Practice amp? vox or epiphone

[classicrockman7]

Ok here is the deal, I am looking to get a practice/ recording amp for Christmas, I would like an amp that can be crunchy clean, (like the harder you play the crunchier it gets) but also can get distorted.

I have narrowed it down to two amplifiers. The first one Being and epiphone valve junior combo, http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_id/133542
I love the simplicity. I mean just a volume knob. That and my strat and i will be able to get any tone, (basically). Its 5 watts and tube. I played it yesterday and it was a great sounding amp. Looked bullet proof as well. its driven by a 12AX7. But no reverb...

On the other hand there is the vox pathfinder 15R
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_id/113956
which i didnt get a chance to play but has the best reviews i have ever seen on an amp. It is solid state, which is fine, but probably wont break up as well as the tube. It does have reverb which is a plus, as well as vibrato, which i could see myself using. Also it looks amazing, that white piping, and diamond front.

Both cost the same, and both are probably comparibly loud, which doesnt matter as much since im going for tone.

Thanks for the help in advance

 

[Elmo89m]

try and get your hands on the vox to play it, and then pick the one you like to play best. It doesnt matter how well other people review it, its all about how it works for you.

 

[olfunk]

i played through the very same epiphone model a few weeks ago, with a mexican tele, and it was veeery nice. you wouldn't believe it was an 8" speaker.