[Spridgets] Randall Smith Races a 1971 Chevron

[Kirk Hargreaves]

I hang with Randy from time to time each year at the Vintage Wine Country
Classic.

As a reference book on all things Mesa Boogie, we get along great.

He lets me have my Mesa gear worked on for free. .  the factory is not too
far from me.

I can bring a Fender amp too. .  but don't think I would try to bring him a
Marshall!

Mike Bendinelli who is tied as closely to Mesa nearly as much as Randy
continues to be his top tech.  They both started out together in a greyhound
racing shack that they originally set up for producing the first Mark I's.

He also has some very interesting stories from the late 1960's when he first
started. .  the bands he worked with in San Francisco run the gamut from the
Dead to Randy California and Spirit.

Randy races a 1971 Chevron with a Cosworth. . The car was once driven by
Nikki Lauda.

Randy not only wins every time he competes. .  he wins by a good half lap.
Once while watching him take the lead his engine guy told me that Randy will
do this every time (win by a half lap) or blow the engine. . whichever comes
first.

Randy is one of the nicest guys you would ever want to talk too.

He stopped producing the Blue Angel due to only selling 700 of that model a
year.  I guess that is is break point on whether he stops production on a
model or not.  I had a Blue Angel, great amp. .  but kind of different.  It
allowed you to run with 6V6's, or EL84 tubes or a combination of all.  To
this day, Kevin Eubanks, the guy who is the guitarist for Jay Leno continues
to play through a Blue Angel.

He does not use Cad Cam for designing his circuits, but rather draws them
out by hand in his home in Santa Barbara.  I think he owns a couple or three
homes.

He loves to talk about new designs that he is putting together. .
fascinating guy to talk too.

Especially the story of Carlos Santana jumping ship from his long time Mesa
Mark I to using a new Dumble that Carlos paid 16 thousand dollars for.  (He
bought two of them at 32k).   After Randy called him - fairly long story -
Carlos went back to using his Mark I along with a "Y" out to the Dumble.

Carlos, who orignally coinded the term "Boogie" in relationship to one of
Randy's first modified Fender Princetons has of course been a great
advertisement for Mesa Engineering. .  as well as current
players such as John Petrucci of the G3 guitar concerts. .  John plays the
G3 circuit with Satriani and Steve Vai.

Kirk