I heard the same thing about the Power Brake, although it seemed weird to me that Marshall would sell a product that it knew to be destructive to its other products. On the other hand, the THD got sterling reviews, so much so that I bought two, one for my 16 ohm cab at home and another for the 8 ohm cab I was using at work. In five years I've retubed once and replaced three fuses. Sounds like normal wear and tear to me, but I would like to know why the fuses blow every so often.

A power attenuator is a must. I use a THD Hot Plate on mine. I taught lessons with it for years and still use it at home for practice and recording. I may not gig anymore but I refuse to compromise on tone.

I have yet to find a master volume amp that sounds and responds like a non-master volume amp. That said, I would start by turning the master volume all the way up and then adjust the gain to suit my tastes. Then, when I'd had enough, I'd sell my amp and buy a Plexi.