haha, imnsho. Priceless, man.
I wouldn't be at all worried about gigging with a 22-watt mesa. I owned a rocket-44 for a while, which, while granted pushed about double the wattage, also never was turned up more than three or four for the loudest gigs I ever played, and I've played with some pretty loud bands. And my
Mesa Nomad-45 may actually be louder than my old TSL-100 driving a recto 2x12 cab- haven't had the balls to completely unleash it yet, but it's capable of devastating output.
And anyway, there'x a lot to be said for an amp that can be pushed fairly hard for a gig, without moving so much air that it'd be unfeasable to mic it.
As for the "muddy" thing, there's two types of guitarists, I've noticed. Those that like marshall-style crunch, and those that like mesa-style chunk. I've always felt that, even the most bass-eavy marshalls I've ever played, the emphasis was really more on the lower mids than the bass- the lead channel on the TSL was the closest I've ever heard, but even with the deep switch enguaged, I'd say channel 3 modern on my nomad has noticeably moer depth, and thats a MUCH clearer sound than your typical Recto grind. So, it's really a taste thing- if you prefer marsall sounds, then even with the bass cut way back, the mesa will seem "muddy." But, if you like mesa's low end, the marshalls will sound fairly weak in the bass.
I will say that it's a little easier to get a marshall to cut through a mix, because of the weaker low end, but as for myself, i think it's worth the extra trouble, and when you're recording (currently bandless, so this is the only time i ever ha a mic in front of mine), a slight eq slope below 120hz will more than compensate.
so, this was a long, rambling post that didn't say much, but i hope some of it helps.
-D
