Gibson Acquires Mesa Boogie - WTF?

[woodpile 80]

Definitely gonna hang on to my pre-gibson  Mark V 25 now.

[Jeff R 4,354]

I worked for a Boogie dealer in the 1980s. Dealer cost WAS suggested retail after you paid shipping to get those heavy heads and cabs from Petaluma to one's showroom floor.

We had them as as marketing tool. Those were the pre-internet days of people looking in the Yellow Pages to find music shops, and that MESA/BOOGIE logo, alongside our Jackson and Kramer logos, ensured we were drawing all the market's good rock players, aka, that era's local "influencers."  And as expensive as the Boogies were, with not discounts, they sold themselves. None stayed on our floor long.

Having M/B also helped in that I could plug a Kramer Striker 100 into those Mark series full stacks, and they made the entry level Kramer sound virtually identical to the high dollar USA Pacers and Barettas and Jackson Soloists to the rockers on a budget.

[Jakeboy 6,721]

This will be interesting as Gibson guitars are soooo associated with a Marshall amps. Maybe they can sell some package deals...guitar and matching amp....that could be cool.

[Menehune 388]

Oh boy. I wonder if MB has been squeezed by the contemporary focus on modeling and use of clean-amp-platform+pedals.

Given Gibson has no amp line, I can understand it wanting to acquire a respected amp maker. Would not be surprised to see an MB modeling amp, or hybrid tube power/modeling front-end amp. And a lot of pedals.

Time to get that Electra-Dyne.

[tbonesullivan 2,502]

21 minutes ago, Menehune said:

Oh boy. I wonder if MB has been squeezed by the contemporary focus on modeling and use of clean-amp-platform+pedals.

Given Gibson has no amp line, I can understand it wanting to acquire a respected amp maker. Would not be surprised to see an MB modeling amp, or hybrid tube power/modeling front-end amp. And a lot of pedals.

Time to get that Electra-Dyne.

Well, Mesa's Latest amp, the Rectifier Badlander, has a built in IR Load Box, and the Cabclone IR and IR+ are separate implementations. They licensed Two Notes tech for the IR part of it. So you can pretty much record the Badlander direct with no speakers.

There's a Royal Atlantic at a Sam Ash near me that I may go to find. Good luck with the Electra-dyne hunt. They are GREAT amps.  Sadly everyone now wants amps with 3-4 channels and a million controls.

[stobro 670]

Back in the late '90s Gibson acquired Trace Elliot from Kaman. About 5 years later they closed the factory and laid everyone off. Somehow Peavey eventually ended up with the distribution rights in North America, so I guess Trace didn't disappear entirely. Gibson doesn't have a great track record, to say the least.

[tbonesullivan 2,502]

14 minutes ago, stobro said:

Back in the late '90s Gibson acquired Trace Elliot from Kaman. About 5 years later they closed the factory and laid everyone off. Somehow Peavey eventually ended up with the distribution rights in North America, so I guess Trace didn't disappear entirely. Gibson doesn't have a great track record, to say the least.

Reminds me of Harley Davidson, who bought MV Agusta, a Sport Bike manufacturer for 109 Million, sunk 25 million into it, but then ended up selling it. I think it was eventually sold to the family of the founder... for ONE EURO.   I'm just amazed at how inept some companies seem to be with managing what they have purchased.

[RobB 5,988]

29 minutes ago, tbonesullivan said:

 I think it was eventually sold to the family of the founder... for ONE EURO.   I'm just amazed at how inept some companies seem to be with managing what they have purchased.

Think of the huge write-off for business losses. That's a big chunk out of their tax bill.

[tbonesullivan 2,502]

Looks like the first interview is out:

https://www.guitarworld.com/features/jc-curleigh-cesar-gueikian-and-randy-smith-on-gibsons-monumental-acquisition-of-mesaboogie-and-what-it-means-for-the-iconic-brands

[scottcald 3,147]

1 hour ago, RobB said:

Think of the huge write-off for business losses. That's a big chunk out of their tax bill.

