I had a Blue Tube many years ago - it had a very nice tone, but a bit too 'mild' for me ;-). It's lower gain than the Real Tube and more, er, 'bluesy' sounding!

Now I have a Mesa V-Twin, which I'm sure 360girl will appreciate even if no-one else here does :-). It's nearly a 'Rectifier in a pedal' - and like a real Rectifier, capable of far more range of tone and subtlety than most people will expect if they've only ever seen them behind the likes of Linkin Park. I use my Trem-o-verb (a Dual Rectifier combo with tremolo and reverb, basically) more for its great clean and low-gain tones than for all-out thrash. Although that's fun as well sometimes ;-).

I seem to remember that the Blue Tube was originally designed to boost the dB's of keyboards, but through a tube signal path. I've always wanted to try one. I've heard that the coloration was subtle. There was a used one for sale at Fuller's Vintage Guitars a few years ago. I should have tried it then... it's long gone now!

340/350v63 + keeley compressor + fulltone OCD + Dr. Z Prescription Jr. Strength 18 watt tube 1x12 greenback.

Kendrick Texas Crude 1x12 amp loaded with 1958 vintage 5881 power tubes, a touch of reverb and a splash of tremolo!

Ric 330/6FG into an Orange Tiny Terror with an Orange 1x12 cabinet, and add a Tube Screamer to taste.
Mix well and enjoy!
-Kevin

Rick 330JG with fitted with early 80's high gains through boss distortion/overdrive pedal and then through an AC-30 (UK made Korg reissue).

My tone recipe is a 650S into an Orange Dark Terror for serious grainy rock tones.

The neck pickup can sound quite filtertron-esque for Soundgarden/Deftones vibes with added fizz from the amp.

The bridge pickup gives a clearer, sharper tone for any rhythmically complex bits that need to cut through more and is good for a sweet sizzling lead.

With both selected I get a crushing, all-encompassing almost chorus-like effect which sounds both sharp and boomy at the same time. Very unique and cool effect that just rips off faces for stoner, doom or Tool-type tones.

The only issue I have is the lack of a clean channel on the amp. The tone I get is an absolute joy if you're into that kind of thing but can become tiresome and one trick ponyish. I'm thinking of trading the amp in for a Rocker 15 Terror or a Brent Hinds Terror so I can have more tonal range and versatility but with the same tonal ballpark I know and love. I've tried the guitar on many different amps and I get a similar effect but nowhere near as boomy and full as with an Orange.

I record most of my material via a Digitech guitar processor. For my Rick, I use a Vox model with the gain down and a compressor, or sometimes my go-to clean channel which is a Fender Twin model. All of my EQ is set to midnight.

When it comes to actual amps, I prefer my Marshall JMD-1 head. My Vox AC4 doesn't have the shimmer for the Rick that I prefer.

1989 Rickenbacker 340 MG, Newtone type R strings, Van Damme/Neutrik cable, straight into a 1963 VOX AC30 top boost. I never use pedals with this guitar, doesn't need it and never sounds quite the same. At most I might use a Nano Holy Grail Reverb.
My Vibrato channels were rewired to be lower output overdrive channels. So if I want crunch that's where I go. Tried lots of pedals, none sound like it.

With a 12 string I use a compressor