Talk me out of buying this

[Rev. Rye]

Well, I'm a musician who focuses on electric guitar.

Having produced my home demos, I get where you're coming from. But when I'm playing a solo, my only concern is being inside the moment. And that means that even when producing a little demo, I chose my instruments carefully so that the rig inspired and didn't hinder. If the amp doesn't respond to my touch as I wish, that's a distraction at the very instant I need to be inside the moment.

To each his own I suppose. Software works great for me and not lugging 100lb amps sure as shit works for my back.

Or you can just take a Pignose, plug it into the PA, and rock away. It's what Frank Zappa liked to do, it's what Eric Clapton did on "Layla," (well, at least the crunchier rhythm sounds; some of the cleaner sounds were done with a Champ, and Duane apparently had his own Champ), and it's what I tend to do when playing my Cigar Box Guitar electrically.

See Frank showing off his:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q0nImsfMvE

Or, if the Pignose doesn't appeal, you can do the same with a Fender Super Champ X2. 15 Tube watts (with loads of classic amps modeled) that can be jacked directly into the PA. Honestly, with the inroads in amp miking technology made in the days since the first Stacks were made, they're more or less obsolete. (Also, note: the amp through which Neil Young puts most of his guitar tone is a 1959 Fender Deluxe, which, stock, puts out 15 watts, and, while it's reported [but unverified] that the tubes were beefed up to be as much as 25 watts, research tells me this wouldn't actually make it much louder. He still has no trouble filling arenas with his guitar sound.)