stupid fet questions from a 3 job time strapped maniac :)

[screamersusa]

I've done a bunch of reading when I can on the subject and have yet to figure out some calculations as I'm rather a hands on kinda guy with 3 jobs. All 3 barely make the bills...  I have a few weird questions.
Many of these were triggered while using pre made boards and build guides.
I'm working on a 12v preamp rather than a stomp box to replace all the functionally challenged
amplifiers I've owned due to cost and my playing requirements. I actually stopped playing
until I got my hands on a slow century, now it's almost fun again.
I've had Marshall, fender, tech21, behringer, carvin etc, pods and vamp modelers.  
I've build a bunch of these fet boxes in the last month and know where I'm going but
could use a little guidance to get there.

Biasing:
 If I bias with a scope, setting the fet for max output, and symmetrical clipping. I get some really clean and articulate stages that are
tougher to clip. They do clip nicely however and have very nice sounds. Is the idea of using closer to 1/2 the supply voltage mainly to make these devices clip faster? Should I not be biasing for symmetry? Is there a little "starved plate" thinking involved here?

single fet vs mu amp:
 Is the mu amp stage vs a single a more bullet proof and stable building block for building something
 with lots of switchable gain stages that could be configured from super clean and full to a total shred.
 I've been liking mfp102's on inputs, eq buffers, and outputs. Tough to clip them in gain stages.
 

2nd harmonics:
 I read somewhere that fets make lots of second harmonics only if the source resistor and cap are omitted.
Others say eliminating only the cap makes the difference. O.K. exactly how much 2nd harmonic does a tube make and
can a fet stage be configured to make said equal harmonic content. I'm thinking a special stage with bufers on both ends
in a worst case.

Power regulation translation:
 On some tube amp schematics, they use resistors to pull the power supply down on certain stages, how does this
translate to a fet adaptation. (I'm really wanting to build a Engl Savage based preamp).

As a lead singing guitarist at stage center with a vocal fx pedal board already, I really need to get my primary sounds
under single buttons. Since I can't find a NON Digital preamp that does what I need I just have to build it. I certainly cannot afford a fancy switcher, then I'd need about 10 grand worth of amps to get the tones anyway.
I have been using a very heavilly modified VS100 (salvaged from a dumpster, multiple fx loops, fet font end, revoiced clean, od2 multiple clip selectors, etc) and tossing test circuits into it. It sound way better than a stock one, and does what I need for practice use. It feeds an ab1100a (575w)and bag end 15/1" coax in a monitor wedge which is my performance amplification setup as it can live right in front of me. I hear exactly what the PA gets from the line out with an isolated bufferd master volume for the stage amp.
One button per tone w/fx  with only a compressor, tuner and slow Century on the floor. I was using a TRI-ac with a ton of pedals but these fet boxes you guys came up with sound so much better and make me want to play again.

[aziltz]

All good questions.

I know the FET v MuAmp has been discussed many times so search can help there. Also the Fetzer Valve revisited article at runoffgroove.com goes into detail on the differences between tube and Fet regarding harmonics, gain and impedances.

That's about all I can help with for now. Cheers