I picked up a little Vox Pathfinder 15R a while back, and I’ve just gotten around to playing it seriously. I’ve got to say, this has to be the absolute best value for an inexpensive solid state amp in existence. For less than $100 you can have an amp that doesn’t insist on crappy amp modeling, or a ton of non-useful cheesy effects. It has very decent tube amp quality foot-switchable reverb and tremolo built in, and it sounds great.

You could certainly gig with this thing, and although it only has a 1×8″ Vox Bulldog speaker in it, you can plug in an external cabinet if you want, with STELLAR results. For 15 watts, this thing gets plenty loud. It’s overdrive/boost is the best I’ve ever had in a solid state amp.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive first amp, or a small practice amp, don’t waste your money on a Peavey or a Crate or any of that garbage. Get the Vox Pathfinder 15R. You won’t regret it, and you won’t grow out of it fast. (Unless you’re a metal dude, in which case you’re on your own, because this certainly isn’t a metal amp.)