Hi Dave
Im with you on the above. For a long time i have now used the Zoom G3 with my band and for that purpose i wouldn't use a tape echo unit and it gives me a good sound and its consistent and reliable and that is exactly what i want live. However i have just got my Vox Short Tom back from repairs after 3 months and after messing around with it last night its blown me away. It is so easy to get a sound just the guitar and echo and amp, i didnt need to use eq pedal etc and it gave me a sound that i cant get with anything else that made the hairs on my arms stand on end and reminded me just what is so great about the old tape echo units (I say old units as i had an ESE 4 head model and found it very clean and clinical)
I was planning on selling the short tom but after playing around with it im not sure i want to now.
The problem I have is i wouldn't want to take it out and use it live so apart from the odd session at home or shadows clubs its an expensive piece of kit just sitting there, i guess that is the issue above all. We all want the sound of the old kit but we don't want the cost, reliability and weight of it all so we have to compromise somewhere.