I have my trusty SuperChamp XD 15W and I can coax a lot out of it but could not match up the sound level of the band that I palyed as replacement.
I was lucky that the other guitarist is very nice guy and has a lot of equipment that I borrowed (deluxe 40W, or twin reverb 85w) and that worked. Now there is a new band in the works to start in spring 2010 and I will be THE guitar and don't have my trusty guy to borrow gear so it is shopping time (probably after Christmass prices now are crazy ).

I reckon 40W will do a job unmiked as well as miked of course and set list seems to be developing toward "classic rock" (stones, george thurgood, doors, led zep, etc) + some SRV.

So I am thinking something along these lines

1. Get a Twin Rev, similar or something Marshall (don't have much experience with them and with their clean channels). I did not like HR deluxe too muddy with my guitars no matter how I set them up.

Used market prices are around $800-1000 for Fender combos or $1500-2000 fot Marshall head and cabs.

2. Get another 1 or 2 SuperChamp XDs (they are so inexpensive and I am most familiar with them) 3x15W = 45W (I don't know would this work if they are chained into each other).

Cost is about $800 for two of these new.

Thanks for suggestions (sory about the long intro)

Hey, pal. I'll get this rollin' for you.

If you get a Twin, you are covered. You can play most any club gig (over a drummer) and not get miked.

I played a modded '66 Deluxe Reverb with a JBL that put out 44 watts to a point in a working band, but finally needed more watts. I played 2, 100 watt Twins for a while.

It is nice to have too much power. You can always turn down. If you max out an amp volume wise, you may be stuck with a tone that is too overdriven for clean chords. I love Twin Reverbs for all the headroom. You can add a distortion pedal or power attenuator, but you can't add a "clean" pedal to a dirty over-driven amp and get back to sparkling clean.

I would stay away from the wall of champs idea. It's a great recording amp
for sure.

I agree, with a twin you can always turn the volume down. After a 25 year break in havin' fun. I started playin' at a blues jam with my blues jr. in 2006, after 6 months, started gigging with a band, got a hot rod deluxe, then we started playin' outdoor bike runs and benefits and had to bump up to a twin. I like playin' clean most of the time. I hate lugging all that weight, but love the compliments on my tone. Good luck and have fun. Fender is the way to go for clean playin', plus now you got a good excuse to buy pedals.

_________________
2012 American Vintage Telecaster 1958
09 Fender american deluxe strat.
97 Gibson les paul special P90's double-cut
65 Princeton reverb re-issue
2010 Guild Gad-F40e

I agree with my fellow posters to their recommendations. I also tried out the Deluxe VM...another great choice plus it has some of the DSP features that you are familiar with from the SCXD..