memories
Santana was one of those players that grabbed me by the ear as a young kid. I’m beginning to have a strong distaste for the sound of humbucker guitars, really finding it grating on me unless it’s Santana or zappa. Love this one, I learn so much from your channel.
I have owned many Mesa amps. Mark III, Blue Angel, Maverick, Lone Star Special. Loved them all. They never let me down and always delivered the goods. Great video, many thanks. It brought back many good memories.
Wow - i had a similar experience with "Moonflower". That endless sustain seemed a Santana hallmark, and I always wondered where it came from. Now I know.
I've a Lonestar and love it. My dad has a Princeton and it sounds amazing with a BK Butler Tube Driver in front of it. As a kid playing in bands I always wanted a Boogie but couldn't afford one. Have a good selection of amps, but nothing beats the Lonestar for me. Thanks for the great videos.
Next: "A *Long* History Of Mesa Boogie" ---- the collected stories of all the Mesa Boogie amps that landed on a service technicians' bench ---- and stayed there. Or ended up in storage next to it, or under it....
The Guitologist approves this comment.
I've never owned a Boogie, but the guitarist in my last band (I played bass there) had one and it sounded massive. Great tone.
Izzy Stradlin used a markIIc+ on Appetite for Destruction with Mesa 4x12 with celestions on top and electro voice speakers on the bottom as the rythym guitar sound. Wicked tone. Slash and Izz! Cool vid🤘
All 5WW videos are amazing and informative.... but that went above and beyond. As always, thank you for all the research and hard work preparing these videos.
Thank you for creating this very informative short history on Mesa amps! I just want to make a honorary mention of one very famous user - namely John Sykes on Whitesnake‘s 1987 album. He used a Mesa Mk-2c Coliseum (six!! 6L6 in the Power section). Kudos for mentioning Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy!
When i was a kid my dad had a mesa mark iic combo and i thought it was such a piece of shit could only get clean tones from that thing and distortion pedals just didnt sound good. Then one day im playing and hes messing with the knobs and he pulls them to engage the lead channel, i didnt know they did that. I love this thing now.
See. This is why Keith is the best. He even included Buckethead. Thanks, Keith! 🙏❤️🎸
Truth be told that was Perry. :)
@@fivewattworld hey... That's just as well. 😉 Thanks again for all that you guys do! 🙏
Once again, thank you Keith. We love what you do! Thanks to all the contributors!
I've got a 50cal very underrated Amp. Also very efficient and loud
Terrific Episode Keith!!! We've had a MKIII and a Lonestar in the family for almost 3 decades combined. Love your videos and channel, keep makin' em' we'll watch more!!
Great video! I got my first Boogie in around 1982. I got to speak directly with Randall Smith when I ordered it and also his wife who I think worked in the office. I was blown away that you could talk directly with the people who made the amp. I ordered a MarkII B and when I received the amp they sent me a MarkII C. They included a letter explaining that they were transitioning to the newer model and sent me it instead. It was a tone machine. I gigged a lot with that amp but unfortunately sold it sometime in the 90's. I've used other Boogies over the years but still miss that one. Mesa Engineering was a great company and people to do business with.
YES!!! John Cordy is the real deal! 🔥🔥🔥 Ended up keeping my Dual Rectifier because of the tones John gets from his Mesas.
I am a proud owner of an F50 Combo with the Black Shadow Celestion. This amp kills! Unbelievable tone and power when needed. And please don’t forget Andy Timmons uses Mesa’s exclusively!
Cowboy Junkies?
My first proper tube amp was a Mesa Rectoverb 25 combo. It cuts through the mix like a switchblade , and triggers jealousy and occasionally rage from other guitarists when I sit in. I've never had to turn up the master past 10 (o'clock!). You MUST turn it up to get THAT famous Mesa tone and sustain. The thing is waaaay too loud for anything but practicing in soundproof studios or live performance in front of a couple of hundred people. Using it at bar small gigs is an anti-social act. Don't expect to be invited back. Even on it's 10 watt setting. I used to wait until everyone left my office in a self storage facilit to play that puppy in anger. The rats fled the building in terror, leaving me with an audience of cockroaches. I still have that amp, and it still sounds epic. It's the sort of thing that tells other musicians you are serious about your tone - and being heard. If you are thinking of buying one, remember: Mesas are boutique thoroughbreds - Not the sort of thing you wanna gig with unless you have a security detail watching it like a hawk, and don't care how much beer and vomit get spilled on it, or how many times the speaker grill gets kicked in. For gigging I use a solid state Boss Katana , which gets me 97% of the Mesa's tone and 85% of it's playing feel - at whatever volume I like, at 1/10th the replacement cost of my primo amp.
