01
Year at a Glance
Feb 15, 1999
Trey Anastasio Band debuts · Higher Ground, Burlington VT
The first TAB show — a solo acoustic performance at Higher Ground in Burlington. Trey performed solo acoustic including the TAB debut of several songs. The beginning of a new performing identity running parallel to Phish.
Feb 22, 1999
Tibet House Benefit · Carnegie Hall
Trey performed an acoustic set at the annual Tibet House benefit at Carnegie Hall — the second consecutive year he appeared at this event acoustically.
Spring 1999 — May TAB Tour
Yamaha AN1x joins the rig · TAB Spring electric tour
The Yamaha AN1x virtual analog synthesizer was added to the rig for the TAB Spring 1999 tour, introducing a dedicated keyboard voice with its own signal path. The AN1x was paired with its own Boomerang Phrase Sampler and volume pedal, completely independent from the guitar rig's looping system.
Summer 1999 — Phish tour
Mesa Boogie Mark III and Languedoc 2×12 return to stage picture
The original 1980s-built Languedoc 2×12 cabinet (loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s) and the Mesa Boogie Mark III head reappeared on stage. The Mesa Boogie was the amp driving the Goff-modified Leslie 925 — a role it had held since 1997 — but Summer 1999 is the first time it was clearly visible sitting on top of the effects rack. The Languedoc cabinet may have been present primarily to fill out the visual size of the rig.
Sep 9, 1999 · GM Place, Vancouver
Mozambique and The Inlaw Josie Wales debut with Phish
Both songs made their Phish debuts at GM Place in Vancouver. The Inlaw Josie Wales — an acoustic guitar piece — became a recurring feature of Phish setlists from this point forward.
Winter 1999 — Big Cypress, Dec 31
Third Deluxe Reverb appears · Leslie 925 routing change
By Big Cypress, a third Fender Deluxe Reverb had appeared in Trey's rig — positioned off to the side, separate from the two main Deluxe Reverbs out front. Photographic evidence from the show reveals this third amp with its Vibrato channel plugged in, strongly suggesting it had taken over driving the Goff-modified Leslie 925 head — a role previously held by the Mesa Boogie Mark III. The Leslie 925 is notably prominent in the stage picture at Big Cypress. Exactly when during the Winter 1999 tour this configuration was adopted has not been confirmed.
Dec 31, 1999 — Jan 1, 2000 · Big Cypress
Big Cypress millennium festival · all-night set
Phish played a seven-plus hour set through midnight into the new millennium at the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation in Florida. One of the most celebrated performances in the band's history and the closing bookend of the 1990s rig era.
02
Guitars
Primary — all year Carried from '98
Languedoc Koa #1 Hollowbody
The Koa #1 — debuted before the Halloween 1996 Remain in Light show — was Trey's primary electric guitar for all of 1999, as it had been since late 1996. No change to the primary instrument.
Acoustic Guitar — Extensive Use in 1999
- TAB solo tours The February 1999 shows (Higher Ground, Tibet House) were solo acoustic. The May 1999 TAB tour was a two-set format: acoustic solo first set, electric second set with Tony Markellis on bass and Russ Lawton on drums. This represents the most extensive acoustic guitar use of any year in Trey's career to this point.
- The Inlaw Josie Wales From its Phish debut on 9/9/99 onwards, The Inlaw Josie Wales was performed on acoustic guitar at every appearance. The song is written for and always played on acoustic.
- Feb 15, 1999 Higher Ground, Burlington — TAB debut show, Trey solo acoustic.
- Apr 12, 1999 Sweetwater Saloon, Mill Valley CA — Trey performed a short solo acoustic set during an open mic night.
- May 3–19, 1999 Full TAB Spring tour — each show split between a solo acoustic first set and an electric second set with Tony Markellis (bass) and Russ Lawton (drums): Michigan Theater (5/3), Murat Theatre (5/4), Riviera Theatre (5/6), American Theater (5/7), Oscar Mayer Theatre (5/8), Thomas Wolfe Auditorium (5/10), 9:30 Club (5/11), SUNY-Binghamton (5/13), State Theatre (5/14), Palace Theatre (5/15), The Flynn Theatre (5/17), The Fillmore (5/19).
