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I have started a new job...


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I know some of you bass players are well aware of this, and have followed the speculation drama thread over at TalkBass, but I thought I would just copy my post from TalkBass here so you guys know the rest of the story...

Yes it is true that Genz Benz as a brand has been mothballed, and that Jeff has indeed left the building. I have also left the building... sort of... I will continue to handle all factory level warranty support of G.B. product for KMC. Jeff, Roger, Scott and I are proud of the accomplishments we have made pushing the envelope of bass and acoustic amplification, and equally proud of our customer service values. This continued warranty service support is just an extension of our devotion to our valued customers over the years. Jeff and I have known each other and worked together on various projects for ~25 years. I can say without qualification that I have never worked with as good of a group of folks as the Genz Benz/KMC Music folks, and wouldn't trade this experience or Jeff's friendship for anything. Also, it should be mentioned that there are a lot of good guys at Fender as well, our vision just didn't work within their vision. No need to speak negatively about them, let's see what their vision for the future brings to the bass world.


That said, I would also like to confirm another rumor. I have accepted the position of Product Development Engineer at Mesa Engineering. I have always admired their products, their people, their build quality, and especially their customer service. Everybody that I have met there reminds me of the "good 'ol days" at G.B. with the passion, creativity, personality, and bonus... they are local to me! 

Jeff and I want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your support and friendship with Genz Benz over the years. Most of you may never know how much it means to us. Behind every brand is people, people like you and me, and it's people that make the world go around. 

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Sorry things didn't work out at GB Andy,

I really appreciate the work you guys did over there, as you know I have been running the 1200's since they came out, really solid product that has been road worthy and dependable for years. I am really glad things worked out for you to find a role at Mesa, another solid brand that has stood the test of time and consistently delivered high quality products. I used to run Bass 400's before switching over to the 1200's and still have a Triple Rec half stack (sold the Road King) as one of my guitar rigs.

I figured the end was near once Fender got involved, too small a market cap for GB to fit their brand positioning regardless of how good the product was/is although I am sure that hybrid front end will make it into some F branded amp. All the best at Mesa and as expected, you handled the news publicly like a professional and a gentleman no matter how much it burned; that is for sure a rare trait in today's "it's all about me" world.

Rob

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 Yeah it sucks that Genz Benz is no longer in business. I doubt I will be selling any of my GB gear. If I ever decide to buy something different I will definately look at mesa again. I have owned a walkabout,an Impulse 600 and a pair of mesa cabs before. Congrats on your new job.

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Andy -

Sometimes change is a fresh breeze...lifting the stink of old problems, headaches, and the dailey churn.   

On your good name, I bought several GB bass products for my wife and they are still serving us well; thank you.   

Best of luck in your new digs.  I'm glad you quickly found a good fit.  I've always had respect for Mesa and now even more so with  your addition.

Congrats on the new job,

Frank

 

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Always found it comical how my gear ownership has unwittingly followed your work product lock-step... from Tubeworks to Genz Benz to... well, Imma have to test drive me some Mesa gear in the future methinks.

Congrats, Andy! I hope Mesa realizes how lucky they are to have you in their midst.

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dboomer wrote:

Congrats on the new position!


Does this mean you will be working on products with fire bottles?
:)

Funny. Most folks don't realize that I designed 3 all tube guitar amp products in my career that sold thousands. Quirky market that all tube guitar amp market is. I won't be doing much if anything with guitar amps, their current crew has that very well covered IMO.

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tlbonehead wrote:

 

Nice gig! Strongly considering gong back to a Mesa as my next amp. Tien somebody used to be the main tech that I would speak to until he got promoted. Wonder if he is still there. Congrats! The Express Plus 5:25 looks very tempting!

 

Tien is still there.

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tlbonehead wrote:

 

Nice gig! Strongly considering gong back to a Mesa as my next amp. Tien somebody used to be the main tech that I would speak to until he got promoted. Wonder if he is still there. Congrats!
The Express Plus 5:25 looks very tempting!

 

So does the newly announced Recto-Verb 25.....dangerously appealing.....

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I have a mildly amusing story that illustrates how far we've come in information/media since I was a teen. Back then there was no internet, of course (yes, we had cars and telephones....and TV!!) and a lot of what we heard about in the music business was word of mouth. There was no, "hang on, I'll Google that".

 

Well, I was talking to my friend Karl about speaker cabinets and guitar amps, and he tells me about this really cool amp he tried in a local music store. I asked him what brand it was...Fender, Marshall, Sunn, Acoustic, Kustom? He replied, "No, it was a Bogey Messer".

 

For years after that I'd never seen the brand he mentioned anywhere. Then one day I saw the brand, and the mistake....

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