Quote (Automatica @ May 28 2011 11:57am)
Solid states sound passable at bedroom volumes, but they can't hold up in a band situation really, they just don't cut it sound wise, which is why I stick with my mesa
OP: you could also look at the Epiphone Valve JR stack or combos, and just throw a quality overdrive/distortion in front of it, they actually sound quite good.
It depends on the solid state, but you need a lot more watts. I can't tell you the brands, but I know musicians who swear by solid states just for reliability, and they're serious about tone.