Acoustic guitar — Martin D-42K confirmed
A 2000 article confirms Trey was playing a Martin D-42K acoustic during this period. By the 2001 TAB tour he was traveling with three Martin acoustics — a D-45, D-42, and D-42K — suggesting he may already have been rotating between multiple Martins during the 1999 TAB and Phish runs. The D-42K is the confirmed primary for this era.
03
Amplification
Primary guitar amp — all year Carried from '97
Modified Fender Deluxe Reverb
The Fender Deluxe Reverb modified by Vermont amp tech Bill Carruth in collaboration with Brian Brown continued as Trey's main guitar amplifier throughout 1999, unchanged from 1997–98. All guitar signal ran through this amp.
Leslie amp — Summer 1999 visible Carried from '97
Mesa Boogie Mark III
The Mesa Boogie Mark III had been driving the Goff-modified Leslie 925 since 1997, and was clearly visible on top of the effects rack in Summer 1999. By the Winter 1999 tour and Big Cypress, photographic evidence suggests this role may have been handed off to the third Fender Deluxe Reverb — though whether the Mesa remained in the signal path in any capacity at that point is not confirmed.
Third Deluxe Reverb — Winter 1999 New Winter '99
Fender Deluxe Reverb (third unit) — Leslie driver
A third Fender Deluxe Reverb appeared in Trey's rig by the time of Big Cypress, positioned off to the side of the two main Deluxe Reverbs used for guitar. Photographic evidence shows this unit with its Vibrato channel plugged in — strongly suggesting it was dedicated to driving the Goff-modified Leslie 925 head. This would represent a tonal shift in the Leslie's drive character, replacing the Mesa Boogie Mark III with a Fender's warmer, cleaner input stage. The exact first show this configuration appeared has not been confirmed.
Synth monitor — new Spring '99 New '99
Gallien-Krueger Bass Amp
A small Gallien-Krueger bass combo amp was placed near Trey's keyboard position as a personal monitor for the Yamaha AN1x synthesizer. The AN1x's stereo signal was fed directly to the front-of-house soundboard — the GK served only as Trey's on-stage reference for the keyboard sound.
Visual/prop — Summer 1999 Original '80s build
Languedoc 2×12 Cabinet
The original 1980s-built Languedoc 2×12 cabinet — loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s — returned to the stage in Summer 1999. Based on available evidence it appears to have been present primarily to fill out the visual size and presence of the rig rather than carrying an active guitar signal, though this has not been definitively confirmed.
04
Leslie
All year Carried from '97
Goff Professional — Modified Leslie 925
The Goff-modified Leslie 925 continued as Trey's rotating speaker unit throughout 1999, carried over from its introduction in June 1997. Driven by the Mesa Boogie Mark III. Controlled via dedicated Mute and fast/slow footswitches on the floor pedalboard.
05
New Instrument: Yamaha AN1x
The most significant new addition to Trey's rig in 1999 was the Yamaha AN1x — a virtual analog synthesizer that gave Trey a fully independent keyboard voice on stage. The AN1x debuted with the TAB Spring 1999 tour and carried through into the Phish Summer and Fall Touring.
Crucially, the AN1x was set up as a completely self-contained system: its own Boomerang Phrase Sampler for looping and its own dedicated volume pedal, entirely separate from the guitar rig's signal path. The AN1x's stereo output ran directly to the front-of-house board — it never touched the Fender Deluxe Reverb or any guitar effects. A small Gallien-Krueger bass combo served as Trey's personal stage monitor for the keyboard sound.
This architecture meant that for the first time, Trey could have three independent loops running simultaneously: the guitar Boomerang (carried from Fall 1998), the DM2000 digital delay loop on the guitar rig, and the AN1x's dedicated Boomerang. The layering possibilities this opened up were a defining feature of Trey's live sound in the late 1999 and Big Cypress period.
Synthesizer New Spring '99
Yamaha AN1x
A virtual analog synthesizer with 61 keys and physical knobs for real-time parameter control. Stereo output fed directly to front-of-house. Known for its physical modeling of analog synthesis — capable of fat, evolving pad textures well-suited to Trey's layered loop approach.
AN1x looper New Spring '99
Boomerang Phrase Sampler
A dedicated Boomerang unit assigned exclusively to the AN1x signal chain. Operated independently from the guitar rig's Boomerang. Allowed Trey to build and sustain synthesizer loops while simultaneously managing guitar loops — enabling the three-layer loop architecture.
