I might be old school..... but tubes.....smoking hot tubes shaking some EV or Celeston speakers..... that's tone.

I have a Pod 2 that I use because it's quieter than sticking a mic on a speaker running at a certain volume..... but when it's time to separate the men from the boys..... plug in the Mesa and crank it up.

You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.