ok guys, so i spent some of today playing with the amp and REALLY paying attention. basically the only 'issue' i see is when switching the loop on and off. there is a small pop but its mechanical not tonal, kinda reminds me of when u switch channels on a RECTO and they pop.
Otherwise the tone is great and there is ONE awesome factor that helps a lot. The High/ Low input. The low sounds like a standard 5150 not pushed and the High gives a +6db boost which tightens up the amp and gives the tone u get when using a OD pedal with it. I tried using a boss OD1 on it and it had the same effect in LOW input as it did without a boost on HIGH. So this amp is a 5150 WITH optional boost. the clean channel is actually quite nice as opposed to what you'd expect from this amp due to price and being High Gain. ALSO, the reverb is memorized. If our on clean and you want verb, you switch it on, then on LEAD its OFF if u had it off originally. So you don't have to tap dance Razz
So overall with a 12 month warranty, 3month tube warranty, I say for $700 (This would be the average haggle price) this amp is worth checking out. Tone is 8.4/10, Build quality *external* 7.5-8/10, Overall 8/10
If it dies within a year I'll use the warranty get my money back and buy a used 6505. if it doesn't then it's a great amp