There is nothing wrong with sticking a Heavy-Metal (or similar) pedal in front of a clean tube amp and blasting away. “Metal” amps tend to be one-trick-ponies. A relatively clean/crunchy amp (like a Bassman, Deluxe, Vibro, etc) with an arsenal of pedals is far more versatile.
No disagreement there
Hi Doug,
I bought a “Blackstar Series One 45w” combo with 2 x 12" Celestions about a year ago, mainly for live playing, the best amp I’ve owned by a long shot, and I’ve had a few. Amongst other features it has a built in, infinitely adjustable power control which can bring it down to 4.5w 
.
They have many models available, not cheap, but certainly worth a look.
This one for example from their site: http://www.blackstaramps.co.uk/homepage.php?ver=uk
“The HT-1 is the perfect amp, packing all the great tone and innovative features of the award-winning HT-5 valve amp into a 1 Watt format. The patent-applied-for ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) circuit gives you infinite adjustment over the characteristics of the tone control network and takes you from the USA to the UK and anywhere in between. Add a fully specified speaker emulated output, MP3/ Line Input, plus an 8O speaker output and you have everything you need for recording or practicing.”
Cheers,
Mauri.
Hi Mauri
Yeah, I’ve seen amps like that more and more often. My local store has an Egnator mini-stack with variable wattage, and the ability to mix between “British” and “USA” tones.
After Kim turned me on to Kuassa (by listening to him use it) I downloaded it. I have no need for another ampsim in my opinion (but will check out the other two freeware ones that were mentioned in this thread). It really is that good - I record into a tube pre, and then use the Kuassa VST to add the distortion / overdrive needed.
Aloha guys,
Just to chime in on this thread.
IMHO
After years of playing everything from Mundell Lowe to Jimi
(and all kinds of stuff in between)
Most of the sound a guitarist produces is not just from gear
but from your touch.
Playing ‘electric guitar’ usually involves four different pieces of matter.
Wooden fret board
Metal frets
Plastic pick
Human flesh
After that; add amplification.
But once in balance the playing experience is ‘magical’
That’s why we call ourselves Guitar Gods!
And we are.
Get with that keyboard players.
And I am also a keyboardist. Ha!
{‘-’}
I’ve soured on the acmebargig freebie, after having listened to some great live music the other night, and having listened back to some of my Soldano recordings
curteye said, and I totally agree:
“Most of the sound a guitarist produces is not just from gear
but from your touch.”
And:
“Wooden fret board
Metal frets
Plastic pick
Human flesh
After that; add amplification.”
How about some long thin bits of wire as well 
??
I spent many years playing with a truly great bass player who could wring out a really good sound out of any amp he, for whatever reason, had to use on the road, magic!
Mauri.
Yup! Some folks just have that ‘touch’
and usually with a killer vibrato.
I get soooo jealous. 
{‘-’}
Yep! The folks who make music instead of concentrating on what our DAW can do for us, like most of us down here 