The Brothers AM is a dual overdrive, distortion and boost pedal built by Chase Bliss in collaboration with Analog Man, based on Analog Man's King of Tone overdrive. Pedal of the Day calls it "a tribute to the legendary King of Tone Overdrive"1. The project took five-plus years to make, according to Pedal of the Day1.
Two King of Tone gain channels in one pedal
The King of Tone, Analog Man's long-running overdrive, is built as what its manual calls "two separate pedals in one, both can be used together for extra drive or volume boost"2. The Brothers AM carries that idea forward: Pedal of the Day describes it as having "two identical, multi-mode gain channels for you to stack, combine, and switch"1. Each channel can be set to Boost, Overdrive or Distortion, and you then set the gain and tone for each1.
The original King of Tone gives each of its two channels its own Volume and Drive control, selected with the switch on the right, plus a master DRIVE and TONE control active on both channels, per Analog Man's manual3. The Brothers AM carries the King of Tone circuit into a Chase Bliss box with those controls brought out to the panel1.
Controls and switching
- Two gain channels, each switchable between Boost, Overdrive and Distortion1
- Gain and tone controls per channel1
- Channels can be stacked, combined or switched1
- 4 internal sounds plus an additional bank of presets1
- External control over everything via expression, MIDI and CV1
The MIDI and preset features set it apart from the King of Tone, which is a straightforward true-bypass two-channel pedal with no digital control31. For players running a switching system, the Brothers AM can be recalled remotely rather than adjusted by hand.
"Brash, bright, and charged. A stack of sunny saturation that always manages to sound just right."
How it relates to the King of Tone
For a player choosing between them, the difference is control and features. The King of Tone is the original Analog Man design: two channels, each with its own Volume and Drive, a master DRIVE and TONE, and a true-bypass on/off switch3. The Brothers AM keeps the two-channel, stackable gain architecture but adds selectable modes per channel, presets, and MIDI, expression and CV control1. If you want the King of Tone concept inside a modern MIDI-controllable rig, that is what the collaboration was built to do.
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Questions
Which Analog Man circuit is the Brothers AM based on?
The Brothers AM is based on Analog Man's King of Tone overdrive. Pedal of the Day describes it as a tribute to the King of Tone Overdrive. The King of Tone itself is a two-channel overdrive from Analog Man Guitar Effects, and the Brothers AM carries that two-channel idea into a Chase Bliss box with externalized controls and modern switching features.
Does the Chase Bliss Brothers AM have MIDI?
Yes. Pedal of the Day notes that the Brothers AM can be controlled externally via MIDI, alongside expression and CV control. That makes it usable with MIDI switchers and controllers in a larger rig, something the original King of Tone does not offer.
Can you use an expression pedal with the Brothers AM?
Yes. Pedal of the Day lists expression control among the external control options, together with MIDI and CV. An expression pedal plugged into the pedal can control its parameters externally during a performance.
How many presets does the Brothers AM have?
Pedal of the Day reports 4 internal sounds, with an additional bank of presets included on the Brothers AM. Combined with MIDI control, this lets a player recall different gain settings from a controller rather than turning knobs between songs.
Can the two channels of the Brothers AM be stacked?
Yes. Pedal of the Day describes the Brothers AM as having two identical, multi-mode gain channels for you to stack, combine, and switch. That follows the King of Tone approach, where Analog Man's manual describes two separate pedals in one that can be used together for extra drive or volume boost.
Sources (3)
- Chase Bliss / Analog Man Brothers AM Dual Overdrive Distortion Boost, Pedal of the Day, 2025-05-10
- KingofToneManualV4-2020.pdf, Analog Man Guitar Effects, 2020-11
- Microsoft Word, Analog Man Guitar Effects
