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why are mesa boogie amps sooo expensive?


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Quote Originally Posted by Reaganomics! View Post
You could argue the cost still gets passed along to the consumer for chinese stuff - just in terms of more severe resale depreciation and repairs needed when products are manufactured with either less quality control or in ways that make repair less viable.


That said, it seems like the used values on Mesa products kind of vary. I've seen lot of clueless kids trying to resell their Triple Recs for what they bought it for vs. someone selling a clearly superior Mark III for

i would agree, varies alot depending on the seller. the subway rocket, what a pile.
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Quote Originally Posted by dZjupp View Post
oh man, this is the one i was trying to think of

one of the best sounding combo amps i've ever played through, the Lonestar,
wow, majorly impressed. has tons of character
man the more i think about this the more i want one. hmmmmm use hrd for banjo and lonestar for guitar.... god dammit.
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The Mesa Express 5:50 cleans are supposed to be very Lonestar-ish, I don't have any experience with the Lonestar but the cleans of the Express are great but a bit generic and with a hiss (that may be fixed on the new ones). As for the price, I really don't find them all that expensive when you consider the R&D, labour and parts that go into their amps compared to any of the boutique Vox, Fender or old school Marshall clones that are out there.

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Quote Originally Posted by Y0UNGBL00D View Post
MIA= pay for labor

though mesa isnt exactly boutique
I dunno... how are we defining "boutique"? I'd say if they aren't now, they certainly were back in the 70s, and when I got my first Boogie in the early 80s. In fact, they were, in my opinion, one of the first boutique amp companies. USA hand-built, limited production, mad attention to detail, etc. The only way to get them originally was direct from Mesa. Later, they started distributing through a few stores, but they kept everything at full-pop in terms of pricing, even through the retail dealers, and you could still buy direct if you wanted to. The main advantage to retail was you could audition the amp first, and walk out the door with it if you found one you liked... the main advantage to ordering direct was the ability to order the amp with whatever specific options you wanted.

Last time I checked, all of that is still pretty much the case, even now.
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Quote Originally Posted by ChuckNorris1982

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Mesas are incredibly expensive over here. Easily double the price of an equivalent Marshall, for the most part.

 

Yes. Unbelievable. It has been this way since the 80s when they arrived over here and were marketed
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Quote Originally Posted by LSDis4me View Post
In California, employers are required to pay the outrage salary of $8/hour. Republicans hate the minimum wage as it takes away from the owner's profits.
Go back to your high school economics class. Minimum wage raises the cost of living for everyone, so it has nothing to do with being a Republican.

I consider anything that I can't afford expensive, and that includes Mesas.
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I have a Boogie Mark III Simul/EQ fully loaded. got it for $700. I'll say it's the best $700 I've spent.Sounds phenominal. and it's from '86 . 26 years old and still has that boogie magic.no humming or smoking either doesn't overheat pop or fart . built and weighs like a tank.

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Quote Originally Posted by Bucksstudent View Post
Go back to your high school economics class. Minimum wage raises the cost of living for everyone, so it has nothing to do with being a Republican.

I consider anything that I can't afford expensive, and that includes Mesas.
If that's the case then maybe instead of raising the minimum wage we should force all hourly people currently above the minimum wage to take a pay cut as an ethical consideration for consumers.
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Quote Originally Posted by LSDis4me View Post
In California, employers are required to pay the outrage salary of $8/hour. Republicans hate the minimum wage as it takes away from the owner's profits.
A few points, if I may...

1. Most Republicans that I know are not actively seeking to have the minimum wage repealed. I really try to listen to what ALL the candidates in my area (local, state and national) have to say, and I can't recall anyone that was running in a race that I could vote for this time around even mentioning the subject.

2. Randall Smith, the guy who owns Mesa, has never struck me as a particularly "Republican" type of guy. In fact, I would be surprised if he isn't a Democrat, Green Party, etc. I don't know that for a fact... I suppose you'd have to ask him to be sure. idn_smilie.gif

3. Please stop interjecting partisan political commentary into threads on a regular basis.

Thanks!
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Haha.

Anyways on topic. I find that the mark series amps from the 90s and 80s always go for less than beat up rectos. Which is funny because I'd take a mark II or III over a recto anything. I've actually been on the look out for another Mesa amp, but can't usually find the deal I want.

As far as new mesas go, only a couple places are even authorized to sell them. Fewer retailers and mostly custom orders keeps the cost up. It's not like some kid learning to play is buying a Mesa every day from GC. Most mesas aren't amps for the casual guitarist, so Mesa caters to the guitarist who knows what he wants and is willing to pay for it.

That said, I almost ordered a mark V earlier this year, but I couldn't justify the purchase.

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Quote Originally Posted by Y0UNGBL00D View Post
MIA= pay for labor

though mesa isnt exactly boutique
True, but open up a current production Fender or Marshall and compare them to the guts of a Mesa and you'll notice an immediate difference in terms of build quality and materials. redface.gif

I use a pair of TA-30 heads into various Mesa 1x12 and 2x12 cabs...I feel they're they best amps they've made since the Mark I and II series.
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Timely thread for me. I have been leaning towards getting rid of a few amps I have that are semi-boutique "clones" of old Fenders, and getting one Boogie to replace them. I had an old Studio 22+ from the mid '80s that was my main amp for a decade or two. I got rid of it to get the "clones," but kind of miss it. I have played through the new Express Plus amps, and am leaning that way, because they are really versatile and sound great.

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Quote Originally Posted by fractal

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Timely thread for me. I have been leaning towards getting rid of a few amps I have that are semi-boutique "clones" of old Fenders, and getting one Boogie to replace them. I had an old Studio 22+ from the mid '80s that was my main amp for a decade or two. I got rid of it to get the "clones," but kind of miss it. I have played through the new Express Plus amps, and am leaning that way, because they are really versatile and sound great.

 

Before you do, check out the TA-30...especially if you like the character of the Fender type amps. To my ears the Express was a little stiff. The Tweed mode and the Top Boost mods on the TA-30 are both really great. thumb.gif
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Quote Originally Posted by Phil O'Keefe View Post
A few points, if I may...

1. Most Republicans that I know are not actively seeking to have the minimum wage repealed. I really try to listen to what ALL the candidates in my area (local, state and national) have to say, and I can't recall anyone that was running in a race that I could vote for this time around even mentioning the subject.

2. Randall Smith, the guy who owns Mesa, has never struck me as a particularly "Republican" type of guy. In fact, I would be surprised if he isn't a Democrat, Green Party, etc. I don't know that for a fact... I suppose you'd have to ask him to be sure. idn_smilie.gif

3. Please stop interjecting partisan political commentary into threads on a regular basis.

Thanks!
smiley-love0030.gifPhil-Thumbs-Up-Small.gifsmiley-love0030.gif
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