any audiophile guitarists out there?

Grimace - Using home system for guitar playing is not a very good idea. Few of my friends damaged their systems that way. In addition nothing can sound as sweet as good crunch of tube guitar amp that Dpac996 is talking about. I can get some of this sound with my VOX Valvetronix modeling but it is not the same. It is pretty hard to damage tube amp and quite easy to repair (replace tube) - another reason for using tube guitar amps. Guitar thru home stereo, in comparison, sounds "sterile".

Electric guitar and amp are considered one instrument. You should be able to move them together - not the case with home stereo.

"I would suggest either more lessons and/or as I stated above, maybe a different guitar."

I've tried to blame it on guitar (I have 4) but the truth is I have to spend more time practicing. It is also possible that I don't have ears for music and whole thing doesn't make sense. I don't expect much though and have whole life for it.

I agree about bracing - that is perhaps the biggest difference. Typical guitars have top made of spruce or cedar because these woods have highest strength to weight ratio, but my D15 is whole mahogany (top, back and sides) - quite different sound.

While we're on the subject of guitars and guitar making, there is a luthier in Germany Matthias Dammann who makes world's best classical guitars. When one of the best guitarists David Russell started using his guitar everybody wants to have one. Price is average for this level - about $30k but wait period is 9 years (big demand and lot of orders). He could raise price twofold but he finds more satisfaction when people have to wait 9 years for his instrument. Something to thing about in our money oriented society.

The Blues Jr. is a great amp. Perfectly able to get great tone. I play a G & L Bluesboy and get great sound out of it. Keep in mind that your gear is only half of the equation. Great tone originates and resides in your fingertips. I've been playing blues, folk and rock for the better part of 40 years. My other electric guitars are a PRS Custom 22 and a Gibson Les Paul Studio. My other amp is a Mesa Boogie DC-2 Studio Caliber. I spend most of my time refining my tone and technique on an old Sigma/Martin DR 28 acoustic. I have also previously owned a Gibson "The SG", Fender American Standard Stratocaster, Gibson Les Paul Studio Standard, and a PRS CE. Other amps owned include a Mitchell Pro 100 (Mesa Boogie MkI clone) and a Vox Westminister. Don't worry so much about the gear. Keep your Blues Jr. Make sure you have a decent guitar and play a bunch. The biggest difference is in the guitarist not the guitar. Your tone will be great in time.

Anyone ever try this dumb trick - before you were old enough to know better, of course - cutting a guitar cable and rigging it to RCA jacks and then running it through a hi-fi amp?

actually I did try it through an old receiver, and the output from the guitar is so small you barely hear it. It is a little more audible through a phono input, but still not enough.

I have a '77 Strat, '05 PRS 20th Anniversary Standard 24, Turner Compass Rose, Kronbauer MJ and a Boogie Mark IIc.