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“We really wanted to honor the past, honor the story, honor everything that makes Analog Man's King of Tone special – but with a twist”: Chase Bliss’ Joel Korte lifts the veil on the five-year process that led to Brothers AM – an overdrive for the ages
Talk to any guitar gearhead, and a Chase Bliss pedal will surely come up in conversation as an aspirational addition to any pedalboard. Despite being around in gearhead consciousness for only twelve years, the brand has managed to reach the upper echelons of boutique pedals, both in terms of reputation and innovation.
Their philosophy, as owner Joel Korte describes it, is simple: “One thing that’s pretty core to our practice is making things that truly captivate us as individuals, even if the thing we’re chasing is a bit weird and doesn’t make sense.
“I think that if something authentically speaks to your tastes as a person, there’s a good chance it will speak to others too,” he adds enthusiastically.
“We really like to pursue ideas that get us a bit obsessed, and then follow those ideas all the way through, even if it takes years. We’re really lucky to be able to approach things like that.”
One of their latest offerings, the Brothers AM, is the epitome of this ethos to “follow your bliss,” and in this case, it’s the goal of chasing (pun intended) and nailing a tone – more specifically, Analog Man’s King of Tone, also known as the KOT.
For the uninitiated, the King of Tone pedal has transformed into a Klon Centaur–level legend. It has existed in various iterations since 2003; however, since each King of Tone pedal is hand-built by Analog Man’s Mike Piera and co., there’s an extensive waiting list that has added to its quasi-mythical status.
Therefore, it’s safe to say that creating a version that not only honors the original but also adds a quintessentially Chase Bliss flair was no mean feat, with the lengthy five-year process captured forever on film in a documentary that lifts the veil on what it takes to create a truly one-of-a-kind pedal.
How did the idea of teaming up with Analog Man come about?
“To be honest, it was always something in the back of my mind – a distant dream for a while – until I had the guts to send an email to Mike pitching the idea. It took about five years of back-and-forth to reach the point where we had a finished pedal in hand, something that felt like it hit all the goals of Brothers AM.”
In what ways does the pedal build upon, emulate, or perhaps improve the King of Tone overdrive?
“I think the biggest thing is probably the Beano-style treble boost that we added. Another nice part about Brothers AM is that it allows you to have access to all of the internal features of the KOT on the outside of the pedal.
“So, for instance, if you wanted to try two Boosts, or two Distortions, or adjust the Presence on either channel, it’s pretty easy to do that, whereas you’d have to open up the KOT to make those adjustments. Also, presets – we love presets.”
What were your hopes for this collaboration?
“We really wanted to honor the past, honor the story, honor everything that makes the KOT special – but with a twist. It was really important to us that Mike loved Brothers AM and felt it was true to his spirit.”
Who was responsible for what during the conceptual, design, and development stages?
“It was a team effort, and we had to cast a wide net with our engineers, both internally as well as with contract engineers we work with. I came up with the overall idea and workflow. When Mike and I both agreed that the Beano would be a nice addition to the pedal, I really took that on myself. Mike was always available for technical questions, as well as for the sonic testing and A/B-ing required for him to be comfortable having his name on this product.”
We really wanted to honor the past, honor the story, honor everything that makes the KOT special – but with a twist
What were some of the challenges and highlights of this lengthy process?
“One major challenge for us was figuring out how to do digital control without the use of light-dependent resistors (banned in the UK/EU), which had previously been a major part of the design process for us.
“Another challenge was figuring out the voicing and character of the treble booster that we added toward the end. This was a journey that ended in Japan, where we found the part that would ultimately lead us to the final design choices we made.”
Let’s talk about the Brothers AM documentary. What’s the story behind it?
“It’s important to document things. It feels right to give special attention to all the small details that are easily lost to time. We care a lot, and we want to share that. With the Brothers AM documentary, we wanted to stress how Brothers AM was a true collaboration with our friend Mike. We wanted to highlight his story and unique approach, and hopefully show how that comes through in the finished pedal.”
What was the process of documenting the creation of this pedal like, and what was the aim of the documentary?
“The documentary aims to show what the world of Analog Mike looks like and what makes him special as a builder.
“The making of the documentary took place over a considerable amount of time as we refined the circuit, usually continuing whenever we had a new revision for him to try. The most special part of filming, I’d say, was traveling with Mike back to the Akihabara markets in Japan, where he first started buying parts for Analog Man.”
What role did Japan and Connecticut – featured in the documentary – play in the making of this pedal?
“They are both places central to Mike’s history as a pedal builder and as a human being. Being in Japan with him was special and helped a lot in us all getting to know how he started, why he started, and what his design process looks like.
“Connecticut played a major role as well. This is where Mike works and lives, and it allowed us to get to know him on a more personal level. Staying at his home, visiting his childhood haunts, eating at his favorite diners – it all matters.”
Which type of guitar player do you think will benefit most from owning this pedal?
“Brothers AM is probably our most intuitive pedal. It’s true our pedals can get pretty deep; however, any player should be able to plug in and find a sound they like pretty immediately with Brothers AM.”
How would you say this pedal compares with – or offers something different from – similar ones on the market?
“Brothers AM can suit any kind of player who uses pedals to get overdrive, distortion, or boost. It’s intuitive, but there are also a thousand applications. We hope that the expanded control users can access makes it stand out. Plus, it just sounds so dang good!”
Brothers AM can suit any kind of player who uses pedals to get overdrive, distortion, or boost. It’s intuitive, but there are also a thousand applications. Plus, it just sounds so dang good!
Why do you think it’s important for boutique pedal builders to collaborate and uplift each other, especially in the current climate?
“I think that creativity is one of the most positive forces in the world. And when you pair creativity with a collaborative spirit, some really beautiful things can happen. Working together, uplifting each other – it’s really important. It opens the door for new ideas, new friends, and joy.”
Do you have any other collaborations in the pipeline, whether with Analog Man or other pedal builders?
“Gosh, it’s always hard to answer these kinds of questions, especially since we love to collaborate and make connections with people we think are brilliant! Sometimes it takes years before we’re ready to put something out into the world.
“We made Brothers AM because it felt like a great fit, and that’s the path we’ll take with all future collabs. Does it feel right? Does it inspire us? Let’s do it.”
- Find out more at Chase Bliss.
