[G50]

I know there are a lot of talented musicians here (gogar, nostatic, lots of others).

I'm nothing like you guys, but have enjoyed playing guitar since high school. Very much on an off. I've gone years and years without touching it at all.

I have an old Kramer "strat" and little Fender amp that I've had for probably 25 years. It was middling level stuff at best even back then.

I've been playing quite a bit more in the last year, and thought maybe it would be nice to treat myself to something a little better.

I don't play in public, etc. so don't need completely top level stuff.

I also have very simple tastes in music. Oddly, even though I'm in my 40s, I like stuff mostly from the 90s. Nirvana, Offspring, 311 type stuff. Simple chords, lots of crunchy distortion. Oddly, the "guitar hero" type music (VH, SRV, etc.) has never had much appeal to me.

So here's what I'm thinking:

1. Amp. when I was a kid, the guy down the street had a Roland JC120. I always thought it sounded so sweet, and have noticed over the years that lots of bands seem to use them. I was surprised they are still being made and look exactly the same as back then. I live in So Cal so there are tons of them on Craigslist, etc. Seems like an easy pickup at $400 or so. Good amp? Good price? Anything to look out for? Is it "too much" amp for living room use?

2. Guitar. I'm thinking a Fender Strat. Don't know much about them, other than the US ones are preferred? Again, tons of them on CL in my area (lots of starving musicians around here), but it makes me nervous b/c I have no idea as to the values. Am I better off just going to GC and working the best deal I can on a new one?

Thoughts appreciated! Also, if anyone has anything they are interested in selling off, let me know.