founder Inducted to
Randall MESA/Boogie’s
Vintage Guitar magazine Hall of Fame
Smith
®
In 1969, Randall Smith was rebuilding small combos into high-performance monsters. The search for more sustain, regardless of
volume, led to a breakthrough discovery in 1971 and Randall introduced the world to the MARK I Boogie® with its high gain cascading
tube preamp. The sound of electric guitar was forever changed. MESA/Boogie® is excited to announce that Vintage Guitar magazine the
leading publication on vintage and collectible guitars, has inducted founder Randall Smith to its
Hall of Fame in the Innovator category. In the four decades since launching MESA/Boogie, Smith
has refined and expanded the company’s line of amplifiers and accessories to include nearly 20
variants for guitar, seven for bass, and a host of speaker cabinets, effects, tubes, and speakers.
In addition to the gain circuit Smith is recognized for, his company would go on to introduce a
“I never imagined that the little high gain Boogie® would go on to have such a huge
impact on the music of the ‘70s as guitarists finally had the ability to hold notes indefinitely
with our newfound sustain in the Boogie circuit...and we were just getting started. It’s
an honor to be recognized by the Vintage Guitar community. Our goal at MESA® today
remains unchanged from day one: Build the best musical amplifiers possible, and treat each
member of the MESA musician community as we ourselves would wish to be treated. We
want every musician we serve to become a life-long member of the MESA/Boogie family.”
Randall Smith
MESA/Boogie Founder
long list of innovations and patents that have shaped the world of electric guitar tone. It’s nearly impossible to find an amplifier on
the market today that doesn’t offer a feature that Randall is responsible for. Other notable accomplishments include the world’s first
channel switching amplifier, the MARK II™, which MESA/Boogie introduced in 1980. In 2014, the company has proven that a creative
environment for innovation is more powerful than ever with the release of the MARK FIVE: 25™ offering many of the innovations MESA
is famous for in a compact 16.5 lbs. format.
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