igfraso said:
You think as a musician. Most probably, Randall Smith thinks as a businessman.
No, that's where you're wrong. I think like a musician
and an entrepreneur - much like I assure you Randall Smith does, and you'd most certainly have to think like both collectively in order to successfully run a music related company the way Mesa has for 40+ years.
igfraso said:
In the same way he himself explained how the Lonestar Classic is based on the Mark I - and he didn't spend 33 years of R&D over the Mark I to come out with the LS -, most probably he didn't need to spend 15 years of R&D on the Triaxis to come out with the Mark V.
Of course no amp company reinvents the wheel every time they make a new amp. Plus, no one said it would take 15 years of R&D. The Mark V is a culmination of 40 years of amp making in the business.
igfraso said:
Do you really think that when you issue a new Mark model you start designing it from scratch??? That wouldn't be very clever!!You would rather use some time-proven bits of circuits, sort of "building blocks", in order to come out with an improved amp.
Do you really think that putting multiple questions marks or exclamation points at the end of sentences gets a statement across louder? No, the Mark V wasn't created from scratch, and again...no one said it was. Yes, you would use reference points...oh, like maybe the Mark I, IIC+, IV, etc...as starting points, especially considering it has those modes in it?
igfraso said:
Also, why would you release a Mark V back in 1994, when you have a very successful product like the Mark IV in the market that is selling like fresh baked bread??? Would you shorten the life of such a product or will you milk it up to the last drop???
Think as a business man...
By the mid-90's, the Mark IV's were most certainly not "selling like fresh baked bread." The Recto was getting in full swing and dealers started phasing out Mark IV floor units for that very reason - they weren't selling. By the late 90's, Mark IV's were being shopped around really low prices used, Mark III's I was being offered at $450 - $500, and I picked up 2 Marshall JCM 800's back then for $400 each because people were trying to get rid of them - everyone wanted the "Recto sound."
So yes, a good 10 years ago would have been a wonderful time to release a new Mark amp...from a "business point of view."
igfraso said:
I guess the Triaxis is a very successful amp. It has been in the market since 1990 and has outlived the Mark IV. It is still being built nowadays. I believe it is the longest-lived amp in Mesa's history... people must be very happy with it.
I actually love the Triaxis...I should, I've owned 6 of them... :lol: Funny thing about the Triaxis, probably a good 3-5 months ago (don't remember exactly when), a buddy - who is endorsed by Mesa - called up his rep to get a Triaxis and was told it was being discontinued. However, it was never removed from the site afterwards and we've heard to the contrary since. So, I don't know why his rep thought the Triaxis was being discontinued. Must have been some chatter going on about it for him to get that impression.
I have no doubts the Mark V is going to be a great amp. Mesa has never disappointed me yet, and I'm sure the V will be no exception. I'm sure the Triaxis was the inspiration in terms of the modes included, but I think the modes will be closer to the actual amps than they are the Triaxis modes. Petrucci thought the IIC+ mode was nearly spot on to his IIC+ heads, and though I've owned IIC+'s myself, I'm sure he's spent more time with a IIC+ in a band situation than I ever will. Who am I to argue?
Once we get some V's in our hands and try them for ourselves and get more information, we'll know for sure. We could be 100% right, or 100% wrong. Who knows? We're all just speculating at this point.
