Boogies from China

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Would you buy a low cost entry-level Mesa head?

  • Yes, but make it in the USA for $699

    Votes: 1 100.0%

  • Yes, but make it Abroad for $449

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • No

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    1
V

vermillion

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A recent post mentioned VOX, nowadays they are making the new amps in China for an extremely low cost and selling them in the US for $1000.

Devil's advocate time -- I think Mesa Boogie ought to explore creating a valued priced amp made in China or elsewhere. Pro Net $449 Simple controls: Gain, treble, mid, bass, master. One effects loop in back. 2x6L6, solid state rectifier. Simple construction, no diamond plate, no reverb, no channel switching, some "cheaper" components might be used, but the head (overall) would be decent. Pro net $199 for a 1x12 cabinet

It shouldn't even have the Mesa name on it, it would be styled similar but branded "Petaluma" or something. (couldn't call them Randall, hehehe)

It would be a gateway product that would get people to eventually upgrade to a Mesa Product. (BMW uses MINI as a gateway brand, Fender has Squier, Gibson has Epiphone, etc) Fender makes their Super Sonic amps in Mexico.

What do you folks think? (Assume that this head would sound "pretty good" when compared to other Mesa products)
 
Your sample is not a good one. Most of the people here already own Mesas that are way expensive. You would get a better and more representative result from a group that doesn't already own a Mesa and who, presumably, cost is the reason why.
 
I work for a company that made the mistake of having some parts for our product made in China. JUNK!!!!!! Parts look correct, but because we had so many problems with them, we x-rayed them and they were garbage. If you want an amp that works for a week, go for it, have it made in China and destroy the Boogie name.
 
I think this would be a good way to give Mesa a bad name. I'm willing to pay more for a quality amp that has the tone and ability to adapt with different situations, rather than find a cheap substitute- my ears aren't gonna settle for anything less than what I want to hear. There are already so many companies that make decent sounding, low priced amps that there is no need for another one. Some might say that we're paying for the boogie name, but I think we're paying for the boogie tone and quality and regardless of the name that's on an amp, if it's well built and sounds great, it's gonna cost more than a little cash. I don't want a wal-mart boogie.
 
I really cant see any real major gain for mesa if they did that. Yes they would probably sell additional foreign made amps but unless these amps were of the same quality and standards as real mesa amps I think this could only hurt them.
Honestly I dont see mesa hurting too much with hundreds or possibly thousands of people world wide waiting for months for some custom mark4 or such.
With their high standard of quality, they already have made a big following for themselves and for entry level amps I can only say that in time many people such as myself find that entry level boogie. I believe those true entry level $300 amps are usually targeted to kids who normally have less money to spend and quite often dont pursue the guitar much farther anyways.
I personally bought and sold a few true entry level crap amps which didnt stick around very long, and because I continued to play the guitar eventually BECAUSE of mesa's known quality and fine American made amps I decided to finally try and buy a f-50 which led to a ROV which finally brought me to the stiletto deuce and 4x12 traditional.
Now I play only mesa boogie because price wise they are in my reach and they last.
So I think as long as mesa continues to produce well made inovative amps I believe the future will be promising for them.
I learned a long time ago you usually get what you pay for, and for me at least if I had the option to choose between some chinese made mesa at $600 or a f30 or 5:50 around a thousand, I know what I would buy.
DO YOU?
 
Hell no.

The thing I like about Boogie is that ALL of their stuff is high quality. I don't want to see them making a line of low-end crap like Marshall and Fender does.
 
Mesa led the way in amps back in the day. Cascading preamps, channel switching, effects loops, etc. I just can't see Randall Smith going backwards like that. Some of the innovations may have had glitches, but most of them were remedied. Hindsight is always 20/20. 8)
 
I already try to avoid using Chinese made goods as much as possible. Open up even the least expensive Mesa (I have a Subway Blues for example) and compare the innards to, oh let's say a Fender Blues Jr which is "made" in Mexico (assembled from Chinese parts). The Mesa is worth 3 times what the Fender is at least just going by the quality of the components. Not everything about Mesa products is perfect (I hate all the micro-switches on the new lines) but the intent to build quality is there. I am sure they will leave things as they are and this is good.
 
Wow! very interesting responses thus far -- seems like the board is all about keeping production domestic.

A while back, I read this article (another catalyst for my post) http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/102/open_snapper.html Mesa probably reads this board (hi mesa!!). Mesa could refer to this thread if Guitar Center (the Walmart of music retailers) ever tries to strong arm them with this option.

p.s. I dislike the micro-switches too (I own a 5:50 1x12 and used to own a LSC head)
 
The day Mesa is made in China is the day Mesa dies, in my eyes.

They are expensive for a reason, because they are hand-built by people who love playing guitar and are influenced everyday by input from guys like us. Moving it to China is counter-intuitive.
 
Nope, I hope it never happens. Mesa's are bloody **** expensive here in Australia but if you want one, you have to pay for the privilege. It should stay this way and keep the quality as high as possible (apart from popping sounds when channel switching, but alas I digress). There are plenty of other cheap **** amps that fill the budget void (not that there is void). Mesa don't need to enter this market, and if they do, their name won't be as valuable.

Ciao ...
 
I doubt very much that there aren't any parts of a Boogie made in China. The electronic parts, the screws, sockets... sooner or later China will make its way into the amps.
For current models they are already selling out by manufacturing their covers in China.
 
NO WAY !!

Mesa (for the most part) builds a high quality product, and does so in the USA. Even if the "low cost" amps were built under a different name any bad rap would hurt the mother company.

I work for a large company (500+ employees) that mass produces rifles who in the past actually entertained this very idea. When the preliminary samples came in all was good, but when the actual production samples arrived they were horriffic. They were not only cosmetically terrible, but a third of the rifles would not even function. If that product ever made it into the field our company name would have been ruined forever.

Needless to say, that idea will never be revisited.

Just look at the recalls on chinese good lately. Their products do not have a good track record.

And as mentioned in this topic, enough jobs have already been lost to overseas "cheap" labor. Keep MESA in the USA.

Dom
 
I think dom has a point and a good reference for why companies should not build or buy parts from China. I do think the american worker will have to realize that to remain competitive the workers are going to have to start making less money. Now I'm not saying dom should make less money. He works for a quality company that produces a product; like Mesa, to a specific demographic or targeted (no pun intended) consumer.

Auto companies and garment manufactures come to mind first.

Another case in point is Harley Davidson. I've owned one and was pissed off that every piece of extras I wanted to order was made in China. Looking further into the product line revealed that most of the bike, including steel components were made in China. Why? The american steel industry couldn't compete because the workers were paid at a higher rate that drove the cost of steel in the US.

It's a tough concept to grasp but it's true. No one wants to make less money, but to compete in the global market it must happen. Look what it has done to electronic industry in the US.

If Mesa were to do something like this I feel it would hurt the targeted consumer base. When guys like us start jumping ship. It's over.
 

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