Favorite small amps for testing your builds?

[bipedal]

I'm quite happy with my 2x12 Ampeg reverbarocket, but it's a 50 watter, so I've been thinking about picking up a lower wattage amp for testing my pedals without rattling the windows.  Don't need a break-the-bank boutiquer, but something that sounds solid.

I just played a used Fender Pro Junior at a local music shop -- 10" speaker, bare bones volume and tone controls, 15 watts -- sounded decent, plenty loud, priced right.

Thoughts on that amp, or recommendations for other small amps that you like for putting your pedals through their paces?

Cheers,

- Jay

[AceLuby]

I test mine through a Epi Valve Jr combo.  5 watts, all tube, great little testing amp for me.

[Minion]

I use a 20w power amp that I built myself...It cost me about $20 in parts and a couple hours of time...It uses a TDA2040 IC ,6 Capacitors and 4 resistors and a bridge rectifier and a 15v,0v,15v transformer and of cource a piece of PCB material and put it in a Box with a Volume Knob and a 1/4 TS input jack and a 1/4 TS output/Speaker jack...It works really well and sounds pretty good...I actually use it as a practice amp with a 3 Band active tone pedal and a Distortion pedal connected to my 2 x 12in cab..... I can supply you a layout if you want to try to build it....

Cheers

[frequencycentral]

Harley Benton GA5 - Thomann's Valve Junior knockoff at almost half the price. Excellent.

[m-theory]

SF Vibro Champ, set at a clean volume, but loud enough for a boost or OD to push it into distortion, so I can get a feel for what the pedal is capable of, in terms of overdriving an amp. 

[kevinabb]

Fender "Rivera-era" (circa 1980-84) Super Champ.  Has the four things I require to judge a pedal:

- Can pump strong clean volume (rated at 18W)
- Can be driven into power-tube distortion without destroying my ears
- Has master-volume DRIVE channel, to see how the pedal plays with preamp distortion
- Reverb, which my pedals MUST get along with

Plus it's small, lightweight and footswitchable, which makes it easy to drag out and use. They're running up in price, though, so if you want one get it now!
http://www.geocities.com/soho/studios/6694/superchamp/

[Papa_lazerous]

I have a microcube in my workshop that I use for testing pedals, Its also nice benig in the workshop having a practise on the little amp and looking out over the garden compared to having 100watts of loudness in the lounge 

[andrew_k]

Ruby if I just want to test if it passes signal
Roland Microcube for main bench amp
SF vibrochamp or clean valvecaster into microcube for 'pushing valves'

[treadwm]

Lol... first test is on cheap self powered pc speakers. If it behaves, then it goes on my Blues Jr.

[Faber]

I have an old Line 6 sitting around, so for distortions and stuff, I set it to the most sterile sound I can find.  Works well except for boost testing.  No real tubes = no real experiment.

[Sir H C]

For quick tests, I look solid state, I have a Haynes Jazz King, a Vox (Thomas) Cambridge Reverb, and then (tube) a brownface Pro amp into a 4x10" cab.  All are pretty flat amps and so are very pedal friendly. 

[joegagan]

my 'small' amp for testing is a 370 watt  ampeg SVT< first series with the 16- 10 inch speaker version


max headroom

but seriously, i think the fender pro jr is a nice sounding amp for the money. i like it better than the crate palomino.

[petemoore]

  5w thing I built has a Rectifier, alot like VJr.
  15w Marshally-ized 5e3
  18w, but that would be 'medium'.
  For initial startups and general function testing, sometimes that chip in the plastic box with the 3'' Puter Speaker, or LM386 amp.