this is a discussion forum so let’s discuss our respective positive outcomes.
I’ve had my deliverance 60 (built ca. 2007?) for over 15 years and pittbull 50/cl (late 90s?) for maybe about a year less than that. the only trouble I’ve ever had is the pittbull had a cap in the negative bias circuit go bad when some tubes failed. lots of rehearsals, recording sessions, a few gigs here and there. always performed admirably.
the most impressive thing to me is that to this day I continue to find new ways to set the amplifiers up to get new sounds with my guitars. every guitar sounds utterly different. I’m sitting here typing this with my guitar strapped on because I was just able to dial in the d60 to almost get the sound I had previously gotten with the pittbull, which is something I’ve never achieved before, after owning these for 14 years. sometimes I plug in my 400 series esp strat and I’m transported, other times my 80s jacksons and it’s a different world. and when those new sounds get dialed in, it’s sort of like I get to peer into the soul of the designer and understand what he was going for. of course, that flexibility comes at a cost, and sometimes it takes a little bit of time to experiment and really dial in sounds you want. the amps almost remind me of studio gear, where a slight change in settings is the difference between a “passable” sound, and the greatest sound you ever heard. one other thing, which is an old story at this point, but the power load IR has had a big impact on me being able to discover new sounds. I was never afraid of cranking the amps at home, rehearsal, etc., but cranking them in the room is a completely different story than cranking them in a controlled environment. and I don’t have a sound proof recording room in my house, so the pl/ir is the only way for me to feasibly get that controlled environment.
anyway, I know there are people out there whose stories go longer and deeper than mine, so let’s hear them!