thanks for that info Shaman,
I'm not wanting a Mesa for metal, more like hard rock really to fit in with my covers band - we play mostly 70s rock stuff like Deep Purple, AC/DC, MSG, ZZ Top, Sabbath etc... but I like a bit of a fatter tone that some of those bands as I'm covering all bases on 90% of the songs with the singer playing guitar as well on a few songs.
Would have thought a JCM800 with KT88s might have been a good solution.
Never really been a huge fan of Boogies.
I've gigged a JCM800 before and my main amp is a variation on a JCM800, however I'd like something with more options for this covers band so I can cover more bases. I'm also quite keen on the concept of a 1x12 with all the tones I need and the mk series amps always sound killer when I hear people use them. Lugging a 4x12 down a flight of stairs at 11pm last night has convinced me I'm right.
I'll still gig a 4x12, but for rehearsals a nice 1x12 combo has gotta be the order of the day. Alternatively, I could just use my (backup) rack rig into a 1x12 with something like an EV12L.