I treat my archon as a single channel amp, as I have yet to find an amp that responds better to volume pot roll. It's quite fun discovering new things about non Mesa amps!
My late 70's JMP 50 watt gave me the best no frills rock n roll sound ever...just wasn't versatile. Sounded great though...straight in with a SD-1 for solos...Bad Horsie Wah and a Phase 90...FTW!!!! Can you tell the drummers girlfriend was filming?? lol
Had a JTM45 for a bit but I think it was before I was ready for a single channel. Had a PT20 and really enjoyed simplicity. Love working the guitars volume for cleaning up tones. I took it back because some of the Smallbox vids posted here really floored me so I took it back. I think a DS mini may be in the short future though
My only single ch amp in my stable is a JCM800 2203 w/6550's. There is something to say about simplicity of the circuit. Yes, pretty much a one trick pony but its 100% effective 100% of the time and takes pedals out front fine. I used to gig with multiple 2203's/2204's and you'll be surprised in how versatile that can fake em especially having one set for lo input and low gain for clean/delay stuff and jazzy chord melody stuff. From my POV a lot of multi channel amps not all of the chs really usable channel anyway. So they may do 2-3 channels "pretty good" but not do everything great.
I'd rather use multi amps that a singe multi channel amp. Having said that if I had to gig tonight I'd probably bring a Bogner 101B and VHT 50 CL
My Yeti, Chupacabra, and Hydra are all single channel. And they're awesome. Even when I had a 4-channel Diezel VH4, I really only used Channel 3 and just used my guitar's volume control. Cleans? Please.
Mini Dirty Shirley. I was gigging a Smallbox the last 2 years and found myself using the plexi channel 80-90% of the time. I played Diezel, Bogner and Mesa before switching to Friedman. Love the simplicity. Single ch. with boost and the real tone is in the hands. If your a stickler about prestine cleans try running a compression pedal in the loop, pop it on my you roll your volume back.
I have a bunch of them...probably my favorite "style" of amp.
Depending on the gig, I have an old Deluxe Reverb (small room), a Matchless Chieftain (larger stage), or a Trainwreck Express (higher gain situations) that I use in rotation.