#170292  by wpmartin1979
 
So after a long wait I finally received my Thick Air from Brian. After a day of playing around with it, all I can say is Wow! I’m not exactly sure what it is, but it is 100% pure Jerry. This thing stands alone as a Jerry tone machine, but can also be used to enhance other pedals, like my Butler Blue Tube. A bit expensive but totally worth it. I’ve never tried anything like this before. It is totally unique.

Anyone else have any experience with the Thick Air? Any suggested settings. I’ve really been liking both channels at noon going into the clean channel of the Blackbird. Like I said before, 100% Jerry!

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 #170293  by NeilG1
 
I got one of the first Thick Airs (#18) and haven’t turned it off since.
I use mine after my OBEL, with stage 1 always on at around 9-10:00. If I pop on stage 2, I usually do with it turned up high, around 3:00. Air switch on. With both engaged, roll off your tone knob and you’re in awesome slipknot territory.
I agree it’s hard to totally describe it. Adds some sustain, and “colours” the tone in a completely Jerry way. I love mine too. It’s such a fantastic pedal.
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 #170294  by Jon S.
 
I don't see it on Brian's website - can you add a link?

EDIT: Never mind. It's not accessible under "Shop," you have to click on "More" and then "Accessories/Parts":
https://iocustomguitars.com/accessories%2Fparts I don't see a price, though.

Looks to be a clean boost. There's actually quite a bit of info. posted on it on Brian's site:

The Thick Air pedal consists of two simple Jfet transistor pre-amplifiers using limited supply/NOS
components, each with individual gain control and a foot-switch for each. Either pre-amp can be used
individually, or in combination.

Stage One – on the left (designated by the ridiculously obscure 'o' above the left LED) straight forward
single transistor preamp with gain control

Stage Two – on the right (also designated by an equally obscure 'oo' above the right LED ;o) same
basic pre-amp as Stage One, but with additional filtering as the Gain is adjusted, and the Air switch
which is essentially a subtle 'bright' switch.

When both Stages are on, Stage One is the initial stage, feeding into Stage Two. When both stages are
engaged, the gain is substantially higher than either one individually.

Use:

It's best if you try to put all your preconcived/habitual guitar volume and tone settings aside and
imagine this being the first time you tried it. Your guitar's volume and tone controls will behave
differently using the Thick Air pedal.

Here is a simple template for initial introduction/experimentation: (I do this as a check on every pedal
before it goes out the door) You should spend at least an hour or two with just your guitar, the pedal
and your amp, to start to get familiar with how the TA interacts with your setup. Note: The numbers
used to indicate settings on the dial, will change a bit depending on what gain levels are used in the
specific pedal... experimentation is the key.

Using only your guitar, the Thick Air pedal, and your amp/reverb: Set your amp volume so
that it's comfortable with the pedal off, and the guitar volume about 7. Set your guitar
tone in the middle somewhere. Play a bit and adjust tone and what not so that it's
sounding good with just the guitar. And now leave the tone controls completely alone for
the rest of the this bit.

Have both stages of the pedal at 0, or 7:00, with the Air switch to the right, 'More' position
(it only effects the signal from the second stage). Turn on the First Stage 'o' with the
footswitch. It will probably only bump the volume a tiny bit, but you should hear a
difference in the tone immediately. Start playing around different registers on the guitar,
different pup settings etc, as you occasionally bump the gain on the first stage small
amounts. The gain adjustments are a reverse log taper, so the first half of the dial doesn't
add much gain, but this first half of the dial alters the feel and tone in many different ways
(individually, but more so when both stages are engaged at the same time).

Now start changing the gain in 30 minute bits, ie 7:00 to 7:30; so turn it up to 7:30, you
will notice that it doesn't get much louder, but it's making noticeable tonal/response
changes. Keep doing that, check out how different settings sound in different registers,
different picking styles, etc...

