Everyone's ears an tastes are different. But until you've plugged into a real BE-100 (or 50 Deluxe)... you haven't experienced a BE. Yes, the BE-OD gives you a taste (I actually prefer the Dirty Shirley pedal). And the new BE/HBE models in the Line 6 Helix give you the taste as well. Having had five Friedman amps, both of those Friedman pedals, and the Helix with the new firmware, I can attest to the truthfulness of all of that.
But the real BE-100 is the best amp I've ever had, and I've had a lot. For the brootalz, it'll go plenty brutal. It's tight, but not so dry as my VHT UL was. WAY less sterile than my Powerball II was. WAY more gain than my 2203X had. Less dark and more Marshall than my Elmwood M60. More sparkle than my Quickrod, and able to roll off the volume on the guitar far better. More mojo than the Bogner Shiva, XTC, and Uberschall Twin Jet that I had. Getting the picture? The BE may not be your thing, since high gain seems to be your primary concern. But I assure you that it will do high gain, and do it with so much more tonefulness than any Mesa, 6505, etc. The new BE-50 Deluxe is even more versatile, and has one of the best glassy clean channels that I've ever heard.
Regarding your desire to come in at less than BE prices... I have sitting on top of my 2015 spec BE-100, a Wildwood Edition Pink Taco. It's a beast. It's 20 very big sounding watts and is basically the little brother to the BE-100, without the clean and BE channels. It's more of just an HBE channel, that you can make all kinds of tonal alterations to via the switches and tone knobs. It's got loads of gain, though in your case it may need something like an OCD or whatever to just push it over the top. It seems as big and loud sounding as my BE-100. Which is why I plug into the WWT every day instead of the BE. The BE isn't going anywhere, because when I do plug into it, I'm still amazed every time. But that Taco is nearly as amazing. I never thought that I would hear a lunchbox-sized head sound as big as the Mini Dirty Shirley, but the WW Taco does... and it does it in a much tighter, more modern-sounding way.
I've got a close friend and great player who has been a 6505 guy for years. He's recorded and gigged them for two decades. He plugged-into a Friedman Smallbox last year and immediately dumped his 6505s. He said that he just didn't realize how good the Friedman sound is until he experienced it himself.
Anyways... everyone's different and it may just not be your thing. But unless you've plugged into one of Dave's amps and turned it up a little and played, then you've never really experienced his magic.
