Great news and good for you, @MattHinchliffe . . . 
Here’s a topic that discusses your question:
HTH and good luck to you,
Joe
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I’d get the loudest one I could find for that money 
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EDIT:
350 pounds is ~$486 USD.
He could get a new Rumble 500 for $600 usd or a new Rumble 200 for $500 usd
Either one may be a good start, but both would need that extra cabinet for the full wattage.
Cheers
Joe
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Well, a used Rumble 500 anyway. But that would fit the bill yeah. And I would always want to find a used one anyway…
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Well, according to @Gio, that’s not enough:
GBP 350 is about EUR 407, which would buy a used Rumble 350 with EUR 50 to spare over here. And yeah, I’d go used as well. Thing is going to get damaged in those bars, pubs and clubs anyway.
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I’d go for a used Rumble 500. No reason to buy a new amp.
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I’ll stand by that statement!
But - also… if you’re playing with tasteful players; guitarists that appreciate subtlety and discretion, drummers who have a light and dynamic touch, etc… well, shit. Where are you? I want to find those musicians.
I’ve only heard of them in myths and legends…
No - seriously. If you are playing more mellow music in more mellow situations, 200 watts could be plenty. It may even be plenty in a louder rock situation. But I hate the feeling of pushing the amp too hard too often and I always want headroom - the ability/room to be louder on my gear in any situation if I should need it so I’m not redlining everything when I play.
To stay in that comfort zone with live drums, 300 watts is a good water mark.
And, seriously - where are those tasteful, restrained musicians??
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Sorry, @howard and @Mike_NL . . . I mistyped my original reply 
I meant to say 500, and a new one is closer to $600 USD, not ~ $500 as I originally thought, so my mistake . . . (I’ll go back and fix my post).
And yes, he may be able to get a used Rumble 500 for less than $400 usd
Cheers
Joe
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I’m gonna agree with @Gio on at least 300 watts and with that a minimum of a 115 or 210 cab. Now…here is the rub…if you are gigging only at places with a PA in house…you could buy a Sansamp or BDI-21 and not have an amp at all! It works and sounds surprisingly good. It doesn’t sound like you’d mind, but lugging an amp and can around (even a combo) to a gig SUCKS. So the DI solution I mentioned here is a good one. BUT!..onto amp suggestions.
I would forego the cheap amp route. You WILL want something better later. Decide if you want a colored tone (like a tube amp, Mesa or Ampeg) or one that is neutral that you can color well with your pedals. Then get at least a 500 watt head. Then get at least a 210 cab (212 or 410 are good options too). I’d look SERIOUSLY at the Darkglass Microtubes 500. Just came down in price, has an excellent range of tones. You can find a used cab to plug into it.
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dude he’s got $4-500 total 
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Hi guys
Thanks for all the great suggestions. At the moment I’m just trying to get an idea on the minimum wattage etc. I’m very much open to the idea of used gear, so that is definitely an option…just want to get some rough ideas together before I start my online window shopping :). It’s gonna be a little while before I need anything yet, but having a fun looking.
Thanks guys
Matthew
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Yup. Save that and buy better later is my real advice. I wish I had done that
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Nah, buy used and trade up. If you’re smart you can even turn a profit.
I mean, saving up is always good too, but it’s not the only path
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My advice really is to save and get a more “pro” rig. If you have a gig…there is a good chance they will have an in house PA and you can just use a Sansamp ($200) or a BDI-21 (Sansamp clone $33) and you will sound great and clear in the live mix. Really about $800 is probably where you can really start to get some pro-level stuff that will last your needs 10-15 years. You are just $200-$300 from that so just save and do it is my sincere advice!
But if you really must…for $350 you can get the Peavey Max 115. It is 300 watt combo with an XLR out too, and is tremendously loud. Playing with a full acoustic drum set and 2 guitarists playing from 100 watt half stacks I didn’t have to go past 3 on the master volume to keep up with them. It has a nice beefy tone too.
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There is knowledge there, but I’ve had a HELL of a time selling my used gear. Markets vary…so it might be harder to do.
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If you’re young and still have a good back, you could look into some older gear.
You can get more for your money but it comes at a cost to the body. That old stuff is heavy but still sounds good.
There are 25 year old amps out there that look like they’ve never left the comfort of a bedroom.
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Can’t you just go direct?
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Yeah, generally need a DI device. For $33 you can get a BDI 21 which also has great tone additions and can DI right to the house sound system
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