Amplitudes: The Mesa Boogie Blog
Perspective
Hi Everyone, Randall Smith here . . .
My Grandmother came to California in a covered wagon. She was nine years old and remembered it as a very difficult and scary time. The family had pulled up roots and left in search of a better future . . . one that offered work. As she said, they didn’t have money for train tickets so they joined one of the last wagon trains heading West. Most interesting about her story is that they didn’t know when they had arrived . . . because they didn’t know their destination. Think of that: Since they didn’t know where they were going or what would be there, they couldn’t know when they’d arrived!
We don’t know how this pandemic will end either . . . but it surely will. Seems it may not be as bad as many forecasts, but what a tragedy - - especially where people are living and traveling in close quarters - - like New York City. Masks and distancing surely help, yet the shut down of our daily lives - - and income - - is drastic and unparalleled. But then Granny and the wagon train HAD no income. Yet they pressed on. And they made it - - to the SF Bay Area where I was born and live and where Mesa/Boogie was born and still lives too, though in lock-down mode.
Personally, I’m fortunate that I can work at home on the long, time-consuming process of designing high-functioning, artistic circuit boards and sheet metal that will become future musical amplifiers. I’m the lucky one: semi-retired yet still doing what I love. Meanwhile we’re striving to support our Staff financially until we can reopen. These are highly skilled and dedicated hand-crafters of musical amplifiers. Some have worked here for over 40 years, a great many for over 30. Our Chief Tech, John Marshall for 26 years . . . and they still call him “the new guy”!
We’re basically a lifetime/family of co-workers dedicated to making the finest musical amplifiers possible and treating each customer as WE would like to be treated, right here at the Home of Tone in Petaluma, California. We’re not letting some stinking virus change that! We’ve been through tough times before and made it . . . partly because we never gave up or were seduced by selling out or “getting big”. There’s an old-fashioned virtue in keeping it debt-free, homey and real. Most important, YOU, our musician customers, make it all possible and deserve Huge Thanks for supporting our vision all these decades. We’re here to serve you now and in the future. So stay strong!
Back sitting at my Grandma’s kitchen table I said, “Think of this: Within the span of your lifetime, you’ve traveled to California in a covered wagon. And you’ve flown to New York in a 747 jetliner. That’s really incredible . . . what do you think about that?” She looked away and her mind drifted a moment. Then she turned, looked at me and said, “Well, you know, the airplane . . . . . . . was better.” True pioneer understatement!
Stay Well, have confidence and use this time to really enjoy your playing!
Randall Smith
Designer & Founder
MESA/Boogie