AN1x volume control New Spring '99
Volume Pedal (AN1x dedicated)
A dedicated expression/volume pedal for the AN1x, independent from the guitar rig's Ernie Ball volume pedal. Allowed Trey to control the keyboard's level in real time without affecting guitar volume.
Guitar looper Carried from Fall '98
Boomerang Phrase Sampler (guitar rig)
The original Boomerang, added to the guitar rig in Fall 1998, continued in use throughout 1999 as part of the guitar signal chain — independent from the new AN1x Boomerang.
Three-loop architecture
With the AN1x Boomerang, the guitar Boomerang, and the DM2000 delay loop all running independently, Trey's rig in 1999 was capable of sustaining three overlapping loop layers simultaneously — a complexity that had no precedent in his previous setups. Live recordings from the Fall 1999 Phish tour and Big Cypress document this multi-layer approach in full effect.
06
Rack
The Kriz-Kraft 17U road case housed all rack gear. The rack was built with a full set of duplicates for every active unit — both as backups and to fill out the visual footprint of the rig. Only one reverb unit was active at any time: the middle Microverb in the reverb tray, set to Reverse. The Mesa Boogie Mark III sat on top of the rack in the Summer 1999 configuration.
Kriz-Kraft 17U Rack — 1999
Active units + full duplicate backup set · Mesa Boogie on top (Summer)
Top — Active Units
1U
Power Distribution Unit
Power
1U
Spacer
Filler
1U
Spacer
Filler
1U
Korg DTR-2 Rack Tuner
Tuner Carried
1U
Reverb tray — Alesis Microverb · Alesis Microverb (Reverse — active) · Alesis Nanoverb
Reverb · 1 of 3 active Carried
1U
CAE Black Cat Vibe · CAE Super Tremolo (side by side)
Univibe · Tremolo Carried
1U
Ibanez DM2000 Digital Delay
Delay / Loop Carried
1U
CAE 4×4 Audio Controller
MIDI Loop Switcher Carried
Bottom — Backup Duplicates
1U
Reverb tray — Alesis Microverb · Alesis Microverb (Reverse — active) · Alesis Nanoverb
Backup reverb
1U
CAE Black Cat Vibe · CAE Super Tremolo (side by side)
Backup univibe · tremolo
1U
Ibanez DM2000 Digital Delay
Backup delay
1U
CAE 4×4 Audio Controller
Backup switcher
Amplification — on top of rack
—
Mesa Boogie Mark III (Summer 1999 — driving Goff Leslie 925)
Leslie Amp Carried
Only one reverb active — the rest was visual
Of the three units in each reverb tray (two Microverbs and a Nanoverb), only the middle Microverb was wired up and in use — set to Reverse. The other units were present to fill the rack space and make the rig look larger. The same logic applied to the backup half of the rack: full duplicate sets of every active unit, kept ready but not in the signal chain.
07
Floor Pedalboard
Guitar rig pedalboard — 1999
Carried from Fall 1998
- Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer(s)
- Ross Compressor
Always on — set once, never touched mid-show - Dunlop Crybaby Wah
- DigiTech Whammy II
- Ernie Ball Volume Pedal
- Custom A/B channel switcher
(Normal ↔ Vibrato, Fender Deluxe) - Dual footswitch — CAE Super Tremolo
- Goff Leslie 925 control
(Mute & fast/slow footswitches) - Boomerang Phrase Sampler footswitch
(Carried from Fall '98)
AN1x dedicated controls — new Spring '99
Yamaha AN1x system
- Boomerang Phrase Sampler footswitch
(AN1x dedicated — independent loop) - Volume Pedal
(AN1x dedicated — independent from guitar vol)
08
Signal Chain Overview
Guitar Signal Path
Guitar
Languedoc Koa #1
→
Floor
DigiTech
Whammy II
Whammy II
→
Floor
Dunlop
Crybaby Wah
Crybaby Wah
→
Floor
TS-9 × 2
→
Floor
Ross
Compressor
Compressor
→
Floor
Ernie Ball
Volume
Volume
→
Rack · Loop 1
DM2000
Delay
Delay
→
Rack · Loop 2
Microverb
(Reverse)
(Reverse)
→
Rack · Loop 3
Black Cat
Vibe
Vibe
→
Rack · Loop 4
Super
Tremolo
Tremolo
→
Floor
Boomerang
Phrase Sampler
Phrase Sampler
→
Floor
Fender
A/B Pedal
A/B Pedal
→
Amp
Fender Deluxe Reverb
(normal + vibrato ch.)
