NativeAudio is building accessible, minimalist pedals that celebrate creator Mike Trombley’s Blackfeet tribal heritage
How did you get into guitar?
“During high school I came across Guitar Hero and oddly enough, the game inspired me to pick up a real guitar, which I have not put down since.”
When did you start building or tinkering with effects?
“I started building and tinkering with effect pedals during my undergraduate studies for electrical engineering.”
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“The schooling kind of went in parallel with my understanding of circuits. The more I learned from school, the more I’d apply to my own personal designs.”
When did you realise you had a viable business?
“I had been building pedals and sharing my builds with local Dayton musicians during my undergraduate studies. After building for a while and seeing that there was a demand, I kind of knew I was onto something.”
Did you have any external investment starting out?
“No way! Moving at the speed of cash and constantly working to improve my business knowledge, while learning from my setbacks.”
When did you feel like you’d nailed your branding?
“After I released my third product, I started noticing that my products had a minimalist look to them, and the artwork started to relate to my Native American heritage. It was at that point that I really liked the simplicity of the pedal’s layout, and each graphic had a unique story.”
How did you come up with your best-selling product?
“Honestly, it was out of necessity. I’m a simple dude and needed a reverb that was easy to use. I loved the idea of multiple reverbs and presets, but the units out in the market at the time were just over complicated. Our Ghost Ridge ended up answering my need for multiple reverbs and presets, while keeping things minimal. The layout is just two knobs and two switches – I mean, that sounds like a dream to me.”
What’s your proudest moment as a maker?
“Probably the day I finally paid myself as business owner. That was definitely the day that I knew this wasn’t a hobby and that I was actually a pursuing an adventure with the mission to inspire others with creativity.”
What are the biggest opportunities for the guitar industry in 2021?
“As with any other industry, we have to keep creating and adapting to the market. It’s thrilling yet a big challenge, for sure, but I love it!”
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What’s next for NativeAudio?
“It’s simple, we plan to continue to inspire creativity.”
Find out more on NativeAudio at nativeaudio.com. Learn more about the Blackfeet Nation here.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
