Lunchbox Amps: Lunchbox amps seemed to get their start with the Orange Tiny Terror; a great 15 watt amp that I used for quite a few years. Seemingly every amp manufacturer has a piece of this pie these days. Mini versions of Marshall and Mesa Rectifiers are quite common, and these amps can push a full 4x12 cab. That said, one must consider what they are trying to achieve with these. The majority of these use EL84 power tubes, which in our experience get you some great British high-gain sound. The Tiny Terror did this in spades, as do some of the Marshall offerings.
Orange has increased their line to include a Dark Terror which is voiced to be a bit darker than the original. They also include a Dual Terror, which is a 30 watt version of the Tiny Terror with 2 channels. The downside to the Dual Terror is it's 2 channels are the same, and each channel is kind of a one-trick pony.
The one we weren't too keen on was the Mesa Mini Rectifier. A key to Rectifier sound is the 6L6 tubes and the bassy sound. The Mini Rectifier doesn't quite nail that sound. The other aspect of the Mesa mini heads is there's way too many switches on these, and the simplicity is lost.
Jet City also has a lunchbox amp that gives some great high-gain sound, and is definitely worth a try. There's been some mixed reviews on the Egnater stuff, but we've been rather impressed with their sound as well.
Combos: There have seemingly been combo versions of stacks since stackable amps have been coming out. That said, we've never found a combo version of a Marshall that quite captures the sound of its big brother. One band I was in had a guitarist with a JCM 900 combo that just sounded shrill. The sound of a head on a 4x12 cab doesn't translate in a combo with an open back. At the same time, a halfstack isn't gonna sound like a Twin Reverb. Some look to combos as a less expensive way to get their sound. Combos are compact, but good ones aren't necessarily cheaper. Generally, we look at combos as a good foundation to build on with pedals, and this seems to be a popular way for guitarists to get their sound. Also, combos aren't always low-power or light-weight.
For a good clean sound, something like a Fender Twin Reverb is always a trusty go-to, as well as the Deluxe. The Bassman is a great pallet for sound as well. These do clean well, but are not low-power so much. Our feeling on clean sound is it's better to have power on tap. More power leads to clean sound without break-up at low volumes. Some of the modern Fender offerings seem to work as well, such as the Hot Rod and Blues amps. The Hot Rod does clean and reverb well enough, but the overdrive on these are harsh, and we prefer the overdive sound on the Blues, particularly the Blues DeVille.
Now for those looking for highgain sound from a combo, the Vox AC15's and AC30's are a great sound for a price that is not ridiculous. There's some stigma about these being made overseas, but if you're a hand-wired zealot, there are hand-wired options... at a higher cost. These get a bright British crunch, the crunch that made the Vox combos famous, and do so at 15 or 30 watts. These are amps that have noobs say "That's loud for a 15/30 watter!!". That said, they are designed for crunch, not clean. To those that whine about the clean on a Vox, I say again, they're designed for crunch, not clean.
For those who have the funding, there are seemingly countless boutique and private builders with some great offerings as well. Matchless is a name we've been familiar with for decades. As kids, we could never understand why anyone would pay $2000+ for an amp that only has less than 15 watts. Since then, we obviously grew taste, learned about clarity, and learned appreciation for construction. The sound and construction on these are superb, as are many of the other small builders. A dream amp of mine is actually a Matchless Club 30 head with matched 2x12 cab, a great throwback to the old piggy-back amps. Bad Cat is another amp that thrills us as well (started by a Matchless designer). There are also several others, but these are the ones we have played, and fell in love with.
Another thing worth mentioning on this subject is the EH 44 Magnum. This is a 44 watt solid state "head" in the shape of a pedal. We have heard the 22 Caliber worked quite well, and had a great sound. We; being tube zealots, looked at these as a nice backup for when your head went to hell.
To Sum It Up: The trend has fallen from the halfstack considerably. Insiders have told us halfstack sales are extremely low, and at the local Guitar Barn, there are no high-end 4x12 cabs on the floor, even though there are pro-line heads. The search for tone has definitely drifted into the low-watt arena, and smaller seems to be the way people are moving.
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