Gibson brings Mesa Boogie into its family
In an announcement from the official account of the iconic Mesa Boogie, the company's joining of the Gibson LLC group was made official. Gibson: A checkmate move!
By Dimitris (Bari) Polyzois
The legendary amp brand Mesa Boogie will keep making products under its own name, as well as under the name "Gibson's Custom Shop for Amplifiers".
A move that puts one of the industry's top guitar brands under the same umbrella as one of the most famous guitar amp makers. Gibson announced the acquisition of Mesa Boogie, flexing the musical instrument company's muscle.
Known as a "boutique" company, Mesa Boogie was founded 51 years ago by Randy Smith. It created many of the groundbreaking circuits and designs, including the pioneering concept of high-gain amplifiers, that have defined the Mesa line for decades.
Smith will join Gibson as Master Designer and Mesa Boogie pioneer.
According to Gibson, in his new role Smith "will continue his passion for tube technology. He will also strengthen his vision for building handmade high-gain amplifiers. Mesa amps have always redefined the way we experience sound through Gibson guitars."
In an exclusive interview with Guitar World, Gibson's JC Curleigh and Mesa Boogie's Cesar Gueikian and Randy Smith lay out the details. Behind Gibson's monumental acquisition lie plenty of interesting facts about the two brands.
"We don't have Gibson amps today, so we started thinking about who's the best out there"
"We don't have Gibson amps today, so we started thinking about who's the best out there. Not just in terms of their brand, but also in terms of leveraging an iconic past and leaning into an innovative future". Gibson's President and CEO, James "JC" Curleigh, told GW. "There was only one answer, and that was Mesa Boogie."
Smith will join Gibson as Master Designer
In a statement, Curleigh continues: "At Gibson we're all set to leverage our iconic past and lean into an innovative future. It's a pursuit that began 100 years ago with our founder Orville Gibson.
"Today that pursuit continues with the addition of Mesa Boogie to the Gibson Brands family. Beyond the company, we're welcoming in the visionary leadership of Randy Smith and his team. These people, over the last 50 years, built an iconic and innovative brand that has stood the test of time. This is a perfect partnership built on our collective professional experience and our passion for sound."
Smith said, "I'm 75 years old and I still work every day. This is my craft, and many of our crews have worked alongside me for 30 to 40 years. As we watched JC and Cesar transform Gibson, we saw kindred spirits sharing common values and a strong commitment to quality."
We saw kindred spirits sharing common values and a strong commitment to quality
"Today, Gibson guitars are the best out there. When they asked if we'd want to become the Custom Shop for Gibson Amplifiers, we envisioned a perfect partnership. We would expand our approach while preserving our legacy beyond time.
"Gibson recognizes the unique value of what we've all built together. This next chapter in Mesa Boogie's story is a continuation of that dream. I'm so lucky to have this partnership with the new Gibson. It's been the journey of my life… and it's not over yet!"
Gibson's CMO, Cesar Gueikian, added, "Mesa Boogie, led by Randy, has operated without compromise from the start, and that's ideal for us. We look forward to being the best stewards of its iconic legacy. At the same time, we want to become custodians of its future.
"We're proud that Randy and the Mesa Boogie team trusted us to lead it into the future. Together, we'll keep pursuing our shared quest for sound, quality and craftsmanship, and keep pushing the boundaries of how guitar sound is delivered and experienced.
Tool guitarist Adam Jones is a longtime Mesa Boogie user. He also collaborated with Gibson on the recent '1979 Les Paul Custom Silverburst' project. On the acquisition he commented: "This is really exciting. I can't think of a better company to carry Mesa Boogie forward, and I can't wait to see what we can do together.
"I've been using Mesa Boogie amps and cabinets for a long time. I use them at home, in the studio when recording, and on stage when playing live. They cover all my needs."
