Originally Posted by: Pete KimbrellI am definately not opposed to using a stomp box such as a tube screamer or a Boss OD pedal. I know I am probably asking a little too much versatility in an amp. It's just that I am not currently in a band or anything, but I want something that sounds good jamming at the house, but has the umph to play small gigs with a drummer.

I was thinking last night, I have two amps (a Marshal Valvelstate and a Fender M80) and almost never use them for practicing now.

A few months ago I picked the IK Multimedia USB Stealth Plug and use that for all my practicing. It comes with X-GEAR which is pretty cool because you can mix and match 2 amp models in it. I'm very impressed with it considering I got it for $99. They give you the basic rigs and effects but that's really quite a lot already.

It's good for practicing because it has a stand alone application that allows you to open up as an independent program and play. It also has a 'Speed Trainer' section that allows you to open an audio file (song) to learn songs and has a feature that you can loop a section you want to focus on (although I've never used Speed Trainer for that...). It has a bunch of included other software but also has a free download of some groove loops (I chose a drum loop pack) that you load in to Speed Trainer and can use to play along. Very good to use for ideas or even getting used to playing 'in time'.

Also, since it's amp modeling, it integrates with just about any DAW out there including MAC's Garageband.

So, enough of my sales job. Thought I mention it because, since I live in a townhouse and my neighbors to the right are an older couple, silence is golden. Still, I need to rip it up once in a while and I put on the headphones and fire up X-GEAR.

Key is that I've been able to get really good tones from it and I am a classic tone seeker that is never pleased therefor hard to please.