Lot of broad strokes and terrible logic in this article. Boutique can be wonderful. A stock Twin or AC30 ain't bad either.
Resale of Boutique can be great, or it can be terrible.
Service and support on Boutique can be great, or it can be terrible. Will that company be there when you need the...
So this was my rig last 4th of July:
I bought the Vortex when it was being closed out for $99 a few years ago. One USB cable to the laptop for Power and MIDI.
I'm no pianist but it could be the worst feeling keybed on the market. Still though for the price, and the thrill of people losing...
Someone explained the EF86 to me as the really hot but really crazy girlfriend. An incredible time when things are working right but completely unpredictable.
It's more Bluesbreaker style. Not very High gain. Great platform for pedals and you really have to crank the master volume for it to really sing. The S100 Series from Blackstar is voiced more aggressively and performs better at lower volumes.
They sounded good to me in person. I preferred the AC and Clean models but mostly because they were more flexible. The drive was fine it just didn't do clean without pulling down the volume on the guitar itself.
They're $200. Makes a nice little backup for my AC30 if nothing else. But seriously...
Go play one. No YouTube video is ever close to the real thing.
They're loud enough to gig with into 8ohms. Saw a guy using one on Broadway in Nashville this week when I was at NAMM.
You can get a lot more low end with a properly shaped plastic cabinet. You can mold it in ways you can't with wood. But wood resonates better and sounds more musical.
Setting up an account is free and easy and saves you a ton over the marked up UPS store price. I usually just drop off at a UPS store with everything already packed and labeled.
Small mixer, small headphone amp, headphones? I find backing tracks through the PA distracting. The headphones definitely sorted us out.
Or I'd buy a small mixer and a decent powered floor monitor. You'll get more headroom for the vocals if you set it up like a stage with the speaker pointed at...