Hey Axe -

Glad to hear you are starting to move on. If you know what you want, it makes sense to buy the amp first. Guitars are so hard to choose - even when you know what you want, you have to pick the particular guitar. Even within a model, each one can feel different.

I really like my Zoom pedal. I bought it for effects, but it turns out that is what I use it for least. I use the looper a lot along with the drum beats. The amp simulations work well too, so I use it to record on my PC. Oh yeah, and it has effects :-). The only ones I really use are chorus, flange, and delay. The tube screamer gets some use too.

I'm bringing it to band practice on Wed. to see how it works in that environment to see if it's up to the task. It will be awesome if it works out because it will make is so much easier for me to move through different tones for different songs.

Cheers!