 

[Menehune 388]

4 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

Well, Mesa's Latest amp, the Rectifier Badlander, has a built in IR Load Box, and the Cabclone IR and IR+ are separate implementations. They licensed Two Notes tech for the IR part of it. So you can pretty much record the Badlander direct with no speakers.

There's a Royal Atlantic at a Sam Ash near me that I may go to find. Good luck with the Electra-dyne hunt. They are GREAT amps.  Sadly everyone now wants amps with 3-4 channels and a million controls.

Yeah, I'm a long-time keeper of a Mesa amp zoo. Love them all, but would like to add an EL34/6L6 to the mix again.

Edited January 7 by Menehune

[RobB 5,988]

3 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

Looks like the first interview is out:

https://www.guitarworld.com/features/jc-curleigh-cesar-gueikian-and-randy-smith-on-gibsons-monumental-acquisition-of-mesaboogie-and-what-it-means-for-the-iconic-brands

I’m a little more reassured after reading this interview. JC has put Gibson on the right track, and Smith is still going be in charge of R&D. 

Soldano did well with his merger. I hope it works out for MB. 
 

 

[HamerCustomEr 440]

My Mesa .50 Caliber was my first good amp (my first was a Fender Champ 12), and then after a few years of playing that, I ordered a brand new Mark I Reissue, which is the only brand new amp that I ever purchased in my over three decades of owning amps.  The Mark I is a great amp:  100W of 6L6 tube glory.  It is so loud if you want it, yet it sounds good at much quieter volumes using the half-power switch, too.  Not a true two-channel amp:  it has two separate inputs, but in my opinion, it takes pedals very well (overdrive pedals push you into that liquid lead territory) , and it has a good effects loop.  If you see one for sale used, I suggest that you buy it immediately.

[shankyboy 553]

I better grab one of those California Tweeds, I have been drooling over, soon. 

[Biz Prof 4,969]

17 minutes ago, shankyboy said:

I better grab one of those California Tweeds, I have been drooling over, soon. 

Better watch out smokin' them tweeds....

 

[tbonesullivan 2,502]

13 hours ago, Menehune said:

Yeah, I'm a long-time keeper of a Mesa amp zoo. Love them all, but would like to add an EL34/6L6 to the mix again.

This would be my 5th if I get it. All combos. I'm a comboholic.

And then sometime in march, my Mark V combo should arrive, in blue bronco with white piping, tan fittings, and a wicker grille.

[Armitage 3,621]

The first run of Gibson/Boogie amps have been recalled... the headstocks broke off.

[Steve Haynie 12,220]

When do we see a video of amps getting crushed under an earth mover?

[Devnor 388]

1 hour ago, Steve Haynie said:

When do we see a video of amps getting crushed under an earth mover?

When the Quad Cortex takes over the world. 

[django49 9,926]

People having a field day......

Edited January 7 by django49

[Armitage 3,621]

I'd think if Gibson was smart... they'd leave Mesa alone but have them make a series of U.K. flavored amps under the Gibson brand.

[it's me HHB 3,268]

hey lets merge our giant GC debts and sue! 

[Cuda75 43]

On 1/7/2021 at 3:03 PM, tbonesullivan said:

This would be my 5th if I get it. All combos. I'm a comboholic.

And then sometime in march, my Mark V combo should arrive, in blue bronco with white piping, tan fittings, and a wicker grille.

How about this royal atlantic combo tbone? 

[JohnZ 79]

5 hours ago, Cuda75 said:

How about this royal atlantic combo tbone? 

Geil!

[tbonesullivan 2,502]

9 hours ago, Cuda75 said:

How about this royal atlantic combo tbone? 

Oh dang! That is a nice color! They definitely don't offer the snakeskin anymore. Is that a vinyl or a leather? The one I picked up is just the standard black taurus with the white and black grille.