So, for a complete electronics doofus (such as myself), is this a pre-amp or just an FX stomp box?  Or both?

No reverb.  Just a cheap-o version.  I may decide to simply use this for the power supply, speaker, and cabinet for a future project though. 

Only going to hook it to a 386 (1/2 Watt) amp.  That's enough to drive the headphones.  This amp isn't for pushing a speaker at all.  That's the next project. 

Yep, that one.  I'll start checking on my next tinker session. 

I have a Fender Frontman 15 that died.  It was a couple years old so no warranty, so I think I'll either use if for parts or try to troubleshoot.  I can't get any sound because it blows the fuse the instant I switch the power on.  I decided to disassemble it and I don't see anything burned or charred.  Any ideas on where to start looking?   

Going to try to make a small amp primarily for practice.  And I'd probably want it just for use with headphones.  I see the cabinet simulator (like the Condor in runoffgrove.com ) and think that might be a good addition.  But does that go on the 'input' side of the amp (basically, the output of the cab sim would run to the input of the amp) or does the amp output go to the input of the cab sim? 

Correct.  Never built the larger amps.  Trying to teach this old dog a new trick.........

The Cricket has a pot for gain control.  But the volume  isn't between the 386 and the output.  So I'd need to add one between the two?  Or could you just add a 'MASTER' volume for the output of the power amp?  Or is it better for the power amp just to run it at a steady setting and use the pre-amp to regulate the volume?   

Is it just me?  None of the links work. 

So, could something like a "Noisy Cricket" be used as a pre-amp?  And the "OUT" from the Cricket go to the INPUT of the power amp?  Basically take the output of the Cricket and put it into the input of a 3886 or TDA2040 amp?

And which amp would provide the master volume?