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Hi everybody
I would be happy if you could explain what features are important when choosing an amp for testing pickups during setups and new builds, furthermore it would be great if you'll recommend specific models. Thank you.

Small foot print on your bench, clean tone, reliable, cheap, and able to sound somewhat natural for installing pups in acoustics.

I just replaced my 10 year old G-Dec (that sucked and I would not recommend) with a $99 Fender Champ that's perfect for me.

Simple is better, cheap is good because you will be plugging in all manner of defective stuff that could damage the speaker if you are not careful.

I do hundreds and hundreds of set-ups and pup installs annually. When my G-Dec died (it was used the shop because it sucked everywhere else and then sucked in the shop too...) I had specific criteria. Now a couple of months later with the Champ it's perfect.

I'll add that with a mini plug input (today's headphone jacks) I can plug my phone or laptop into the thing an stream CNN, Netflix, GOT, NPR, iTunes Cream, Hendrix etc. on my bench and it's easy, sounds OK and is a nice feature.

Mind you this is not a dream amp but simply something cheap, reliable, flexible, and small and that's all one needs. A few feet away from me I have a 50W, 4 x 10" tube Peavey and a 110W Roland JC if I want to take things further. I would not recommend tube amps as bench amps for repair work, take too long to warm up. They are great for final check out or letting clients hear what they are paying for.

PS: Just bought a Super Sonic Blond for use at home with my Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face and Strat with Fralin pups and I'm loving it. It's a Deluxe with a dirty channel and great Fender tube tone. I considered something much more expensive and boutique in the tube world but in the end had arrested development on the picture on the cover of the Blind Faith album with the blond Bassman.

EDIT: Welcome aboard!

Roland Cube - rugged, reliable, affordable.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Micro Cube. Batteries last forever and it's great for busking too!

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Pat

Another vote for the Roland Micro Cube. A few of the reasons I prefer it are its clean tones, small footprint, and tuning fork feature. If it went down, I would buy another.

Dave has a cube and they are great for bench amps. I wanted something cheaper though. I don't need tone, I have that a few feet away.

Acoustic or electric? For testing tone and developing your own pickups/instruments, or just to see if "it works" after installing it in some guitar?

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

I'm using a little Dean Markley AG100. It's an acoustic amp but I prefer that. It fits on a shelf over my bench.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I really like the yamaha THR10 amp. Maybe not the cheapest, but its small and I think it sounds really good. They also make the THR 5, which is a little smaller...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Electric, for testing tone and developing my own pickups/instruments.

Thank you guys for the answers, I appreciate it.

I also have the $99 Fender Champ on my bench and find it surprisingly good. I was prepared to hate it but it sounds fine, even for bass though I obviously can't push it. It's tone for acoustics is warm though not huge abd fat. Accurate enough for setup needs and a good price as well as reliable.

Ozz I know this probably doesn't help but ...

I have a Pignose on my bench. It's only to verify my wiring/pups (I wind too) are working. When I'm ready to check/dial-in my setup I go to my DAW. The hardest part of the setup to me is putting the guitar through the workout and not marking it. I like to know it will get it on...perform.

There have been a few that I've rewound for but for the most part just setting the height/balance has been good enough - so, in the shop -just any little amp and a tuner (and more for tension as intonation will be dialed in at the DAW too) works for me.

If you are actually developing your own pups then I would think you would want to use an amp that emulates what the guitar will actually be played thru. I read that Jason Lollar has a room with lots of different guitars and amps so customers can try to duplicate THEIR setup. The article said they spend a lot of time switching pickups back and forth between guitars so they are able to hear/measure the properties of that particular pup. If you are only going to have one amp maybe it should be a good modeling one.

I'm like the other folks as far as my shop amp - I've got a cheap Crate practice amp that someone gave me but I only use it to check out my wiring and set pickup heights. It is covered with dust and looks terrible, but it works just fine.

The Cube its a great for solid state

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