With your price range and experience I would suggest looking into amp modelers like Line6 Spider 212 or Crate makes some that are also 100+ watts. They are extremely versitile and you can get tons of different tones. Great for when you want to change directions or go for a different style at the press of a button. Just check em out. I have a Spider 212 which I've done some live stuff with, it has been very trustworthy and I can change sounds-effects all with my floor board. I get raves about my tones they are really very professional sounding. Good Luck with your search.