Gibson buys Mesa/Boogie Amplifier company

[mhschmieder]

This is breaking news. Not a huge surprise as smaller companies are dying off due to the impact of the pandemic.

Gibson at one point had good amplifiers, so maybe this is one brand that the bought for the portfolio rather than to kill?

FWIW my main guitar and bass rigs are both Mesa setups.

[HCMarkus]

I love Mesa; great sounding, well-built amps and cabs, and a company with integrity. For its employees and the musicians who love its products, I'm hoping for the best!

On an unrelated note, good to hear you're back at it out East Mark!

[bayswater]

boomp boomp boomp. another one bites the dust.

[mikehalloran]

Mesa 2000, twin 2x15 Mesa cabinets loaded with EVM 15L pumping out 1200W @ 4 Ohms. Always enough headroom for the gig!

Hard to see in this picture but it's back there.




Oh, that's right, the pictures don't display currently.

[James Steele]

Oh, that's right, the pictures don't display currently.

I'm looking into that, however, I checked your message and there appears to be a file extension missing. Not sure it will fix it. But try. Otherwise, I'll considering turning on the ability to attach files to posts.

[bayswater]

Odd. When I posted the images on the VCA thread, I was able to see them in the preview and when it was posted, and any time after that. This is the first one I couldn't see, and clicking on it took me to MySpace which reports that the picture does not exist.

[James Steele]

Odd. When I posted the images on the VCA thread, I was able to see them in the preview and when it was posted, and any time after that. This is the first one I couldn't see, and clicking on it took me to MySpace which reports that the picture does not exist.

Actually looks like the issue is on my end. There is perhaps a setting in Google Chrome. I opened the VCA thread in Safari and the images appear no problem.

[bayswater]

I think Mike uses Chrome too. I tried these threads with Chrome and I can see the images OK. It also takes me to MySpace in Mike's post and tells me there is no such file. So maybe it's not Chrome.

(I've avoided Chrome after seeing all the Little Snitch prompts that come up just launching it, without going to a specific site).

[James Steele]

I think Mike uses Chrome too. I tried these threads with Chrome and I can see the images OK. It also takes me to MySpace in Mike's post and tells me there is no such file. So maybe it's not Chrome.

(I've avoided Chrome after seeing all the Little Snitch prompts that come up just launching it, without going to a specific site).

I looked at the actual code of the post and Mike left off the file extension of the graphic. I'll let him fix it. As for why I'm not seeing images in Chrome, I'm not sure. I've been through all the settings I can think of and nothing has changed.

[bayswater]

FWIW, I'm using Chrome V 87.0.4280.141 and OS X 10.13.6 with the latest security update.

[mikehalloran]

Weird. I copied the URL, pasted it into Chrome, the pic opened right up. I logged in over Safari, gave a different image address—pasted that into the earlier pic, it worked.

Anyway, you can see one of those 2x15 Mesa bass cabinets behind the bass player in the orange/yellow shirt. I think this was taken 2003–4, perhaps. I was playing Rick Turner's basses by 2005.



That Carvin bass was available for order over 25 years before they sold another like it.

[mhschmieder]

In related news, Korg USA bought the Aguilar Bass Amplification company on the same day.

I used Aguilar bass cabinets for many years before switching to Mesa/Boogie. I use a couple of their bass pedals too, though sparingly.

Korg have been good stewards of Vox and Blackstar, so I'm fairly optimistic on this one. Yamaha bought Ampeg a year or two ago.

[waterstrum]

I still have a sore spot from when Gibson bought Opcode (Studio Vision DAW) and promptly killed it.
I can't imagine they'd do that with Mesa Boogie.
Mesa is a great company with a stellar reputation.
Hoping Gibson will be a good steward.

[mikehalloran]

I still have a sore spot from when Gibson bought Opcode (Studio Vision DAW) and promptly killed it.
…

Many of us do.

Gibson is a different company now that Henry's gone. TASCAM has just released a slew of new products… We'll see.

Things change. Yamaha bought Bösendorfer and changed the rim construction on their legacy pianos (155, 200, 225 & 290 Imperial) to that of their cheaper CS/VC line (170, 185, 214, 280) — no more carved solid spruce rim. They own Line 6 now and bought Steinberger years ago, too.

[Gravity Jim]

The common idea that Gibson "killed" Opcode is a bit muddled. Opcode was near death when Gibson bought it at a fire-sale price. Opcode would have died months earlier without the infusion of cash Gibson provided, but it was too little and way too late.

Mesa makes perfect sense for them. They don't have a well established amplifier line, Mesa isn't on the ropes, Randall wanted to retire. It was a good deal for everybody. I don't think they will cheapen the brand... I'm assuming they intend to market the amps as being as "premium" as a Les Paul.