Gibson confirms departure of Mesa/Boogie founder Randall Smith

[Xpensive Wino]

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Mesa/Boogie began as a small amplifier repair shop and was founded 55 years ago in 1969, in Mill Valley, CA by Smith who simultaneously respected and improved the vintage classics with his inventions. Smith’s ear for tone, passion for tube technology, and vision for building handcrafted high-performance amplifiers continues to redefine how we experience sound.

Beginning at Prune Music in Northern California, Smith reconfigured amplifiers for more sound and power for all the great San Francisco area bands over 50 years ago when vintage gear was new.

Being close to so many great guitar players, from Bloomfield to Santana and The Rolling Stones, Smith learned the virtues and shortcomings of the era’s gear and began a process of innovation, excellence, and invention ...

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https://www.premierguitar.com/news/mesa-boogie-founder-departs

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[ourmaninthenorth]

I think Mr Smith has made such a significant contribution to the game, that it'd have been more fitting for him to bow out under his own flag, rather than the borrowed colours of someone else's.

Good luck to him.

 

[metropolis]

As a long-standing Mesa Boogie fan (3 his amps within reach of me right now) this is sad news.

I have seen people making headlines about him supposedly being fired which is a nonsense. This has happened just about 3 years exactly since Gibson bought Boogie so is surely the end of an earn-out period / pre-agreed exit. As you say above, it is fitting for him to bow out under his own flag. I hope Gibson does the company well and continues to do what Randall Smith started.

 

[Greywolf]

I"m happy I have 3 vintage Mesa's and will never let them go , I won't however buy any more now that Randy's gone.
Thankfully Doug Sewell is still around making great amps.