Metallica’s James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett Star In New Video Celebrating Mesa/Boogie Amps
Guitar greats Hetfield and Hammett Metallica reflect on their first encounter with Mesa/Boogie’s Mark I guitar amp.
Metallica duo James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett and Dream Theater’s John Petrucci are among the guitar greats who reflect on their first encounter with Mesa/Boogie’s Mark I guitar amp in a new seven-minute video celebrating the Mesa/Boogie company’s 50th anniversary.
In the video, Mesa/Boogie founder and president Randall Smith offers his perspective on the impact of his landmark discovery, the cascading high gain pre-amp and the contribution the Mark I became to guitar amplification. Smith also shares the passion that drove him on to continuing refinement throughout the Mark II’s evolution during the 1980s. You can check out the video below.
From the early inspiration and beginnings in the late ’60s and early ’70s, through the “Big 80s” and guitar culture sea change of the ’90s, up through the new Millennium and today, Smith and his team of fiercely passionate “bandmates,” as he calls them, have contributed every major feature found on modern amplifiers and a universe of iconic tone to the sound of the electric guitar, changing it forever.
From inventing the pivotal high gain pre-amp in the first Mesa/Boogie Mark Is, to footswitch able modes and effects loops in the Mark IIs, to multi-channel/multi-mode preamps in the Mark IIIs, IVs and Vs and dual rectifiers, to the several patented tuneable tube power, wiring and operating class configurations found throughout, the innovation and pioneering spirit has remained at the forefront of the small Northern California company’s ethic.
Last Monday, 23 March, Metallica launched a new online concert series, ‘Metallica Mondays’, where the band streamed the complete video of one of their live shows for fans on the group’s YouTube channel and on Facebook every week.
The heavy metal giants said: “While we’re all doing our part and staying home, we find ourselves missing live music, so how about we dive back into a few of our favourite shows at a socially responsible distance? Not to sound too cheesy, but now more than ever, we’re in this together, and staying connected is how we’ll get through it. With that in mind, we’re bringing a series of Live Metallica shows right to your couch!”
Listen to the Best of Metallica on Apple Music and Spotify.
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