I play mainly hard rock/metal, and this amp is more than I could ask for. I'm using a Jackson SL2H and an ESP Eclipse II, and they both sound equally well through the amp. The gain on this thing is pretty amazing. Without the gain boost engaged, the most gain you'll get would be an AC/DC- ZZ Top sound. With the gain boost engaged, you can get most any metal sound, (Lynch, Van Halen, DiMartini, etc..) but you'll have to add a pedal to get the ultra gain scooped nu-metal sound. I'd have to say the distortion is not as honky as a Marshall, and not as dark as a Mesa, but has a unique quality all it's own. With the gain and volume cranked, there is some hiss, but much less than a Marshall or Mesa. I normally don't worry about the clean channel, but this amp does a remarkable job. Very clear and clean, with tons of headroom. Not as sparkly clean as a Fender, but with a nice chorus pedal, very nice. The EQ's for both channels are VERY responsive, and can make a world of difference in the tones you can make. On my Marshall, I normally dime everything out, but with this amp it was way too much. After some tweaking out some of the highs, this thing purrs. The texture switch on the back was intriguing to me, but the difference is very subtle. According to the handbook, it's supposed to allow a more cranked sound at low volumes, and actually reduces the overall volume by 60%. It also tends to make the sound a little flabby as well, so there's a sweet spot you need to find with it.