Randall Smith-Mesa/Boogie Founder Interview

[WeFixFlats]

Along with Bob Taylor and Paul Reed Smith, he's one of the giants of the industry...well worth your time hearing his story...incredible...He is the man who invented the cascading gain stages...

And there's the Carlos connection of course...

 

[László]

Thanks for posting this! It was a very good interview.

 

[Clashcityrocker]

One of the greats...and he didn't even play guitar....

 

[gush]

I enjoyed this!!!

 

[vchizzle]

Very cool interview. Thx!

 

[Barquentine]

Great, really interesting stuff from a guy that changed everything.

 

[bodia]

Thanks for posting!

 

[vchizzle]

I remember prior to PRS building their own amps, they had a Boogie in final assembly or maybe where they do setups or something. I think Paul and Randall have some similarities in terms of changing things in the guitar industry.

 

[László]

I remember prior to PRS building their own amps, they had a Boogie in final assembly or maybe where they do setups or something. I think Paul and Randall have some similarities in terms of changing things in the guitar industry.

They’re both in the Guys Obsessed With Tone Club. Doug Sewell’s a member, too.

 

[Big Mike]

Yeah well, at least when Paul patents it, he actually has something to do with it's design....LOL

(dual rectifier patent..pay no attention to Fender's tweed twins with 2 rectifier.s..)

 

[László]

Yeah well, at least when Paul patents it, he actually has something to do with it's design....LOL

(dual rectifier patent..pay no attention to Fender's tweed twins with 2 rectifier.s..)

Ah, but Mike, a patent in the US applies to “any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.”

So if Fender invented something (I don’t know if the Mesa switchable dual rectifier is the same thing, or not), and Smith developed a new process or made a new and useful improvement, it’s patentable.

A lot of folks are under the impression that only completely original inventions can be patented. That’s not the case.

 

[Big Mike]

I stand corrected thanks

 

[Dirty_Boogie]

Both Smiths hugely innovative. And both with hugely different personalities.

I could not think of a more complementary pair of products from different companies. I guess I've always associated the two as needing to be played together, since I was in college in the late 80's/early 90's, and saw Al di Meola play a show on campus - a PRS with a Boogie (Mark IV, I think) - tonal perfection! (and his playing wasn't too shabby either. )

 

[Dirty_Boogie]

Yeah well, at least when Paul patents it, he actually has something to do with it's design....LOL

(dual rectifier patent..pay no attention to Fender's tweed twins with 2 rectifier.s..)

One could say the same about taking the best of a LP, and the best of a Strat, adding a whole bunch of improvements and innovations, and coming up with a Custom 24. But I digress...

 

[Big Mike]

Little different than handing guys a cease and desist for having dual rectifiers in an amp

Or suggesting that he would.
Brilliant guy though

 

[Screamingdaisy]

You guys who are bitching about Mesa know that PRS patented the Tremolo... right?


If innovative people can’t profit off their innovations then there’s little business sense to be innovative.

 

[Boogie]

You guys who are bitching about Mesa know that PRS patented the Tremolo... right?


If innovative people can’t profit off their innovations then there’s little sense to be innovative.

There it is.

The first one to get the patent office to acknowledge the paperwork, wins. If I could find an innovative improvement, I’d patent air and take a daily treasure bath. Getting the patent makes me genius...the treasure bath makes me the douche, not the other way around.

 

[Tim Meyers]

Both Smiths hugely innovative. And both with hugely different personalities.

I could not think of a more complementary pair of products from different companies. I guess I've always associated the two as needing to be played together, since I was in college in the late 80's/early 90's, and saw Al di Meola play a show on campus - a PRS with a Boogie (Mark IV, I think) - tonal perfection! (and his playing wasn't too shabby either. )

I couldn't agree more. I bought my Mesa to go with my Strat. Sounded pretty good. Then I bought a CE-24 and put it through my Mesa amp .. holy buckets does it sound good. Ii can't get a bad tone. The amp just blooms! So smooth and creamy.

Now I have to look for a different amp for the Strat. It just doesn't sound as good anymore.

 

[Johnny Rigs]

PRS + Boogie is my happy place.

 

[GADonis]

Both Smiths hugely innovative. And both with hugely different personalities.

I could not think of a more complementary pair of products from different companies. I guess I've always associated the two as needing to be played together, since I was in college in the late 80's/early 90's, and saw Al di Meola play a show on campus - a PRS with a Boogie (Mark IV, I think) - tonal perfection! (and his playing wasn't too shabby either. )

My 594 into a TC50 completely agrees with you.