Hi rodders3,
I'm sorry to hear of your difficulties with this product,
This rack is designed this way so that the shelves don't vibrate, providing better acoustic isolation of your equipment.
Yes, this does mean you will have to undo all of the shelves from the bottom up if you wish to place this shelf second from the top.
If you would like some assistance in assembling this you're more than welcome to call us at the Thornbury store on 03 9999 7717 and we'd be more than happy to help you through the process over the phone.
Kind regard