01
Amplification
Amp Head(s)
Mesa Boogie Mark III Long Head ×2
Trey's primary amp throughout this era, purchased around 1985 or '86. The Long Head variant is distinguished from standard Mark IIIs by two visual tells: a fourth front-panel switch (the half-power switch, dropping from 100W to 60W by disabling two of the four 6L6 power tubes) and an eighth front-panel knob for reverb (moved to the rear on non-Long-Head units). A three-channel amp: Rhythm (clean, Blackface Fender-influenced), Rhythm 2 (light crunch), and Lead (high gain). Whether Trey's units are the Simul-Class variant (75W/15W switchable) or standard 100W heads has not been confirmed. A second Mark III Long Head was added around November 1992 — the first time a rack enclosure was part of the rig. The Lead, Rhythm 1, and Rhythm 2 channels were all footswitched via two dedicated pedals on his pedalboard during this era. Whether Trey used the amp's onboard reverb is unknown.
Speaker Cabinets ×2
Custom Languedoc 2×12 ×2
Trey had Paul Languedoc build him two 2×12 cabinets — trading guitar lessons in exchange for the builds. One was loaded with Electro-Voice speakers, the other with Celestion Vintage 30s. Trey used one or both cabinets depending on the show.
Cabinet wiring scheme
Both cabinets were loaded with two 8-ohm speakers wired in series, giving each cabinet a total impedance of 16 ohms. Paul wired each cabinet with two speaker input jacks, with one jack wired in parallel to the other. This clever scheme gave Trey flexible impedance options: a single cabinet could be driven safely from the Mesa Boogie's 8-ohm output jack — the two 16-ohm jacks in parallel presenting an 8-ohm load to the amp. When using both cabinets, Trey would chain one into the other, combining the two 16-ohm cabinets in parallel for a total load of 8 ohms, still safe to run from the same 8-ohm output.
The sold & recreated EV cabinet
Trey sold the Electro-Voice-loaded cabinet sometime around 1990–1991 while in California. He later regretted the decision and had Paul build a recreation of the original. The 11/19/92 show appears to be the debut of this new replicated cabinet — footage suggests both were on stage that night — though this has not been definitively confirmed.
Dual heads & first rack — November 1992
Around November 1992, Trey added a second Mesa Boogie Mark III head to the rig and housed both heads together in a proper rack enclosure for the first time. Prior to fall 1992, there was no rack in the setup — the single Mesa Boogie head had sat loose on or near the cabinets throughout the early years. The dual-head configuration, driving the two Languedoc 2×12 cabinets, remained the amp foundation through the end of this era and into the early Bradshaw years.
02
Guitar
- Early Phish Strat-style guitar used in the earliest days of the band before Languedoc began building custom instruments.
- ~Early 1988 Trey transitioned to the first hollowbody guitar Paul Languedoc ever built — a maple top / padauk body instrument that would define the early Phish sound.
- Headstock Inlay Features a custom inlay of Trey's dog Marley as a puppy, with a small conversation bubble reading "Who's the marmar?"
- Construction Maple top with padauk body — a combination that contributed to the guitar's warm, resonant character distinct from typical solidbody instruments of the era.
Luthier's milestone
This guitar represents the beginning of one of the most distinctive luthier-musician partnerships in modern rock. The maple/padauk combination and hollowbody construction gave Trey a voice unlike any production guitar of the time.
MarMar — Pickup Configuration History
- Original config The MarMar was originally built with three pickups — two humbuckers and a single-coil pickup in the middle position. This is the configuration seen in early photographs of the guitar.
- Single coil removed At some point the middle single-coil pickup was removed, leaving the pickup cavity open — a visible hole in the body between the two humbuckers. The exact date of removal has not been confirmed. Photographs from the early-to-mid 1990s show the guitar with this open cavity.
- Ebony cover installed After the single coil was removed, the open pickup cavity remained exposed for several years before Paul Languedoc eventually built and installed a custom ebony cover to close the hole. The date of this modification is not confirmed.
- Single coil reinstalled — 2015 The middle single-coil pickup was reinstalled around 2015 in preparation for Trey's appearance at the Grateful Dead's Fare Thee Well / GD50 concerts in July 2015 — the band's 50th anniversary shows at Levi's Stadium and Soldier Field. The MarMar was brought out for these high-profile performances with its original three-pickup configuration restored.
Identifying configuration in photos
When examining MarMar photographs, the presence or absence of the middle single-coil pickup is a useful dating clue. Three pickups visible = original config (pre-removal or post-2015 reinstall). Two pickups with open cavity = removal period. Two pickups with ebony cover = post-cover installation. Several photos in this gallery document different stages of this evolution.
