The unexpected part for me was how fantastic the cabs are. I was familiar with Andy’s outstanding work with the amplifiers from the Genz Benz days. The further refinements / improvements and listening to players input on features have produced absolutely awesome amps.
But, the cabs were wholly unexpected; and to a certain extent came out of left field. So, I was a bit late to that party. But, I definitely consider them game changers, with their combination of portability and performance. Class by themselves. Which is saying a lot, because there are some amazing cab designers out there.
Engineering School. Hmmm… I chose to do a “new” engineering program, which became known as Engineering Physics. Due to some earlier medical issues, I had flunked out of liberals arts school; and when I got that sorted out, my engine school waived the distribution requirements. I was on a mission to put large solar satellites in space; and at that time the technical roadblock was photovoltaic conversion efficiency. Anyhow, I took all of the undergrad physics core courses, except nuclear physics, AND all the ME and EE core courses. The Engineering courses required a lot of work; but, a couple of the Physics courses were by far the hardest. Orbital Mechanics, the first 400 level class is probably the biggest mind blower. The Quantum Mechanics class, as we later figured out, was taught by a professor who actually didn’t understand the topic; and so made digestible material indigestible. Many all nighters on that one. In EE, the professor for Solid State devices couldn’t speak English. Lectures were basically a study hall one attended to exchange paperwork, and find out when exams were held; but just a bizarre scene with 110 students doing other work while this person ranted and raved up on the lecture hall stage. Fortunately the text book allowed self teaching.
Ahhh, the good old days.
A footnote is that when I got to graduate school, the Varian labs two blocks away solved the photovoltaic efficiency problem about two weeks after we arrived. I was disappointed, due to my goal being already attained, but waiting for the big hoopla that should have happened. Dead silence. Then, 5 months later the Hoover Institute issued a report blowing up the whole concept on the basis that when we go to war, the first strategic target is the power system; and guess what, large solar arrays in space are virtually indefensible.
Well I took my degree 5 years later and mainly invented materials and processes that are on the chips these days. But, it stays with me that for 40 years we have had the technology for clean and virtually unlimited energy; but, we don’t use it because we can’t get along with each other. Turns out we are our own worst enemies.
Anyhow, from the retirement peanut gallery, the Mesa gear has made my retirement gigging experience a marvelous thing. Thanks Andy and Mesa!
