Not all original Sound City amps were created equal. The early ones up through the Mark III I believe are basically Hiwatts, if not built quite as well. They're really rare in the US and I've only ever seen one or two of them. The later Mark IV Sound City amps are much more common, and I absolutely agree with you as far as how they sound. The ones I've played were really bright and had an almost solid state clean tone, while overdrive was harsh and fizzy.