The Ninja Töaster is my all time favourite home-made guitar amp. I built it during one summer break when I was at uni, in 2000 or thereabouts. It’s been going ever since, and has been used at countless jam sessions and gigs, and even appeared on a few records. It has appeared on stage at King Tut’s and Nice’N'Sleazy, although this won’t mean a thing if you’re not from Glasgow.

Thanks to its unique Full Range Technology (random buzzword I just made up ) it can be used as either a guitar amp or a bass amp. It offers an output of 60 watts and a choice of three tones, from completely clean to evil grinding distortion. A 2-band parametric equaliser, inspired by the graphic EQs on the old Mesa Boogies, can be used to shape the sound a little further.

It was made out of a Sansui Q-55 valve PA amplifier that a local electronics repair place was throwing away, and a 19″ rack chassis from some piece of discarded computer equipment.

While on “tour” one year, the head acquired a flightcase. I eventually tracked down the guys who made the case, and got them to make me a matching 1×12″ speaker cabinet, which I fitted with an EVM12L and a couple of ports, tuned like the old Mesa Thiele cabinet. I had to do some finishing work and install the speaker myself, but it worked out cheaper than buying a ready-made cabinet!

All in all, this is quite a badass amp

Toaster pages on the old site, partial schematics
Old pics
Prototype of the new cabinet
A wee blast (it’s not even turned up that loud!)