he'd be playing old fender combos (or custom shop reissue hendrix signature blackface;) ) like he did in the studio back in the old days.
oh shit its a marshall forum...
durability and tough wise I don't think so.
the differences physically comes down to transformer specs and different caps. does that translate to tone difference ? I think so... but there are those who disagree.
I hear you. the old 2203 roar like a lion. when you struck an A chord with a good les paul no amp can match that unmistakable roar. the boutique can try but its never quite right.
the mass production is going in another direction and away basically from the monster power amps of yesterday. think small, low wattage and digital...that sucks but that's reality...boutique low wattage tube amps is the buzz and the need/ crave for big amps is turning into niche.
that said I...
I had both at the same time..same circuit but the sl sounded a little more bassy... the original silver sounded better when turned up loud. slash used the silver one from 1987 for all live work and the albums after appetite.
those tubes made my 2204 sound godly ...once I changed the tubes to modern the tone was gone. I mean it sounded like a 2204 but the magic was gone. would really like to hear your experience with these.