I would seriously recommend getting a Pod. Emulates all the classic amps, and you get exactly the sound you want without waking up the dead. Link:

http://line6.com/products/pod/?foo=bar?utm_source=Index&utm_medium=DropDown&utm_campaign=POD

Still have my gear from the 80:s - a 50w Marshall Combo amp and my Stratocaster - but living in a residential area I just can't get a proper distortion from the Marshall amp without getting evicted...

But the guitar and the Pod 2.0 plugged into the Powerbook (Garage Band) is really everything you need nowadays.

(btw, my Strat - my second "gem" besides the T/A. Owned it since 1978, when I bought it for the hilarious sum of $700...)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/frojdh/3153928239/sizes/l/