All amplifiers at Thicktone Audio are designed and built by Dr. Curtis Thigpen. Before Thicktone, he was a developmental neurobiologist, who using the physical concepts of electricity investigated the formation of synapses. At a very young age Curtis’ son, Tyler, was captivated by music, which led to guitars, guitar lessons, and of course tube amplifiers. With the goal of helping with his son’s musical ambitions, Curtis began studying vacuum tube based amplification. This yielded novel amplifier designs, experimental prototypes and, as local guitarists became aware of his work, modifications and repairs to their amplifiers. Thus, Dr. Thigpen designs amplifiers with a deep understanding of theory, new technology, other manufacturer's amplifiers, and the common tube amplifier failure scenarios that should be avoided.