Considering a Mesa Boogie 5:25 Express, open to advice

[mookid]

I have a Peavey Classic 30 with an Eminence Cannabis Rex in it and I like the tone but the damn thing has been in the shop 4 times in like 2 months. I'm through with it and ready to move up in the world to the $700-$800 (used) territory.

I need a gigable amp with plenty of clean headroom that takes pedals well (obviously that last one is a must on this board).

I've been steered towards Mesas and tried out a 5:25 Express today and liked it a lot. They seem to be built VERY sturdy and I like the 5w mode and general huge range of tonal customizablity. Tons of knobs and options. I realize it's generally associated with metal and I wouldn't really be playing metal with it but I understand that these amps are known for their clean channel.

Obviously Fender is really cool to go with (and friends have told me that a Mesa isn't a particularly cool option but why would I care?) but I recently recorded with a blackface Deluxe Reverb that I honestly thought made my fuzz and distortion sound like ass. They were super mushy and had no clarity or definition to them at almost any volume, so I ended up turning way down for the recording. I mean it sounded kickass when it was naturally breaking up itself, but I need to go from totally clean to freaking wailing at the drop of a hat and that's why I have my BYOC Large Beaver (I love fuzz, right!?) I like Fenders on paper but in practice they seem to color the tone too much - I want an amp that is more transparent, less of a tonal element and does exactly what I dial in. Maybe it was the lack of a mid dial?

I could get a 5:25 Express used for about $700. What would you recommend I do?