As a radio guy and sometime guitar player, I can testify that a small practice amp will sound fine and work much more reliably. I'm still using the little Roland practice amp that I bought about 15 years ago. Try this:
http://search.ebay.com/guitar-practi...fsooZ1QQfsopZ1
Or,
http://www.tradingmusician.com/
if you live near Seattle and are looking for something vintage.