Best Clean Fender AIAB

Thanks dude, I’m just not looking at going that deep with it. I’m basically looking to do my own version of the Crazy Tubes HiPower.
If that’s the case you want a power booster and hiwatt style circuit. The Aion Fx ST-2 is supposedly Cornish take on the powerbooster. It’s a lot cleaner than other PB circuits I’ve tried.

IMG_5923.jpeg
 
Cool, just riffing on my usual workflow. For clean stuiff I typically would start by modeling the actual original tube circuit in LTspice, then look at impedance scaling to an opamp circuit as appropriate. The only guitar AIAB tangent I've really worked so far outside of many Fender bassed ones was Dumble oriented, and all three I've built so far are radically different from each other. That's not necessarily such a bad thing though!

For my wants and needs Hiwatts have gotten my attention more as a bass thing, and in my case using a DR103 output transformer clone with 4 x EL-34 worked out really well for me.
Thanks for your input
 
The Aion take on the Lab Series, the Lab Series Preamp Clean Channel is a Black panel inspired preamp. Bonus Robert Moog compressor. It's a tad spendy for parts but I think it's right up your alley and totally nails what Moog (Gibson back then) intended to be a Twin killer. You can use this beast to drive a power amp as well should you decided to use it as the front end of a rig.
 
Thanks dude - I think we have established that you are far more talented than I !!!
Nah, not my intent at all. But in any case, I'm definitely interested in expanding my tone stack horizons and Hiwatt looks well worth some investigation. I have my model for a stock DR103 up and working now, and will do a proper build thread once I decide on whether to go with tubes or opamps.
 
Last edited:
Nah, not my intent at all. But in any case, I'm definitely interested in expanding my tone stack horizons and Hiwatt looks well worth some investigation. I have my model for a stock DR103 up and working now, and will do a proper build thread once I decide on whether to go with tubes or opamps.
If you go with opamps that can be adapted to pedal format easily.
 
FYI, I've been working on an all-in-one fender clean amp that fits in a 125B. I haven't shared it yet but it is very close to finished and is being tested by a couple other folks. It has The following independent modules on one PCB:
  • jfet fender style preamp and it is EQ matched to a real fender preamp.
  • AMT series II cabsim.
  • Clean amplifying stage to come up to line level to drive a TPA3118 piggy-backed onto the PCB.
  • Balanced line driver for send to a PA.
It also has some options for power supply. If using a TPA3118, then it's powered by 20 to 24VDC, 2 or 3A that is stepped down to 15V for the jfet preamp. If not using a TPA3118, then can use direct 15V power or can install a voltage doubler to power with 9V.

The PCB is finished and have built a few examples and have a few PCBs. Eventually, the plan is to share the PCB at PCBway. But, I don't yet have a build document.

Here's an early rev of the PCB populated but not with a TPA3118 power amp. It's not a beginner project... Uses small 1/6W resistors and alpha 9mm pots. Each module on the PCB is separate so you decide what to wire up. If anyone is interested in building, PM me. One other builder and I are building now and creating build documentation. P1020623.JPG
P1020485.JPG

Here's one with a TPA3118 and send/return jacks.
Screenshot 2025-03-28 164043.png
 
Back
Top