There were some substantial changes to the Rig for Fall 2019 Phish tour. A few highlights:
- The Ambikab loops are running customized Keeley Electronics Eccos reverb/delays now. The Eccos replace Eventide Space and Time Factors in the Ambi loops.
- Trey is using Koa 2.
- Trey is using some new amplification. Details below.
I’ve written more details on all of this in the New Year’s entry, as well.
Amplification: 2 x Komet K60. 1 Special Guest Amp (Note: Trey was using a loaner guitar amp head (the “Special Guest Amp” or “SGA”) in addition to his customary pair of Komet 60 heads. The SGA is on loan from a high end amp shop in New York and it’s unclear at the moment whether it’ll be incorporated as part of the permanent rig. I’ve done some reporting on this amp and have identified them, but Trey is not ready to talk about it publicly yet, and I’m going to respect that boundary here as well. Once Trey starts talking publicly about it, I’ll backfill any posts at TGR accordingly.
TRS outputs: In order to achieve a direct, uninterrupted signal path between his pickups and the first preamp tube (V1) of the SGA while still maintaining access to his effects, Trey had TRS stereo outputs installed on his guitars, where one of the two stereo channels runs direct to the SGA and the second runs into the Bradshaw effects switching system and then a Komet 60. Though he doesn’t use both amps at the same time, Trey can set loops/delays/reverbs with the effects on the Komets and then switch outputs and play over them on the SGA. So you may hear what sounds like two guitars at once.
Cabinets:
3 Komet Ambikabs. The Ambikabs are wet-dry rigs-in-a-box with their own effects loops with separate 10″ speakers. The 12″ speakers are Celestion Heritage 65’s. Trey is using customized Keeley Eccos pedals for reverb and delay functions in all Ambikabs. There were 3 Ambi’s on stage, one facing forward and 2 facing rearward.
Guitars:
Electric: Koa 2. Ocelot is backstage. Backup is Blonde No. 2.
Mics: Trey’s rig is mic’d by a Shure SM-57 and a Royer SF-12. The SE GuitarF Reflexion Filters are no longer in use.
Effects:
Gain/Overdrive
• 2 x Tube Screamer (vintage TS-808)
• Klon
• Ross Compressor
Voicing
• Digitech Whammy II
• 2 x Electro Harmonix (“EHX”) POG2
• Boss OC-2 Octave Pedal
• EHX Key 9 x 2 (different sensitivity settings)
• 2 x Beigel Tru-Tron 3x Envelope Filter (one sweeps UP, one DOWN)
• CAE Wah
Note — Trey was experimenting with Envelope Filters during this run. He also used a Keeley Neutrino and Q-Tron +
Time-Based (reverb and delay)
• Boomerang
• Eventide Space Reverb (Centaurus algo)
• Keeley Eccos delay and reverb in Ambikabs
• 2 x Way Huge Supa Puss atop rack (all 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
• Digitech Obscura Reverse Delay
Modulation
• Victoria Reverberato
• Shin -Ei UniVibe
• Boss RT-20 Rotary Ensemble x 2 (fast and slow; settings 1 and 4. The second Rotary replaced the CHOP). )









Thank you thank you thank you… incredible work as always… what a task to undertake with the rig being so dynamic as of late!!! You mentioned that the CAE Trem is in the rack however chop has been removed from the rst-24 to make room for the second rt-20. Does this mean the trem is out completely or is it just a set and forget now without any speed control ?
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He does not have access to the CAE Tremolo effect currently, though the effect remains affixed to the rig.
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Got it thanks for clarifying !
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So the push pull toggle / TRS setup on the guitar is allowing him to send the signal to BOTH the SGA (secret guitar amp) AND the effects into the Komets, running both in parallel?
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He can set up effects/loops/delays on the Komets and then play over them on the SGA. He can’t play both the left and right (wet and dry) channels simultaneously as that would result in half power from the guitar to each side.
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Seems complicated! Would love to hear specific examples of the wet/dry Komet/SGA if you can pinpoint them.
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It’s either/ or
He can select the bradshaw rack input( and it’s amp or amps)
Or select no effects and essentially be straight into the sga
It’s possible that the boomerang could play through an amp
While trey plays live into the sga
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Thank you so much for your service. Do have a recent signal chain perhaps?
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Thanks Ryan. The switch back to Koa 2 is an interesting one. I think it is fair to say that this guitar is the least well-received by the audience (who pays attention to this stuff), but he seems to keep going back to it. Is there any other information you can share, other than the pickup measurements, that can explain why Trey periodically prefers this guitar to the others?
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Great stuff here, love seeing Trey so happy!
Any ideas on the settings for the Tube Screamers?
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more and less
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