Fender Hot Rod Series Blues Junior 15W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp  

I've played through one of these for a few years, and it's good for dirty blues or if you're looking for that retro Kinks kind of garage rock tone.      This amp does not clean up well at almost any volume, however.      There's just not a lot of low end, and it's prone to sounding muddy if you run humbuckers or turn the reverb past 1.      I'd also suggest switching the pre-amp tubes to 12AT7s if you want less mud.      I'm not a metal guy, but there's no way you could get anything close to that Mesa mid-scoop sound.      Feature-wise, there's no standby switch and no bias knob either, so you're going to get a little hum and go through power tubes more quickly than you'd expect.

On the plus side, it's a ton of volume for the price and weight.      If you're playing bar or small club gigs, the acoustics are usually lousy anyway, so attention to tonal nuance and an expensive amp is mostly wasted effort. It's a good, inexpensive option for the guitarist who has to lug his own gear and isn't playing metal or crisp, technical leads. PCB Fenders aren't exactly know for being rugged or glitch-free, but again - a decent amp for the price.