MESA/Boogie lifts the lid on amp design in “What Makes a Boogie” chapter two

Chapter two of "What Makes a Boogie" goes inside the design process behind MESA/Boogie amplifiers and meets the people who have spent decades refining their sound

MESA/Boogie® has released the second chapter in its four-part video series, "What Makes a Boogie," and this time, Tone Lab Director Doug West takes us inside the design process behind some of the world's most beloved guitar amplifiers. Watch as Doug introduces us to the people who turn an initial "what if?" into a finished amplifier, explains why printed circuit boards are so important to the classic Boogie sound, and reveals just how much work goes into details that most players will never consciously hear.

Why should you buy a MESA/Boogie amplifier? According to Doug, it comes down to the passion, knowledge, and experience of the people behind it. "When you buy a MESA/Boogie, you're buying more than an amplifier," says Doug. "You're buying this collective group of amazing individuals who have devoted their lives to your tone."

That experience runs deep. Senior R&D Engineer John Marshall has worked at MESA/Boogie for 31 years, Product Manager Tommy Waugh for 28 years, and Jim Aschow, the Executive Vice President and resident cabinet guru at MESA/Boogie, for 44 years. Together with Doug, they were closely mentored by Randall Smith and continue to carry his ideas forward.

Why are MESA/Boogie amps worth it?

For many players, the value of a MESA/Boogie amplifier lies not just in how it sounds or why so many artists love the amps-it's in the more than half a century of knowledge built into it. Doug demonstrates how new designs are developed by people who have worked together for decades and understand not only what a circuit does but also how an amplifier should feel and respond when you plug it in.

Ideas are bounced around the room, tested, adjusted, and pushed further until the team arrives at something that works musically and can be reproduced consistently. It's a small, tight-knit team that makes your MESA/Boogie amp. "The whole development process, from ideation to finishing an amp, is still the same as it always has been," John Marshall explains.

Printed circuit boards are a big part of that process. They enable complex channel switching and multiple modes while helping the team reproduce the same carefully developed sound from one amplifier to the next. "These designs and these amps wouldn't exist without PC boards," John says. "That affords us the ability to get the sound and then repeat it from amp to amp."

How the team at MESA/Boogie works on your tone

The real fun begins in the video when we get a look at how meticulous the team is when it comes to designing the tones of a MESA/Boogie amp. In fact, it's down to Doug picking up a guitar and John reaching for the soldering iron to make changes on the fly. "The way Doug and I work is that Doug's got the guitar and I've got the soldering iron," John explains.

Watch as Doug plays guitar while John tests different components and listens for changes in the highs, lows, gain, and midrange. Measuring equipment has its place, but the final decisions are made by ear. The team also spends an extraordinary amount of time making every control feel natural and tracking down unwanted pops, clicks, and hiss. "We'll spend twice as much time on something that no one will ever hear," John says, "because it's something that we need to eliminate."

Why are MESA/Boogie amplifiers so good?

MESA/Boogie amplifiers are so good because they combine more than 50 years of design knowledge with a painstaking, player-focused development process. The same people within the team have worked together for decades; the circuits are refined by ear, and every control is carefully adjusted to feel useful and musical. Even details that a player may never notice are investigated and improved before an amplifier reaches production.

Why are MESA/Boogie speaker cabinets so good?

The care extends to speaker cabinets, too. Doug explains how the team considers wood and baffle thicknesses, open-back dimensions, and speaker choice before ensuring each cabinet is tough enough for life on the road. "People often overlook the importance of cabinetry when they're thinking of their rig," says Tommy Waugh. "Ours are built like tanks. I've seen Mark Series amps roll out of the back of so many trucks. They take a beating. I've seen some cabinets out on the road that look like they were dragged to the concert."

In the video, we also learn about Jim Aschow's contribution to cabinet design, including shockmount racks, Track-Lok™ casters, cable storage solutions, and dedicated places to hold a footswitch-all of which are unique to MESA/Boogie's design and make the life of a musician that much easier.

"A mouse peed on the circuit board"

And then there's the mouse. Tommy tells the story of when an amplifier mysteriously sounded better overnight. After some investigation, the team discovered that a mouse had urinated on the circuit board. Rather than dismissing it, MESA/Boogie founder Randall Smith tried to work out why the sound had changed and how to recreate the effect. "Randy had to figure out a way to recreate or simulate mouse urine on a circuit board," Tommy reveals. "And he did."

It's a strange story that perfectly captures the curiosity behind the scenes at MESA/Boogie. Nothing is too unusual to investigate, and the notion that something can't be done is often just the beginning of the conversation. As Doug reminds us, a MESA/Boogie is a musical instrument in its own right. You have to spend time with it, learn how the controls interact, and discover the sounds inside it. Watch chapter two of "What Makes a Boogie" by hitting the play button above.

Catch up on chapter one of "What Makes a Boogie" here. Shop the full range of MESA/Boogie amplifiers today.