I know what you guys are saying, and I did qualify the volume issue. The bottom line is, I have yet to play an amp that has a basic tonal structure that I didn't dig at lower levels or in a guitar store, etc... that then blew me away later. All tube amps sound best at impractical store volumes. This amp is probably great for some people but it is the tonal opposite of a Mesa Mark series, which is "my sound". Not worse, not better, just different. There was no doubt about the quality level of this amp with the clarity, and pristine clean channel. I would describe the tone of the amp as a recto/slo hybrid tone but with tons more gain than either. An example of the gain is if I had my Mark 3 on the lead channel with both gain and input volume on 10, the Bogner would be the same gain at 11 o'clock! After 1 o'clock it gets really compressed. Like I said, I dug it, but I'd probably dig how it sounded better in another player's hands that plays this style of amp. If I had the extra cash, I'd buy it just to see if you guys were right! :lol: I gotta say, a few people who've told me this amp is the turd of Bogners are either tone deaf or probably dimed the gain and ran it at bass 10 mids 0 treble 10 presence 10. If you like Recto's, you'd like this amp. I liked the tone I got when I dimed the mids, gain noon, treble off, bass noon, presence noon. :twisted: :twisted: