Well Gents it's like this...
The rack gear most of us have has already been on the road quite a bit and it's taken it's beating. The real question is: How much more can it take before it's beyond repair? I have plenty of ADA gear that I need to get to a repair shop or get into it with a soldering iron myself, (if I can handle it).
With the Fender amps I have, I can take them out to gigs and they seem to be pretty robust. Plus, they offer me the flexibility to shape my sounds any way I want them with relatively little fuss. I have to admit they are a lot more compact to haul around then my rack gear. I'm still fussing around with the Cyber-Twin's editing, but eventually, I'll get it down to where I might only have one combo to take to a gig, and have all the sounds I want in it, which would be cool.
@ Richard: You just proved my point with your MP-1's. Obviously, they are in need of some repair, just like some of my gear. Sure, I could take my MP-2 rig out like before, but do I want to? Most places here are downsizing amps to around 20-30 watts, so even my Cyber-Deluxe rig is way more powerful than what is becoming acceptable out there. Fortunately for me, I'm not afraid to turn down the Master volume and tweak the edits to sound better at lower volume levels.
This is why I'm currently building pedal boards that can be used through any good sounding amps, regardless of power rating, but can also be just as good sounding going amp-less if need be.
Harley