I would buy it. It's not a super early 3 channel head because it has the "Loop Active" label above the Solo and Master Volumes. The early ones had 1 triode that wasn't used. I want to think it was V1B. After that, they started using it for something, but I can't remember what it was for. I...
Roth hasn't been relevant since the 80's. He's an old man that clings to his past success. What has he done lately other than run his mouth?
I actually liked VHIII, but I don't have herd mentality. They should have stuck with him.
The preamp is not that different from a Rev C Dual Rectifier. The controls act pretty much the same in the Modern Red mode and an SLO. The power sections are different.
I had 2 of the 2203x heads about 15 years ago. They were all right, but they were only going for about $1k back then. When it came time to buy another 2203, I had one built for me. It has a Mercury O100-JM OT in it, and it sounds and feels great.
I only liked the 3 singles off of Hybrid Theory: "Papercut"; "One Step Closer" and "Crawling" ... The radio ran "Crawling" into the ground.
Anyway, good for them to keep carrying on doing whatever it is they decide to do. That's all that matters at the end of the day after what they had to...
You guys are cheap bastards! I have a guy out of Iceland that harpoons only the finest ice from icebergs! My 'nads have gotten larger (i think), and my speakers love it!