Chase Bliss Brothers

The Chase Bliss Brothers is a discontinued dual-channel analog gain pedal that ran from 2017 to 2024, and is now one of the more sought-after Chase Bliss pedals on the used market. Two analog gain channels sit side by side, each with three selectable modes — Boost, Overdrive, or Fuzz — and the ability to combine them in series, parallel, or with the order reversed. This made it possible to build dial-in chains like a clean boost into a fuzz, or a fuzz blended in parallel with an overdrive, all from a single pedal.

The signal path is 100% analog. The digital layer only handles mode switching, preset recall, and modulation routing — there is no AD/DA conversion of the audio. Six knobs on the front panel, dip switches on the top, and the full Chase Bliss feature set (presets, MIDI, CV, expression) made it one of the more flexible drive pedals on the market. It was discontinued in 2024 and clean used examples continue to hold their value, trading close to original RRP despite the AM successor being available new.

Chase Bliss replaced it in 2025 with the Brothers AM, a redesign in collaboration with Analog Man, the boutique pedal builder behind the famously waitlisted King of Tone overdrive. The AM keeps the dual-channel architecture but the modes are now Boost, Overdrive, and Distortion (replacing the Fuzz mode), with the circuit explicitly inspired by the King of Tone's two-channel analog gain stage. It also adds a Beano Boost-style treble booster as a bonus circuit, and increases the preset count to 4 internal slots plus 122 via MIDI. The AM is more focused on classic overdrive territory than the original (which leaned more experimental thanks to the Fuzz mode), and is aimed at players wanting King of Tone tones without the Analog Man waiting list.

Both pedals share the same control philosophy: a 100% analog signal path with digital control of preset recall, modulation (Ramping), CV, expression, and full MIDI (Program Change and CC). True bypass with selectable momentary or latching footswitch behaviour. Power is 9V centre-negative at around 200mA. The chassis is the standard Chase Bliss aluminium format, hand-built in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Who Is This For? The original Brothers suits guitarists who want maximum tonal flexibility from a single drive pedal — boost, overdrive, and fuzz on tap, in any routing order, with presets and MIDI. It became a favourite among ambient, post-rock, and experimental players for its ability to switch between very different drive characters via preset. The Brothers AM is more focused — it is for players who specifically want King of Tone-style overdrive in a Chase Bliss platform with full MIDI and preset support. Both are at the high end of the boutique market and assume a player who wants depth of control and is willing to dig into manuals to get the most out of the pedal. The discontinued original is the more interesting price-history story; clean used examples are increasingly hard to find.