Will Mesa model like Marshall?

So word on the Marshall block is that the JMD-1 contains 4 EL34s (or 2 power tubes in the 50 watt version) and 1 preamp tube along with a bunch of digital effects, available in head or combo form.

I own & enjoy my JMP-1 but am far from a Marshall fanatic. Yet I don't like Marshall's decision. I believe Marshall should stick to doing what it does best - tube amps. Hey, if they're itching for a new product, then they should produce a JMP-2 with an all-tube circuit with 4 or 5 tubes.

I was hoping that Digitech would follow up their GSP 2101 with preamp/processor featuring an all-tube circuit with 4 or 5 tubes - a real tube preamp putting out some nice tone with a host of digital effects. But alas, that did not happen. :?

I hope Mesa does not follow Marshall. With regard to preamps, the only thing I wanna see from Mesa is MIDI Studio Pre Reissue with digital controls replacing all of those knobs. And throw in a bigger reverb tank. I'd pay whatever they ask for it.

Mesa won't follow because Randall has a thing about his products being as close to 100% North American made as possible.

I doubt mesa will do that. Their thing is just making high quality tube amps. I don't think they'd get into the whole digital effects area since there's already so many doing it very well and, at least IMO, there's no reason to get locked into a particular effect unit when you can just add whatever effect units you want.

People will always be drawn to produce solid-state preamps because they make way more money than tubes. You can make the same money per unit at half the price, and sell 10X as many units. Cost of materials and labor for tube equipment is outrageous - I doubt anybody makes much money at it, even at ridiculous prices.

If I were Mesa, I would make one to get their name into the mid-price market. It would have to be really good, so that their rep is preserved, and so that the owners will feel a draw toward the real tube stuff and trade up eventually.