How do you get rectifier tone on a boss katana?
@@juggy2112 You F* with the knobs on top of it.
When I was attending the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque on a Saturday night I saw this band in the student union building called Traveler. I just watched them set up and saw this blonde guy who did not look like a rocker at all with the small amp on the stage. On top of that he was playing a BC Rich guitar. The band finally started playing and wow that little amp was loud. The guy who was playing had already mastered his craft and guitar. At that time I only knew three songs with my guild blues bird, play that funky music white boy, funk 49 and locomotive breath. The guitarist and band play locomotive breath but not exactly like Jethro Tull, he had his own style. This guitarist went on to join up with Rick Springfield and everyone in the music industry know him as Tim Pierce. We were both 19 at that time. This was my introduction to the Boogie and Tim.
Fast forward during the Iran hostage crisis during my navy days I was forward deployed to an island called Diego Garcia. While we were waiting for Ronald Reagan’s inauguration there was a USO show Bob Hope was hosting. The guitarist was playing a Boogie. This thing was definitely loud enough for us in the outdoor movie theater and all the way to the road going to the air strip on it’s clean setting which I remember had a unique sweet chime to it’s tone. Unmistakably it was a Mesa boogie which stood out on its own.
Moonflower was a pivotal album for me growing up and I had no idea about the Boogie connection. Now I sit here mourning the fact that the Son of Boogie I now have was not mentioned and that I repaired to working order with limited knowledge. I plan to increase my knowledge off amp repair and mod this thing into a monster amp. Thanks for this video!
No mention of the 5:50 Express? The only amplifier that I have ever bought, immediately after playing through it at a guitar store. I absolutely love it.
I have the express 5:50+ with the graphic. Very amazing amp, versatile ,loud or soft, love it , but I would like a mark V
Hey, my model didn't get a mention either... lighten up lol😉
I have a 5:25 Express that I love.
I have a 5:50 Express 2x12 as well. Shame they didn't mention the series
Great amps as well.
I’ve been playing a subway rocket for several years now that I bought second hand. 2 channel 1x10 with tone stack toggle. EL84s and 12ax7. The subway series seems to sneak under the radar and are sleeper amps.
I'm still using a Studio 22 I bought in 1990.
Had a few repairs but still my favourite amp.
Proud owner of a TransAtlantic 2x12 combo and Rectoverb 25 head with a matching 2x12 vertical cab. Love my Mesas.
Fascinating stuff Keith. Thank-you. They’ve always had a bit too many knobs and switches for my liking but I appreciate that better players than me can get the most out of them.
Your awesome! Thank you for taking the time to do these history of videos. I can learn so much in a short amount of time.
Wow this is great info and I always loved Boogies from the first day I heard Keith Richards pronounce Messsa Boooooowwwwwgeeeee ! Long story short I bought a boogie head ( older silmu class ) off Dave Minehan back in 1989 at his house in Upton, Ma. fast forward 26 years later I ran into him in Los Angeles, Ca. before one of the Replacements reunion shows at the Palladium and he remembered that Boogie Head and how he regrets ever selling it, he wished he had it back, sad thing is i eventually sold it too. Love your work, Peace !
What a treat. When I got to Seattle in 92 I had a Mesa/Boogie studio pre and a "..the spirit of art in engineering." bumper sticker on my 82' Toyota Corolla. It was my identity.
Moonflower featured the best Carlos tone ever imho :)
Keith - yet another stellar Short History. Amazing how much quality content you got into just over 27 minutes. I feel dumb at how little I knew about Mesa - thanks so much for filling in so many gaps in my knowledge.
I had two Mark III in the 80/90s, loved them. There's still a Quad Preamp here.
Heh-heh... Symphony for the devil. 🤭
You have some cool collaborations. This was a gem. I'll have to watch a third time to glean more of the details. The first two, I was focused on the sounds of the amps in the demo. Brilliant audio production, btw. The Boogies were game-changers for many of my friends in the 80's.
