The rig for the MSG New Year’s Run was almost entirely the same as the rig we saw during Phish’s fall tour, so if you want more details on anything, check out that entry. A few tweaks were made, including the return of the MXR Bass Envelope Filter, and of course the EOB Stratocaster and Martin 000-28 made an appearance. Some annotated photos are below. The Ross Compressor was not used for this run.
Amplification: 2 x Komet Trainwreck 60. One has 6L6 tubes and the other has EL-34, with the 6L6 being used most often. 6L6 is a blackface-to-tweedy Fender sound with a strong mid-focus, while the EL-34 is a Marshall sound, with an even more aggressive, muscular low end.
Cabinets:
Ambikabs: 2 Komet Ambikabs. Each Ambikab has its own effects loop with a Source Audio Ventris Reverb and an Eventide TimeFactor. The 12″ speakers are Celestion Heritage 65’s. The cabs are cross-mic’d for a wider soundstage; see below for more details.
Leslies: 2 x Leslie G-37. One of the Leslies is dedicated to guitar, while the other is used for the samples coming from the McMillen 12-step. There is a Leslie speed selector switch and a volume expression pedal that controls the Guitar Leslie volume.
Guitars:
Electric: Koa 1; Fender Ed O’Brien Stratocaster; 1939 Martin 000-28
Mics: Trey’s rig is mic’d by a Shure SM-57 and a Royer SF-12. Trey also uses SE GuitarF Reflexion Filters to isolate these mics. Trey also told me that he added extra filters to the non-mic’d speakers just to tame some of the stage volume.
Effects (see below for order):
Gain/Overdrive
• 2 x Tube Screamer (vintage TS-808)
• Klon
Voicing
• Digitech Whammy II
• 1 x Electro Harmonix (“EHX”) POG2
• EHX B9
• 2 x Beigel Tru-Tron 3x Envelope Filter (one sweeps UP, one DOWN)
• CAE Wah
Time-Based (reverb and delay)
• Boomerang
• Eventide Space Reverb
• Source Audio Ventris (Ambikab Loops)
• 2 x Eventide TimeFactor (Ambikab Loops, set to DIGI)
• Moog MF-104M analog delay
• 2 x Way Huge Supa Puss atop rack (both have the R79 removed from the printed circuit board, allowing for a smoother curve or more linear slope on the mix control. One is set to quarter note, the other to dotted eighth.)
• Ibanez DM-2000 digital delay
Modulation
• Victoria Reverberato
• Bradshaw Custom Super Tremolo (for CHOP)
• Shin -Ei UniVibe
• McMillen 12-step midi keyboard foot controller (see the bottom of the 2018 Spring TAB Tour entry for a full explainer)
Trey's Guitar Rig 
So much of this is over my head but I really enjoy reading it. I also appreciate the fact that there is a fan as knowledgeable and dedicated as you to take the time and effort to keep up with this project. Many thanks, Ryan, keep up the good work.
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This is very kind and much appreciated. Thanks, Morty!
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So odd considering that he sounded so much better than fall and without question the summer. I can’t be the first to say this but both his cleans and overdrive sounded so much warmer and dynamic. If the rig was the same he must have either adjusted some of the gain or volume levels somewhere, rolled off more, or was just more focused with his attack (or all of the above). Whatever the case, NYE run was best his tone sounded in ’18 by far. Hope he sticks with it.
Thanks for all your work.
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100% agree. The talk at Dicks over the summer was that he was still “figuring it out” and dialing in the rig — I hope we’re back to the good stuff long-term. Also Ryan, great job on this every tour.
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Always a delight! Thanks a bunch!
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How does he get that slight echo (or delay) that was obvious during First Tube and also the Lizards solo?
I thought it sounded gorgeous. Thanks again for sharing all of this info!
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What pedal helped achieve the subtle delay / echo Trey seemed to lean on during this run? It was especially noticeable during First Tube, and his solo on Lizards.
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I think it has to be the Supa Puss, as it seems to have Tap Tempo functionality. I’ll try to recreate in the TGR Test Lab. Thanks!
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To my ears, the more subtle delay you’re referencing in the Eventide digital delay in the Ambikab loop, which also has tap tempo via the B Tap switch. To me, it sounds a bit more prominent than it has been in the past.
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A long time later with a better understanding of how this wet / dry rig works, I believe you are definitely correct.
Very cool – hoping to try something like this with my own rig.
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First Tube is the Ibanez DM2000- it is preset to 1023 ms, so easy to spot compared to other delays which may vary in time- you’ll hear Trey use the hold and mod functions in this song too.
Lizards sound like the digital setting used on the Time Factors in the Ambikab- this is tap tempo’d and uses dry kill.
Changes in balance could be the faders turned up on that channel
with the DM, 2 supapusses, the moog and the time factors there are alot of delay/echo options available.
Some before gain, some after, some before the amp, some after
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I didn’t think the original poster was talking about the first tube delay loop (which of course is the DM-2000); rather, I took OP to be referencing a more subtle delay that Trey was using for the head of the tune.
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This site is the bomb diggidy! Any idea if Trey’s AmbiKabs are Baltic birch or the new ones that are Italian poplar? Also, are they open back or closed back as Komet seems to make them in either configuration now?
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These are among the first Komet made. They’re closed-back and I believe birch.
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Just to give u an update…Called the guys at Komet. He’s using Baltic Birch AmbiKabs with closed backs. Apparently they were having issues with feedback on stage and the closed back cabs fixed it.
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Oh…and I wanted to ask you how awesome your walnut Doc is? I got an all Claro Walnut Doc with maple binding in 2014. It’s rarely played because I’m a loser and treat it like a collectors piece but when I do pull it out it’s above and beyond everything else. Curious what your thoughts are.
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Any idea what speaker Trey uses in his Princeton Reverb? That’d be great info to try and get a low wattage Trey tone.
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Celestion Vintage 30 12″. These amps are modified and have specially selected NOS tubes. With the Komets onstage the Princetons are used for sessions and in the practice room
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Ryan,
Any idea if the acoustic guitar just runs direct to soundboard and bypasses the rig?
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the Fishman Humbucker in the soundhole runs to a direct box ( probably panned center), there are 2 Trance Amulet pickups ( bass side, treble side) under the bridge plate ( not saddle), these go to Trance Preamp, then to direct boxes- these are panned in the PA, L&R
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String are D’Addario EXP19’s- same strings Pete Townsend uses.
Heavier string gauge works for the short scale 000-28 & open tuning
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Can we get a Mayan 2019 post even without any pictures or known rig updates?
Trey’s amp change sounded like absolute ass to me. It was obvious he was trying to play with a more dimed amp for natural overdrive when his dynamics spiked, but man, that super light playing into that aggressive amp just sounded awful to me.
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Check the twitter feed – a bunch up there. Will update the site soon.
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I’m not given to complaining about much when it comes to the band. Over the 28 years that I’ve been an active, show-going fan I’ve taken everything they give with gratitude and a smile. But, I have to say that I just can’t get behind the new rig. I enjoy for very specific parts of the catalog. But for the subtle material ( which is ample) is just comes off as overly abrasive. That guitar is so incredibly articulate. I can’t help but think that this new rig steals away some of what is so aurally unique about the bands material, particularly the early part of their catalog. I love it all and always will, I’m just adjusting.
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*enjoy it
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