When you get to 12:00 noon on the dial, it will start to be more gain responsive, and from
about 1:00 or 2:00 depending on your touch, it starts to leave the Jerry zone, and enter
the blues/rock zone. (Just a note: as you get into the higher settings, lighten your picking
touch, and you will be in a place where picking/attack/style/intensity controls the amount
of breakup you achieve, from clean to dirty) Anyway, go all the way up to 5:00, while
steadily decreasing your guitar volume to compensate.

Turn that first stage off and repeat the same thing with the second stage. You'll notice
that the tone/character of the second stage is different than the first.
After going all the way to 5:00, put both stages back to 8:00, and turn both on. Now just
try going in approximately 1 hour changes. Stage 1 at 9:00, stage 2 at 8:00; switch to S1
@ 9:00, S2 @ 10:00, then S1 @ 10:00, S2 @ 9:00 and so on, back and forth in different
ratios....To the end of both dials.

At this point you'll know there is a lot of new territory to explore tonally. Once you start altering your
guitar's tone, you'll note that you've got a whole new area to check out. The Thick Air pedal is very
interactive. It responds well to different pick attacks, fingering, and loves fretting hand/fingering that is
active, using vibrato, bends, nudges... try setting both gains around noon, both on, hit a 12th fret g,
holding it steady... it decays like a regular note... now hit the note, and bend it very slightly, you'll hear
it start to grow, and as you mess with it, you can get the note to bloom, just by goosing it with your
fretting finger.

It is necessary to use a high quality, switching type, 9 volt power supply with the Thick Air
pedal (the type most quality suppliers currently use.)

Using sub-standard power supplies will result in a lot of noise, squealing, and the pedal may not work at all.
 #170295  by Jon S.
 
I already have a Doozy Boost and Pegasus Boost together on my board. The two of them in tandem seem to me like they're designed and function akin to the Thick Air so I think I'm set, at least until I run into someone with a thick air to compare it to the DB & PB together. May I add that, FWIW, when I have both on together into tube amps especially, they drive the amps' tubes so hard as to coax some natural compression that's coming not from the jfets per se but from how they goose the amps.
 #170296  by wpmartin1979
 
Jon S. wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 5:34 pm I already have a Doozy Boost and Pegasus Boost together on my board. The two of them in tandem seem to me like they're designed and function akin to the Thick Air so I think I'm set, at least until I run into someone with a thick air to compare it to the DB & PB together. May I add that, FWIW, when I have both on together into tube amps especially, they drive the amps' tubes so hard as to coax some natural compression that's coming not from the jfets per se but from how they goose the amps.
It’s nothing like the doozy boost or any other boost I’ve tried. It’s not really a boost. It’s different. Hard to explain. It adds a thicker tone around your original tone. Like a texture or an hora.

Of course I’ve read all the info and chatted with Brian about how to use it. He actually customizes the pedal based on your rig, guitars and playing style. Not saying anyone needs to get one, but it is on a different level from any other pedal I’ve tried. IMHO
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 #170297  by Cosmopolis
 
I’ve gotten a couple of these from Brian and I wholeheartedly agree it’s fantastic. Hard to describe but I can’t live without it now. I have just about every pedal known to mankind and this thing is great. The switch on the right is kind of a presence/brightness effect, but not brittle. Really nice pedal
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 #170298  by Jon S.
 
wpmartin1979 wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 8:47 pmIt’s not really a boost. It’s different. Hard to explain. It adds a thicker tone around your original tone. Like a texture or an hora.
I like dancing at Jewish weddings, too. :wink:

It's funny about these pedals. Either they're transparent or they're not. If they're not, people seek ones that are. If they are, people seek ones that aren't!

One day, we'll meet up for a jam, you bring your Thick Air, I'll bring both of my Pegasus Boosts, my Doozy Boost, and my Fat Boost (which also adds a thicker tone around the original tone which is why I prefer the other two), we'll light some laughing bones, and experiment. :biggrin:

That or I'll succumb to my curiousity which you've now again inflamed and cop a Thick Air for m'self. :wink:
 #170361  by Jon S.
 
