Whats your test amp?

[sundgist]

My DIY 22w chip amp. Built using TDA7350 using the data sheet app notes (bridged mode) salvaged from a faulty BMW car stereo. Speaker is a JVC 2-way car speaker with the centre mounted tweeter removed. Runs on a small internal 12 volt rechargable sealed lead-acid battery. Extremely clean sounding and gets loud if needed with nice smooth bluesy tone. Have built in a clean/dirty switch with either a fuzz or overdrive switchable on the dirty side. Gives me a nice reference for anything I'm building and gets used in the living room at singalong time.

Don't know how available these IC's are, but here's the data sheet if anyones interested. http://www.sundgist.talktalk.net/Layout/7350%20amp/tda7350.pdf

....and a quick photo 'cos I'm really quite chuffed with it.

[Brymus]

I mostly "test" through my Crate GX20M I bought used at a pawn shop in 95'
I love this little amp,it uses the TDA2040 chip amp for power,spring verb powerd by NE5532s and a chorus using the LM3007 and LM3101.
Its fairly dark with the EQ flat,and the OD channel is a "Flexwave" design that I'm not to fond of.
But I use it clean with no verb or effects.
For years I recorded with it ,multi FX into the clean channel then by using the headphone jack out ,into my PC's soundcard.
This worked really well too.
After that I go to my EVJ that I gutted and rebuilt myself as my first foray into DIY...
To see how my pedals sound through tubes and at higher volume levels.

[KazooMan]

Great use of the old BMW radio chip, Sundgist.  Problem is that nobody used to steal these radios since they have a password code and are dead without it.  Now you've gone and created an aftermarket for the radio's chip to build a guitar amp!  I can see the number of stolen and broken into BMWs skyrocketing!   

[petemoore]

  Great use of old tube stuff [whew kazoo, you really did the duetsche on that amp] and new chip amps.
 Blue in metal ! Cool look, bet that has a nice sound !
 Anything to get other audio circuits off the ground, mostly a Pignose, it's handy, I have an LM386 which is good too.
 Like Marks amps, not a whole lot of treble clarity to tell if the sparkle is smooth, and the other one is easy to forget about [9v w/3'' speaker doesn't get much bass].
 But after having gotten used to testing circuits back and forth between these and amps 12''d, tubes that drive bass etc., sparkle highs, I've developed a 'calibration hearing' method and can sort of imagine how whats coming out of the Pignose might sound through a substantial soundstage.
 That said, if it's a boost or distort type effect, either it has a tone or gets a treble control, and then bass lift or retweeks [I learnt to just put the bass liftswitches on because then switching A/B's, + I find bass "fat / thin / regular" type switch or just two way to be a fine function], almost put such a feature on the circuit board testjig, but it's really more fun to build new ones and leave them in effects, seems like there's always room for a little switch or two, as long as it's wired to work fairly regular when switch fails.
  Often enough I'll turn the booster on and way down, then try to fix it right there through the rig-amp, bad light and all.

[sean k]

We are talking testing so I'm with the guys who use little amps and especially 386's.
My little amp runs on a 386 and I use an old 12VAC plugpack I had lying about. It's also got a high impedance preamp for piezos because I use them alot on stuff. I'm also going back in and putting a balanced mic input into it and eventually I want to switch in a bigger IC amp like a TDA 2003 and have the 386 doing distortion duties and be able to switch in a 12V sealed lead acid battery so the little varmit could even do busking... and it also has a 9V out.

Thats all because I want something small that sits on the bench that is easy to get going and tests loads of stuff without searching out cords and whatnot.

[Gordo]

I've been using a Steve's DIY (not longer up apparently  ) Glass Audio Champ.  It's fairly clean, low power, and pedal friendly.  I used to use an old Peavey Backstage till I fed it WAY too much signal and puffed it.  Either the GAC is more forgiving or I've gotten less stupid (and I'd like to think the later...)

[davent]

I've been using a Steve's DIY (not longer up apparently  ) Glass Audio Champ.  It's fairly clean, low power, and pedal friendly.  I used to use an old Peavey Backstage till I fed it WAY too much signal and puffed it.  Either the GAC is more forgiving or I've gotten less stupid (and I'd like to think the later...)

I've been using an amp based on Steve's DIY  Princeton 5f2a, works well for pedal testing.

Have fun
dave