The big Rig story of 2025 is, of course, the addition of two Dumble ODS amplifiers to Trey’s rig.  For the uninitiated, the Dumble ODS, or “Overdrive Special,” is probably the most sought after and celebrated guitar amplifier that’s ever been produced.  Though they were only ever produced in exceedingly limited quantities, many of the players who owned them were household names, including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, Carlos Santana, and later John Mayer and Jason Isbell, among others.  Alexander Dumble (1944-2022) built these amplifiers by himself to exacting specifications starting in the mid-1960s.  In their extensive obituary in 2022, Vintage Guitar Magazine described Mr. Dumble’s ODS this way: 

Essentially a two-channel/high-gain amp with 6L6 tubes (a handful were made with EL34s), Dumble told Robben Ford the first ODS was inspired by the blackface piggyback Bassman that Dumble saw Ford play with his brothers in The Charles Ford Band. It became widely viewed as the ultimate example of tube-generated overdrive – creamy, touch-sensitive, and with fat, harmonically rich tone. The clean channel was cited for its transparent, responsive, “open” sound. Though it started as a modded Bassman, the amp evolved to become completely original, set apart not only for its sound but for the hand-measured and matched components, custom transformers, immaculate wire dress, and careful signal-path routing.

Mr. Dumble’s designs have spawned countless emulations, and the sound of his amps has become one of the quintessential sought-after guitar tones.  On Mr. Dumble’s passing, Premier Guitar described the  ultra-selective process of obtaining a Dumble amp: 

There was an ad-hoc audition process if a player wanted to commission a Dumble amplifier. In order to even get the opportunity to meet with the builder, a player would need a recommendation from someone in Dumble’s trusted circle. Then, if they were invited, the audition could be simply playing for him during a casual hang, or he might ask for a CD. “Alexander really only wanted to make amplifiers for the very best players in the world,” says [former Fender CEO Larry] Thomas. It didn’t seem like fame was a deciding factor either—Dumble would turn down requests from big-name players. “He treated his amps like they were his children,” says Bruce Forman. Back in 2019, Forman brought Dumble a 1966 Fender Vibrolux for his two most popular mods: RockFonicks and Ultra-Phonix. “He wanted them out there making music.”

Though they are unquestionably some of the most important amplifiers in rock history, a Dumble did not appear on stage with Trey until 2025.  Serial Number 100 was first was introduced to Trey’s Rig in Birmingham, AL on 9/13/2025 during Phish tour.  By the end of TAB tour, Trey was using two Dumbles, one as primary and one as backup.  The primary is Serial Number 100, purchased from Analogr in late summer 2025 and dressed in black and silver.  The second is Serial Number 178, which was built for Larry Carlton, who sold it to Carlos Santana many years before it was obtained by Trey.  S/N 178 has the tan/brown dress.  During parts of TAB tour, Serial Number 100 was in the amp rack with Trey’s long-favored Mesa Boogie Mark III Long Head.   They also experimented with using a Two Rock TS-1 as a backup to S/N 100.  

Tremendous thanks to Michael McGinnis, who was at the Syracuse show and provided some incredible photography of the new amplifiers.  Thanks also to David Wiatrolik for providing some great close-ups of the rig in Denver.  

Electric Guitar Cabinets:

• 1 x Paul Languedoc 2×12 cabinet.

Cabinets are mic’d with a Royer R-122V vacuum tube ribbon mic and a Shure Beta 57a. 

Electric Guitars:

•  Ocelot.  Only one mini switch remains, and the up position is “inner single coil only” and the down position is humbuckers. 

Acoustic Guitars:

•. Circle Strings replicas of Trey’s Martins, including a D-18 style, 000-28 style and a DCE signature style.  

Electric Rig Effects:

Gain/Overdrive
•  2 x Tube Screamer (Analogman modded)
•  Ross Compressor

Voicing
•  Digitech Whammy II.   
•  Vox McCoy Wah. 
•  Line 6 M5 Stompbox modeler PRE.  

Time-Based (reverb and delay)
• Line 6 M5 Stompbox modeler POST.  
•  Boomerang Phrase Sampler.

Modulation
•   Nux Voodoo Vibe

Effects Loop Rack
• Keeley Zoma 
• Keeley Rotary
• Way Huge Supa Puss
• Ibanez DM-2000
(the effects loop is buffered by a Two Rock effects loop rack mount unit)

Here are both amps, along with the effects loop rack, from Syracuse. Photo courtesy of Michael McGinnis.
Here’s a close up of Dumble Serial Number 100, which was described by its previous owner as “Possibly the most sought after guitar amp ever made.” Photo courtesy of Michael McGinnis.
Here’s a close-up of Dumble Serial Number 178, built for Larry Carlton and later owned by Carlos Santana before it was purchased by Trey. Photo courtesy of Michael McGinnis.
Here’s a wonderful close-up of the effects loop rack. It includes the Ibanez DM-2000, the Way Huge Supa Puss analog delay, the Keeley Rotary Leslie simulator, and the Keeley Zoma Reverb and Tremolo. Photo courtesy of Michael McGinnis.
Here’s a photo of the effects loop rack that Bob Bradshaw posted. For a time it had two Supa Puss delays, likely set to different delay times.
Ocelot was the favored guitar for Fall TAB tour. Here it is in Detroit.
Circle Strings guitars has made road-ready replicas of Trey’s vintage Martins, including this one of his 1933 000-28. Presumably this is to avoid taking finicky and irreplaceable vintage guitars on the road.
In this MissionBallroom photo from David Wiatrolik, we can see that early in the tour, the Boogie amp was still in the rack, perhaps to provide some comfort with the transition. You can see two Analogman modded TS-9 pedals, the trusty Ross Compressor, the Klon and the Nux Voodoo Vibe on the floor, in front of Trey’s dual Line 6 M5 multi-FX units.
A photo of S/N 100 from AnalogR.
Another photo of S/N 100 from AnalogR.