Spruce Backup Guitar
- Built 1991 — constructed by Paul Languedoc as a dedicated backup instrument for Trey.
- Construction Spruce top with a maple body. Featured a unique back panel designed for easy access to the guitar's internal electronics.
- Headstock The first known use of what is now the trademarked Languedoc headstock design.
- Headstock Inlay A pearl inlay of adult Marley the dog chasing a cat, with a conversation bubble reading "I'm the mar mar" — a companion piece to the MarMar's puppy inlay.
- Stage use Trey rarely played this guitar in the early 1990s — it served primarily as a backup and was not a regular presence in live shows.
Languedoc headstock — first appearance
The Spruce backup guitar holds a notable place in Languedoc history as the first instrument to feature the headstock design that Paul would later trademark. What began as a functional build for a spare has that distinction quietly built into its DNA.
Acoustic Guitar — Stage & Spot Use
- Spring–Summer 1993 Trey began regularly picking up an acoustic guitar mid-show for specific songs. The most consistent pattern: The Horse was frequently performed with Trey on acoustic, as was the opening passage of My Friend, My Friend. These acoustic spots appear across dozens of shows on the 1993 tours.
- Feb 20, 1993 Roxy Theatre, Atlanta — The Horse featured Trey on acoustic guitar. One of the earliest confirmed 1993 instances.
- Feb 23, 1993 The Edge Night Club, Orlando — the beginning of My Friend, My Friend featured Trey on acoustic guitar.
- Aug 13, 1993 Murat Theatre, Indianapolis — Trey teased the Würm portion from Starship Trooper on acoustic guitar after Fluffhead.
- Aug 28, 1993 Greek Theatre, Berkeley — Ginseng Sullivan was performed acoustic. One of the first confirmed acoustic performances of that song.
The Horse / My Friend pattern — 1993
Throughout the spring and summer 1993 tours, Trey's mid-show acoustic guitar appearances became a recurring feature. The Horse in particular was performed with Trey on acoustic at a significant number of shows — it was essentially an expected part of the song's live presentation during this period.
03
Effects
Overdrive
Ibanez Tube Screamer
Trey ran two Tube Screamers — a mix of the TS9 and TS10 variants — for layered overdrive options and always-on tonal shaping.
Compression
Ross Compressor
The pink Ross provided sustain and pick-attack control, an essential piece of the early Phish clean tone.
Reverb / Delay
Alesis Microverb
Placed in the effects loop of the Mesa Boogie. Primarily used on its Reverse setting for a subtle slapback character. Occasionally switched to a large hall reverb for spacey passages.
Volume
Ernie Ball Volume Pedal
Used for swells and overall level control throughout sets.
Switching
2× Channel Switchers
Two dedicated footswitch pedals on the board for switching between the Mesa Boogie Mark III's Lead, Rhythm 1, and Rhythm 2 channels.
Signal Chain
Guitar
Languedoc
Hollowbody
Hollowbody
→
OD ×2
TS9 &
TS10
TS10
→
Comp
Ross
Compressor
Compressor
→
Volume
Ernie Ball
Vol. Pedal
Vol. Pedal
→
Amp
Mesa Boogie
Mark III
Mark III
→
FX Loop
Alesis
Microverb
Microverb
→
Cabinets ×2
Languedoc
2×12 ×2
2×12 ×2
⤷ Dashed border = effects loop insertion · Channel switching pedals omitted for clarity
Signature moment
The Alesis Microverb's Reverse setting — placed in the amp's effects loop — was responsible for a distinctive slapback-like ambience that colors countless early Phish recordings. For the sprawling, spacey section of You Enjoy Myself, Trey would occasionally engage a large hall reverb preset for a more cavernous wash.
04
Era Summary
This was the simplest rig Trey ever played — a tight, purposeful setup built around pure tone rather than elaborate processing. No MIDI switching, no harmonizers. Just a Languedoc guitar, a Mesa Boogie, a handful of pedals, and a pair of hand-built cabinets. A second Mesa Boogie head and a proper rack enclosure arrived around November 1992, but the signal chain itself remained essentially unchanged through the end of this era.
The combination of the Ross compressor, dual Tube Screamers, and the warm resonance of the first Languedoc hollowbody created a voice that is immediately recognizable across hundreds of early Phish shows. The Microverb's reverse setting added just enough space without ever cluttering the sound.
