Mesa/Boogie

thumb|right|Company logo Mesa/Boogie (also known as Mesa Engineering) is an American company in Petaluma, California, that manufactures amplifiers and other accessories for guitars and basses. It has been in operation since 1969. Mesa was started by Randall Smith as a small repair shop which modified Fender amplifiers, particularly the diminutive Fender Princeton. Smith's modifications gave the small amps much more input gain, making them much louder as well as creating a high-gain, distorted guitar tone. Prominent early customers included Carlos Santana and Keith Richards and Ron Wood of The Rolling Stones. Exposure from these top players helped to establish Mesa/Boogie's position on the market, and it is frequently referred to as the first manufacturer of boutique amplifiers. Quotes about Mesa/Boogie One early proponent of [Randall] Smith's work [in manufacturing guitar amplifiers] was counterculture legend Carlos Santana, a relationship that endures to this day. Anyone who has heard [Carlos] Santana's singing sustains and harmonically-rich driven tone will be familiar with the sound of a Mesa/Boogie amplifier. However, these are far from a one-trick pony. They are renowned for their exceptional build quality and rich sounds that cover a broad sonic spectrum. That helped to set a new standard in the world of high-gain amplification, originally saturated by British brands. Luke Mitchell of SlashGear (October 9, 2023) Mesa/Boogies do tend to be rather bewildering in both their variety and complexity - and are often misunderstood. MusicRadar External links Category:Companies of the United States Category:Musical instruments manufacturers