The Shadows & Mesa Boogie

[dave robinson]

Having gone back to Boogies for our main amps (still use Voxes for Shadows gigs) I wondered how long The Shadows used them and what, if any recordings were they used on?

[JimN]

I think, from memory, that The Shadows started using the Boogie amplifiers for the autumn 1983 UK tour. I'm sure they were using them at the Dominion in Tottenham Ciurt Road on the night that Mark Knopfler joined them on stage for Going Home.

They used the Boogies until their final planned tour in the autumn of 1990.

[dave robinson]

You're at least one year out Jim, I first saw them at Coventry Apollo in the Autumn of 1982, I have the programme which carries an ad for the Boogie and there's a photograph of a pair of Hank's specs sitting on top of one of the amps and the caption reads something like 'These fine spectacle stands are supplied by Chandlers" or words to that effect.
So if what you're saying is correct, they had at least eight years of Boogie use? I do remember them sounding great at that time.

I renewed my interest in these amps after seeing The Shadows use them when I saw David Bowie at the NEC in 1991ish and there was a Boogie on stage there. I was having trouble with my Sessionette and traded it at Electro Music in doncaster for a MkIII Boogie @ £1400. It was a great sounding amp, but very, very heavy with the EV speaker and after about five years caught fire at a gig. I had it repaired but lost faith and traded it and went into amp limbo for a while, trying Peavey, Music Man, Fender Twin (again) and settling on another Boogie MkIII head and cabinet, only to get a Fender Blues DeVille before going back to Vox which became a nightmare. This Vox was one of the Anniversary editions with leather handles and rear plaque before Marshall built them. I tried the KCP and moved that on after buying a 1964 Vox which was awesome. It's ironic that after all the money spent I returned to Vox (still have four of them) and have gone back to Boogie with the lighter Celestion single speaker for regular gigs.

[JimN]

1982 was a time when I was involved with our move south, and I didn't get a ticket for the Shads' tour that autumn. I only realised this when I saw the Hammersmith Odeon (as it was at that time) with a marquee banner telling of that night's sold out Shadows concert.

I remember that advert though: it was in use for several years in guitar magazines, etc.

[dave robinson]

1982 was a time when I was involved with our move south, and I didn't get a ticket for the Shads' tour that autumn. I only realised this when I saw the Hammersmith Odeon (as it was at that time) with a marquee banner telling of that night's sold out Shadows concert.

I remember that advert though: it was in use for several years in guitar magazines, etc.

Cool

[dave robinson]

There must have been some bad Voxes around that time because the reason that they switched to Boogie was that for the 1982 tour there had been ten Vox amps delivered and five broke down during rehearsals. The story I remember goes that Hank refused to use them ever again, though someone may know something more accurate.

[cockroach]

Quite funny - living in Australia, we don't get to see famous acts very often...

When I finally got to see 'the Master of the Telecaster' Roy Buchanan play live, he used a Strat...

When I finally saw the Shadows live- they used Mesa Boogies, and Hank had a Roland echo unit...

In both instances, they still sounded like themselves.

[George Geddes]

I remember reading the 'ten Vox' story, too, Dave. I think they were rehearsing at Nomis.

On at least one occasion when they were using Boogies, Bruce had a Dean Markley amp as a spare...

George

[ErikMAMS]

I remember reading the 'ten Vox' story, too, Dave. I think they were rehearsing at Nomis.

Actually when they went back to the new JMI Vox's for the anniversary tour it was reported from reliable source that 5 of the 6 amps that were delivered to The Shadows to the first rehearsals at Windsor blew the HT fuse. Problem was identified as something to do with the speaker wiring - which was then corrected, but nevertheless could not have been reassuring just before a tour.

Erik

[Abbeyroadie]

Just to add a little known fact (well it appears so anyway) Those amps would have stayed in their wrongly wired condition had Charlie Hall not been there on other business, spotted the and corrected the problems.