It's versatile - it's loud. I'm in a covers band and play lots of different styles, so I love the 36 user-definable presets. Of course the amp simulations don't sound exactly like the real thing! But they're fairly close. I used to lug around a vintage AC30 but it's very heavy, very noisy and very fragile. This is lighter, more reliable and quieter. You'd also have to add a fair aray of stomp boxes to get anything like the range of sounds available here. Fo live work, I would recommend the addition of the FBV Express pedalboard (or the FBV Shortboard). It adds a volume/wah pedal and allows you to switch between the 4 sets of stored settings in a bank.

If you're looking for that sweet valve-amp sound, you won't quite get it with this amp. But to get any closed you're going to have to pay a lot more! Highly recommended.