Thanks! One source I read said that the black one just uses black (stained?) wood, so it's more or less the same surface. I agree, i think the black looks cool, but the original just has so much character and I love how the controls are grouped. In any case, I decided I'm going to return it and get the original, as originally ordered. The store is only 35 minutes away, so it's not a huge loss. Just kind of annoying that I didn't notice the sticker said "PolyBrute Noir" until after I was home - I was planning on getting to know it last night because I'm busy for the next few days.