This era's tone can be heard throughout the early Phish tape trading circuit — the Vermont basement recordings, the early New England club shows, and the growing run of northeast college circuit performances that built Phish's reputation through the early 1990s.
05
Listen on LivePhish
The pre-Bradshaw era is documented on LivePhish through a handful of carefully archived releases. At the Roxy (Feb 1993) is the flagship three-night package from this period. Great Woods 7/24/93 captures the summer '93 peak with Page's grand piano newly in the mix. NYE 1993 at Worcester is the last show of the pure-tone era — the Bradshaw rack arrived just months later.
Feb 19–21, 1993
At the Roxy — Three Nights
The Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA
The landmark three-night run at the intimate Roxy — six sets of music captured in an 8-CD box set. Night two's second set (with the infamous Gene Simmons sit-in) is one of the most storied of the pre-Bradshaw era. The Mesa Boogie Mark III at the centre of everything.
Stream or download →
Jul 24, 1993
Great Woods — First Headline Show
Great Woods Performing Arts Center, Mansfield, MA
Phish's first headlining show at a major outdoor amphitheater — a watershed moment captured on both audio and rare VHS video. The simple pedalboard-and-Mesa-Boogie setup at a 15,000-capacity venue.
Stream or download →
Dec 31, 1993
New Year's Eve 1993 — Worcester
Worcester Centrum, Worcester, MA
The final show of the pure-tone era — the aquarium stage set, Peaches en Regalia in memory of Frank Zappa, and Tom Marshall guesting on Antelope. Trey's Mesa Boogie rig in its last months as the primary amp system.
Stream or download →
05
Open Research Questions
Research needed
The following items represent open questions for this era — areas where documentation is incomplete or evidence is not yet confirmed.
- Acoustic guitar — make/model The specific acoustic guitar Trey used for mid-show appearances throughout 1993 (The Horse, My Friend, My Friend, Ginseng Sullivan, etc.) has not been confirmed. Make, model, and year of the instrument are unknown.
- Strat-style guitar — identification The exact make and model of the Strat-style guitar Trey used in the earliest days of the band before transitioning to the first Languedoc has not been confirmed.
- Mesa Boogie Mark III — Simul-Class? Both heads are confirmed as the Long Head variant (identified by the fourth front-panel switch and front-mounted reverb knob). Whether either head was the Simul-Class version — which ran at 75W or 15W rather than 100W/60W — has not been confirmed. The standard Long Head and Simul-Class Long Head are otherwise visually identical.
- Acoustic guitar — first appearance date The first show at which Trey used an acoustic guitar mid-set during the 1993 tours has not been precisely pinpointed. The pattern was well established by spring 1993 but the debut date is not confirmed.
06
Videos
07
Photos
MarMar headstock — "Who's the Mar-Mar?" pearl inlay ↗
MarMar body — refitted with single coil pickup, some time in 2015 ↗
Colorado 1988 — MarMar, Ernie Ball volume pedal, Languedoc 2×12 cabinet ↗
Late 1980s back porch — Phish as a wedding band, MarMar, Languedoc 2×12 cabinet ↗
Late 1980s — outdoor show, MarMar, Microverb, Languedoc 2×12 cabinet ↗
Late 1980s, UVM/Vermont club — early MarMar, stacked Languedoc plywood cabinets ↗
April 1989 Old Stone Church — MarMar, single-coil absent (open cavity), Languedoc 2×12 cabinet ↗
April 1990 Colorado College — Mesa Boogie Mark III on Page's organ, Languedoc 2×12 cabinet ↗
April 1990 Colorado College — Trey with the MarMar guitar ↗
Halloween 1990 © Parker Harrington — MarMar, single-coil absent ↗
Aug 1991 Amy's Farm — Mesa Boogie with Microverb on top, MarMar, Languedoc 2×12 cabinet ↗
Aug 1991 Amy's Farm — Mesa Boogie Mark III on top of Page's organ, Languedoc 2×12 cabinet ↗
Aug 1991 Amy's Farm — MarMar, single pickup hole clearly visible, Languedoc 2×12 cabinet ↗
March 1992 Roseland Ballroom — MarMar, single pickup missing ↗
August 1992 with Santana © Joseph Peduto — MarMar, single-coil absent ↗
August 1992 with Santana © Joseph Peduto — MarMar, single-coil absent ↗
May 1993 — MarMar, single-coil absent © Tim Mosenfelder / Getty Images ↗
August 1993 — dual Languedoc 2×12 setup, dual Mesa Boogie heads, TS10s in pedalboard ↗
Tipitina's, New Orleans — full band, rack gear and Languedoc cabinet visible ↗
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