Blacklodgebob wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 6:12 am If you can find an ADA Definition - I prefer that over the Think Air. Works well on bass or guitar, sounds fantastic.
>> The DEFINITION is an absolutely transparent BOOST https://www.adaamps.com/Products/ada-De ... nition.htm

Doesn't seem to me to be a Thick Air-type design.
 #170362  by wpmartin1979
 
Jon S. wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 6:47 am
Blacklodgebob wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 6:12 am If you can find an ADA Definition - I prefer that over the Think Air. Works well on bass or guitar, sounds fantastic.
>> The DEFINITION is an absolutely transparent BOOST https://www.adaamps.com/Products/ada-De ... nition.htm

Doesn't seem to me to be a Thick Air-type design.
The Thick Air is not meant to be transparent in the traditional sense. Also, It is more of an overdrive than a boost IMHO - although I wouldn’t necessarily call it an OD - it adds texture, character, grit to your tone without really boosting it OR you can crank it for more of a Jerry into blues territory OD.
You can easily use it as an always on tone inhancer with no boost at all - then with the second half of it you can get a gritty type of clean drive tone.
Also you can put it in front of an OD and use it to shape the character of the tone - this works especially well with tube ODs. You can turn a single tone OD into a 3 tone beast.

It’s a Swiss Army knife for Jerry tone chasers. I know some look down on the title of tone chaser but I fully embrace it with pride! It is such a fun endeavor!
 #170363  by Jon S.
 
wpmartin1979 wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 6:55 am It’s a Swiss Army knife for Jerry tone chasers. I know some look down on the title of tone chaser but I fully embrace it with pride! It is such a fun endeavor!
You're truly an evil influence (I put my name down also on the "notify me when they're available again" list :lol: ).
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 #170365  by wpmartin1979
 
Jon S. wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 7:54 am
wpmartin1979 wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 6:55 am It’s a Swiss Army knife for Jerry tone chasers. I know some look down on the title of tone chaser but I fully embrace it with pride! It is such a fun endeavor!
You're truly an evil influence (I put my name down also on the "notify me when they're available again" list :lol: ).
Believe me, there are far worse things to desire than the Thick Air - I believe you’ll end up thanking me in the end :rasta:
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 #170373  by Blacklodgebob
 
Jon S. wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 6:47 am
Blacklodgebob wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 6:12 am If you can find an ADA Definition - I prefer that over the Think Air. Works well on bass or guitar, sounds fantastic.
>> The DEFINITION is an absolutely transparent BOOST https://www.adaamps.com/Products/ada-De ... nition.htm

Doesn't seem to me to be a Thick Air-type design.
* why bother.
Last edited by Blacklodgebob on Mon Mar 22, 2021 7:03 am, edited 2 times in total.
 #170377  by wpmartin1979
 
Blacklodgebob wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 5:47 am
Jon S. wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 6:47 am
Blacklodgebob wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 6:12 am If you can find an ADA Definition - I prefer that over the Think Air. Works well on bass or guitar, sounds fantastic.
>> The DEFINITION is an absolutely transparent BOOST https://www.adaamps.com/Products/ada-De ... nition.htm

Doesn't seem to me to be a Thick Air-type design.
Nope its an ADA preamp - its has a transparent boost function you can use also. Literally has preamp written on the box.
It does look like a great pedal, but as Jon pointed out it does say it’s absolutely transparent and it does have the word BOOST written across it ... just saying, here is the description:

The DEFINITION allows all magnetic pickups to produce their full dynamic and frequency capabilities without introducing compression, noise or distortion. The DEFINITION is absolutely transparent, giving the player greater control and expression over the delicate, complex signals that magnetic pickups are inherently capable of outputting, but are often limited, distorted or dampened by other preamps, pedals or amplifiers.

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This isn’t what the Thick Air is trying to do IMHO. Similar but different. :biggrin: would definitely be worth checking out, especially if you switched between guitar and bass like you say.