I've played different amps and it seems that once you put peddles, chorus boxes, distortion and compression through them the only thing that differentiates most of what I can hear is whether it is a tube or a solid state am.
I started with a 64 or 66 Fendere Vibrolux Reverb and liked it a lot, but I was still new to playing (about 8 years when I got it) and it was my first electric to go with it (a 64 to 66 original Epiphone Riviera). The problem was that I never spent the time to learn about proper set up or adjustments for intonation or pickups and lived with what I had or experimented until I felt lost after screwing things up.
Now 40 something years later after playing different styles, I understand more about woods, pickups, matching tubes and the size of amp I need to achieve the sound that satisfies me (but may not be the sound I'm looking for).
Last December I found a 1994 original Fender tweed Blues Deluxe on E-bay. They reissued the amp sometime after 97, but the 94 Blues Deluxe was to be a reissue of an early Blues DeVille I believe. At any rate, I got a good buy on the amp and had it shipped from Tennesee to California where I live.
I love the sound of the amp since just before this I was playing on a 15 watt solid state Peavey and never really happy with it.
My goal on an amp is to get it to clip (distort) cleanly at lower volumes. 40 Watts is plenty for studio or small clubs - but at 56 years old, I'm playing for pleasure and it's been too long since I've done any playing in public.
I just finished a complete set up and neck adjustment on my 97 Bluesbird and everything came alive for me. Still, the Amp needs something and it may be that the tubes are not matched or certified as to where they will clip. I understand that it is possible to put tubes in that push have the power so that they will distort at lower volumes, but by raising the pickups and adjust them, they seem hotter and punch out more at a lower volume.
The point is that I think most guitars and amps will do the job. I own my Bluesbird because I can't think of a finer quality instrument for the money - there was no skimping on these Westerly RI built instruments and the pickups are great (I have the Duncan SH-1's but admittedly never play the P90's to compare). My first Epiphone had Humbuckers that I assume were PAF's back in 64 but since they were never properly set up, I was young and inexperienced and needed the time to learn.
The Fender Blues Deluxe has more power than I need, but it is the tube warmth and a balanced set of strings that come close to making the sound I want to achieve.
So what's good? It's a very subjective question and we are all on a quest to find the combination of variables that we strive to hit to enrich our experience and provide the incentive to continue playing. In my case - Finger style, Chicago Blues, Celtic, English, Delta - I love it all and if the instrument gives me the tonal flavor that turns me on, I am inspired by it. You have to work to achieve it in most cases as it does not come off a shelf or out of a box. Tweak!