Whats your test amp?

[dubiousss]

So I do all my testing through a 50w tube amp set to .5, suffice to say, while audio probing, I jump to the volume nob when things get out of control. Perhaps I should be using a 15w practice amp... also maybe ill make a wave generator instead of always strumming the guitar...

[zachomega]

1972 Fender Princeton or a 1961 Gibson GA14 Titan (basically a tweed deluxe with a 10" speaker).

Before that I was using a single ended Harmony amp...Don't recall the model but it was a single ended guy with a 6v6 output tube and a 10" speaker.  However it was mushy sounding and didn't give a solid idea of what the pedals sounded like. 

Never bothered with the larger amps for testing as I didn't want to deafen myself.

-Zach

[mikemaddux]

My test amps are a Tweed Fender mini-twin and a clone of a Marshall beltpack amp.

[cab42]

I am using a ruby amp build into a candy box. When I debug I just connect a tiny speaker from an old radio to it.

I can also recommend building R.G.'s Q&D oscillator.

Both devices are easy to build, small and practical.

Regards

Carsten

[StereoKills]

I use a Blackheart Little Giant set to 3W, and sometimes a Marshall MS-4 when audio quality is not an issue.

[jacobyjd]

I use a Blackheart Little Giant set to 3W, and sometimes a Marshall MS-4 when audio quality is not an issue.

I use my Little Giant as well, most of the time.

However, it depends on what kind of testing I'm doing--if I'm testing a booster's EQ, I'll test it on the amp I plan to use it with, or if I plan to run an effect in the FX loop of an amp, I'll test it there to make sure it can handle the hotter signal.

[gmr1]

I use an AC4 or a solid state roland cube. I was using an AC30 for a long time, but that was stupid volume for the bench.

[Steve Mavronis]

I only have solid state practice amps now, LOL: A Roland Cube 20-X and a new MG4 series Marshall 15FX. I'll have to use friends and relatives tube amps to properly test whatver I build.

[differo]

I have two, one is 15W (doubt it ) washburn bass amp (its reeeally small one, I put it under the table where I work just to check if some sound is coming out of the pedal. If it does I test it immediately on my Fender SR.

[caress]

squier champ (!) and a fender twin reverb

[boogietube]

Mesa Boogie Mark V Combo. Channel 1 using both clean and tweed settings with 45 watt power output setting.

[jefe]

A Ruby built in to an old bookshelf speaker.

[CynicalMan]

I sold my main amp to pay for a Bugera V22 (that is 9 days late shipping and counting ) so now I use an SS Orange Crush 10.

[oliphaunt]

I have a cheapy Vox solid state amp I use for projects where I expect to create a lot of noise or random chaos, as I do a lot of breadboarding.  I have a '69 Bassman that lives in my work room for general testing, but it is a little bit too forgiving.  For final tweaking I always pull out my gigging amp, a Carr Rambler and run the breadboard along with my footpedal rig to see how things interact.

[a soBer Newt]

I use one of those small danelectro amps that you can clip onto your belt.

[bobp1339]

I use a Fender Frontman 15 for general testing/sound probe.

When I want to test the sound of an effect, I use a Fender Blues Jr

[kurtlives]

Randall RG75DG2

It's a real POS SS amp. Fairly neutral and boring sounding. Perfect for testing pedals and designs imo.

[Mark Hammer]

Regrettably, there is no room for my "real" amps in the workshop.  So I test things out on one or both of two small SS amps.  One is this one: http://profile.ultimate-guitar.com/profile_mojo_data/5/3/6/5/536562/pics/_c200449_image_0.JPG  a small 2 x 10W, 2 x 8" stereo amp.  The other is a homebrew 2W LM380-based amp with a 6.5" speaker.  Generally speaking, if things sound good on them, they will sound good on other amps, and if they sound bad, they will sound bad on other amps too, although: a) both lack the sort of bass respnse that would let you know if there is any real "thrust" to the sound, and b) both lack any real crystalline upper treble response to let you know if the pedal has "sparkle".  I'm not sure I have ever tested anything out pumping more than 2W into any speaker, even with my "real" amps.

[Ibanezfoo]

5150 half stack.  I built a noisy cricket but I don't really like it.  One of these days I'm going to build an AX84.  I have an old Carvin 2x12" combo amp but it needs some work so I don't use it for anything other than holding the floor down.

[KazooMan]

For compact size on my bench I am using a 1960's German made Dynacord Eminent I through a cabinet I built with two 12" Celestion Vintage 30's.  

This amp comes with quite a story. I got the amp off Ebay and it came with  printed circuit board that had a lot of the traces lifting off and a hum that could only be cured by flexing the board (hard).  The original pots (open style) were essentially shot and the main filter caps (in the can) were leaking.  I decided to completely rebuild the amp.  I made a new circuit board by taking a picture of the original into Photoshop and redrawing the proper traces.  I then etched the board onto double thickness copper board.  I had to find a good place to split the board in two since the largest piece of board I could find was not large enough.  This made for a small number of jumpers when I reassembled the amp.  I replaced the filter caps, and most of the signal caps.  I had to come up with a way to use modern pots with both standard knobs and wheel type knobs through slots in the cabinet.  I repainted the cabinet and reassembled the amp. When I plugged it in I anticipated a huge bang and a cloud of acrid smoke, but all I got was a great sounding amp with a lot of power in a compact package.  No longer vintage, but I like it a lot and the project was fun.  Here are some before and after pictures:

The Tear Down:



The Final Result: