Next step: Use a separate pre-amp with Rachel to see what might be accomplished. I am still working on the battery powered pre-amp that has not much gain, but has some unusual tone controls that I want to try out. Instead of boosting bass and treble, they trim the midrange so that the bass/treble sound louder comparatively. It will be awhile, since I am presently recapping a Carver C4000. There is always something that people send my way for such work. Customers first, then maybe me.

 Aha! She slipped away in the night without warning. Alas, you found her. Ok, so the switches were added by me to help integrate the Rachels output with a sub that I was using at the time. The frequency is set for a rolloff at 70 hz, at 6 db per octave. IIRC, the 'on' position for these switches is toward you, and as you have probably noticed, there is a center position that is effectively a mute position, while the position most away from you is without the filter. This is the position that is most used actually.
 Also, you may have noticed that one of the sets of RCA jacks is used for sub out, but again, that is something rarely used, since, a more preferred way to use that feature is to connect to the speaker outputs and then to the sub amp.
 BTW, your new set of tubes shipped yesterday.

thanks for the update 4krow
what did you mean by new tubes shipping yesterday? Are you refering to joespride at audiokarma, who I bought this from?

Jeff,

 Oh no, no, I don't know of an alter ego, though I can't always account for hours of lost time. The local bank was robbed last week, but that really has nothing to do with me waking up a few days later covered in purple money.