This topic is near and dear to my heart.
I have been working on this for a long while...here's the upshot.
When I play, I do it professionally..and the truth is THE VOCALS are more important than the guitar. So that limits how loud the guitar is going to be...or needs to be.
I play everywhere from small places to BIG Rooms (600 people..like an aircraft hanger..) so I need a guitar situation that can adapt to the situation.
I tried an rm50..but It never sounded all that good to me..the loop sucked and only 2 modules was limiting. I dont go for that. I tried a rm22 and while it is great recording amp...its not quite loud enough for the big rooms. And still, only 2 slots.
So I use an rm4 and rt 2/50 for the biggest gigs (with a Gmajor for Fx)and a Hughes and Kettner Switchblade combo (built in basic Fx) for the smaller rooms. Anything in between I use the H/K and bring an extra speaker cab...works out well,imho.
I never wasted my time on power attenuators..to me..whats the point?..if you need one..YOU BOUGHT THE WRONG AMP,CHAMP.
And pedals for authentic overdrive almost always suck. Trust me..I own a S***Load of them. Great for recording, not practical for live use.
I used to play in a very loud band where my rm4 rig had trouble keeping up with the drums and bass (these guys were INSANELY LOUD)..and I left the band. Its just unprofessional the way some people play music. I could never hear ANYTHING because I had hearing protection in at all times..and I still woke up the next day with ringing!!!!!
Just ridiculous. I have found that you will never really need a 100 watt amp professionally. In truth, a true 50 watt amp is the max..more than that just F's -up the monitor mix..and is a hassle to transport,anyway.
But we live in a weird time,most people who buy gear don't play professionally...they have weird ideas on what they "need". And the BS salespeople and the companies will endlessly enjoy the cycle of gear that people go thru. But look at true pros..and its always just a few names that always come up..Fender,Marshall, etc..there is a reason. And so often its only a handful of specific models, too (a Deluxe Reverb,a Marshall Plexi etc)..there is a reason for this. They produce good tones at proper volumes,professionally.
But back on point: the good news is:You will have to use a ligh,low wattage amp (your back can thank me later..)..and you;ll have to run it somewhere between 2-5...which is the sweet spot almost always. The good news is...you won't need a second speaker cabinet unless you play really big rooms. You just have to put your amp on a chair, so that it's aimed at your ears..NOT your ankles. And the good news is..this is all cheaper and better for you than wasting time at GC or some other big box store seeing if uncle Bruce has finally decided to make what you need. Life is short, it is faster and better to learn how to use solid professional gear that is time proven than to wait for something else, or someone else to remedy the tone-volume thing. 20-50 watts is the deal,folks.
..and yeah, If I need to do a rig-check I rent a rehearsal studio and tweak away at high volumes..this way, when I work in band setting I am not wasting other people's time (which is money) with my gear woes.
thanks for reading this...I hope you were up for a dissertation.
Carry on... GtrGeorge
now lets go back to comparing and contrasting the use of pentode rectification in 200 watt Marshall Majors, because that's what we need in our bedrooms to play Smoke on the Water, correctly. (just had to be a little funny here...)