Mesa F-30s are awesome amps and the combo usually goes for 700 bucks or something
If he goes the vox route, he will need an EQ to run through the effects loop. The recto model is fizzy and needs EQ help to sound it's best.
I tried the Vox Valvetronix before I got my roadster, and the mesa model was pretty fizzy. None of the models on there really had any girth. If you want real tone modelling amps just won't do it.
Carvin V3, so users call it the recto-killer