Thank you so much for working hard on these videos! I was waiting for this one lol-
I think one of the best all time recorded tones is Rivers Cuomo on Weezer's Blue Album - he used a Mark I Boogie head for the entire session and a Les Paul Special double-cut to achieve some of the thickest and most harmonic crunch tones ever. He used this combination again on Pinkerton and on the Green album and even busted the Mesa out for their Van Weezer album. Tim Mahoney of 311 and Mike Einziger of Incubus were huge Mesa guys in the 90s, Mike especially relied on the Rectifiers and Tremoverbs. Pretty sure Nick Hexum of 311 is now a Mesa user, even though Tim no longer plays them exclusively.
my roadking has always been my number one Amp ever since high school!
Great video! I'd love to see a history of orange amps next!
Never considered a boogie before. Definitely need to try em out
I owned an early MK I with the press on labels and used it as my main amp on many recording sessions in the 70s and 80s and had it on the road with Maynard Ferguson for a while. I wish I had that amp back!!! Also used a Randall Smith modified Princeton (with a 12" speaker) on a record which was amazing. I've always requested Mark series Boogies when on the road.
I got a Mark III c series in the late 80's in NY and then moved to San Francisco. I needed it cleaned up so I drove to Petaluma to Mesa/Boogie and Randall Smith himself "modded" it while I waited. It sounded awesome and I still have it to this day. I have vintage Fender, VOX, Ampeg amps - but still find that my Boogie is a go to to certain tones - especially clean funk and focused crunch.
Best guitar channel on youtube.
While i realize you’re a guitar guy, doing videos covering bass equipment like Mesa’s bass amps would be fantastic. I have a Mesa 400+ all tube bass amp and it is a punchy, articulate, LOUD, kick-ass machine!
Same, greatest bass amp ever made, although even playing arenas it has never been above 2 , ITS SOOOOO LOUD
@@Mrpsblobsoflowendmung I have a Mesa Bass 400 that I bought brand new in 91 with a 1-15 cabinet. I used it for years and it always sounded great. I rarely use it any more now have a subway 800 and walkabout. But it is one great sounding amp. I used a 400+ once on a big stage and I thought it was too loud but it sounded fantastic...
It's funny to hear people talking about 400 watt bass anything. I have a 100 watt fender bass amp, and it will knock shit off my neighbor's wall. I play it at 25% when I want to redo my own wall art.
@@joshingtonbarthsworth631 I don't know how old you are but 30-40 years ago that was the norm. PA's were not as good as now.
@@stevehazlewood2960 Well, I'm in my mid 30s and very late to playing music. My current band is in the "garage" phase but it still just cracks me up to think about playing at 200 watts. I fully understand where it's needed...I started as a guitar player and still laugh at how my fender twin can get the cops called at like a 3-5. Or how my 100 watt rumble gets complaints at half way.
Hell I was at a show this week where if they would've turned only the vocals up on the PA and let the "small" Amps go, it would've sounded better. I dunno. It's just wild to me. You can be loud as fuck with minimal effort or gear.
Another gem! Truly a fantastic and inspiring story.
I ordered a Boogie in 77. After a long wait, I called for status. Randy’s wife told me the Mark I was discontinued, and they will send a Mark II. I got it with one 15” EVM speaker. Still have it and only replaced power switch. I actually still have Sylvania tubes and fettron.
Keith: I am not a guitar nerd, but I have a son who is. He can go on for hours talking about the fine differences that either a guitar, an amp, or a pedal can make on the sounds that are produced. You help me to relate, enjoy, and be a part of his world. Thank you.
Another great short history the guitar player who put me on to Mesa amps is Woody Weatherman of corrosion of conformity
What about Pepper's 50 Caliber, the best amp ever.
@@bubasknr good point
Well done as always Keith, and thank you. Surprised that as thoroughly as you researched this topic , that no mention was made of the .22 Caliber combo, dual EL-84 amp
Or the 50 calibre. I gig with mine regularly and love it. Super reliable and decent tone.
And no mention of F-Series, especially The wonderfull F-30 when a little bit tweaked with 12AT7 on V1 slot...
I'm still loving my F 50 that I've had for about 15 years.
Thank you for the SkillShare hookup!
Awesome video! You didn't even touch on the bass amps, of course that'd be a whole separate video 😉 (I'm a Mesa bass amp fan; I have been since I plugged into my first one in the late 90s)
It would be.