Easy guys. Take your corners.
I'm now better edumacated on the various amp sounds available. I've listened to dozens of recordings, to my bandmate's Vox AC30, Fender Princeton 68, and Fender Super Champ, and to a music shop employee on a Fender Mustang 40 GT.
I believe that for what I do, a modeling amp is gonna fit the bill. I hear the musical sag, and the oddly warm sparkle of tubes when run quite loud, but the cost analysis fails me right now.
So I'm pretty sure I've decided on a Boss Katana 100/50/0.5 W head. That'll give me five main amp "flavors", and a whole truckload of Boss engineered effects at bedroom volumes, and the ability to power a cabinet if needed, and a recording output.
Thank you very much for your input.