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How to Achieve the Perfect Guitar Amp Tone: Balancing Volume, EQ, and Gain for Optimal Sound and Great Recordings
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Mesa/Boogie
Randall Smith started out modifying Fender Princeton amps in Petaluma, California, in 1969, and the souped-up combos he built for early customers including Carlos Santana and The Rolling Stones earned Mesa/ Boogie its reputation as, by most accounts, the first boutique amplifier company. The Rectifier line, launched in the 1990s, became a defining sound in rock and metal and remains the amp most associated with the brand today. Gibson bought Mesa/Boogie in 2021; Smith stayed on as Master Designer before leaving in 2024. Reissues of classic Mark and Rectifier models, plus the plugins built to emulate them, are what we follow most. Here's everything we've covered.
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Latest Mesa/Boogie news
Mesa/Boogie Revives the Sound of a Generation with Limited-Edition ’90s Dual Rectifier Mod 1
Mesa/Boogie revives the '90s Dual Rectifier with a limited-edition 100W tube head featuring John Marshall's custom 'Tight' mod and upgraded cleans. $2,999.
Founded1969
Based inPetaluma, California, USA
FounderRandall Smith
Parent companyGibson
Articles here26
Makes
- Amplifiers
- Speaker cabinets
- Effects pedals
Known for
- Mark series
- Dual Rectifier
- Lone Star
- Triple Crown
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Mesa/Boogie FAQ4 questions
Who owns Mesa/Boogie?
Gibson, since 2021. Mesa/Boogie was independent from its founding in 1969 until then, and it still designs and builds in Petaluma, California. Randall Smith, who started the company, stayed on with Gibson after the acquisition.
How did Mesa/Boogie start?
As a repair shop. Randall Smith began modifying Fender amps in 1969 — particularly the small Fender Princeton — and his changes gave the little amps far more output and gain than they were designed for. The reaction to those modified amps is what turned a repair bench into a manufacturer.
What is a Dual Rectifier?
Mesa's best-known high-gain amplifier, and one of the defining sounds of 1990s heavy music. The name refers to its switchable rectifier — you can choose between silicon diode and tube rectification, which changes how the amp responds when pushed. The Triple Rectifier is the higher-powered version of the same design.
Are Mesa/Boogie amps made in the USA?
Yes. Mesa has built in Petaluma, California throughout its history and continued to after the Gibson acquisition. It is one of the few remaining amplifier brands at this scale whose main product line is assembled domestically rather than contracted overseas.