Hey, ubernatural, I think you hit on the reason that he thought the controls didn't do anything! He likely had the "Pure Direct" mode engaged.

However, it is true that modern tone controls have far less boost and cut available than the old tone controls found on '60s and '70s gear. Back then, most controls had as much as 15 dB boost and cut. Now, it's rare to see any that offer more than about 8 dB boost/cut.

Regards,

Alan Lofft,
Axiom Resident Expert (Retired)