(normal + vibrato ch.)
Main guitar signal path · Ross Compressor always in chain before the Whammy · CAE 4×4 loops switched via rack RS-10 controller
Leslie Signal Path (split from CAE 4×4 Loop 1)
Rack · Loop 1
DM2000
Split Out
Split Out
→
Rack
Korg DTR-2
Tuner / Mute
Tuner / Mute
→
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mk III
Summer · or 3rd Deluxe Reverb Fall/Winter
Summer · or 3rd Deluxe Reverb Fall/Winter
→
Speaker
Goff-modified
Leslie 925
Leslie 925
The Korg DTR-2's footswitchable mute function served as the Leslie on/off — Trey could silently add or remove the Leslie from the mix without touching the amp
AN1x Synthesizer Signal Path (independent)
Synth
Yamaha AN1x
→
Floor
Volume Pedal
(AN1x dedicated)
(AN1x dedicated)
→
Floor
Boomerang
(AN1x dedicated)
(AN1x dedicated)
→
Monitor
Gallien-Krueger
Bass Amp
Bass Amp
→
Main out
FOH
Soundboard
Soundboard
AN1x stereo output runs direct to front-of-house · GK amp is stage monitor only · entirely independent from guitar signal path
09
Era Summary
1999 stands apart from every other year in this documentation for one reason: it is the only year where Trey operated two fully distinct performing identities simultaneously. The Spring TAB tour split each night in two — a solo acoustic first set, then a full electric second set with Tony Markellis and Russ Lawton. The Phish electric rig, meanwhile, grew its most sophisticated multi-dimensional architecture yet.
The addition of the Yamaha AN1x with its own dedicated Boomerang was not a cosmetic change. It created a genuine three-voice looping system that no previous Trey rig had approached. Where the 1998 rig had introduced looping as a guitar technique, 1999 made looping a compositional architecture — guitar loops, delay loops, and synthesizer loops all running independently and simultaneously.
The visual return of the Languedoc 2×12 cabinet and the newly visible Mesa Boogie Mark III on top of the rack gave the 1999 rig a larger physical presence than the stripped-back 1997–98 setup, even if the functional core remained the Fender Deluxe Reverb. Whether this was purely aesthetic or partially functional remains an open question.
The year ended at Big Cypress — Phish's millennium festival — a seven-plus hour set into January 1, 2000, that serves as the logical terminus of the 1990s rig era documented across these pages.
The "Laser Tone" — 1999's sonic signature
Despite no confirmed dramatic changes to the core signal chain, 1999 has a distinctly different sonic character from 1997 or 1998 — a quality many listeners describe as a "laser tone." The guitar cuts through with a bright, almost crystalline precision that is immediately recognizable in recordings from this year. The Goff-modified Leslie 925 appears to play a more prominent role in the overall tone than it did in prior years — whether through a change in how it was driven, a different gain or preamp stage feeding it, or a shift in how it was blended in the mix is not confirmed. It's possible Trey altered something in how the Mesa Boogie Mark III was set to drive the Leslie head, introducing more crunch or gain into that channel. Whatever the cause, the 1999 tone is one of the most immediately identifiable sonic fingerprints in Trey's career — and it remains an open research question exactly what produced it.
10
Listen on LivePhish
1999 is well-represented on LivePhish across all three touring legs — Summer, Fall, and the December run into Big Cypress. The three shows below span the arc of the year and document the AN1x / three-loop rig across its full range of contexts.
Jul 10, 1999
E Center — Camden, NJ
E Center, Camden, NJ
A strong mid-Summer show with the full 1999 rig — Mesa Boogie and Languedoc cabinet on stage alongside the two main Deluxe Reverbs. The AN1x and triple-loop system running through the heart of the Summer tour.
Stream or download →
Sep 18, 1999
Coors Amphitheatre — Chula Vista, CA
Coors Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, CA
The first-ever full-show Tweezer Sandwich — Tweezer opener, a 21-minute Boogie On Reggae Woman to open set II, Tweezer Reprise encore. Trey's laser tone in full effect with the reverse delay loop audible from the opening bars.
Stream or download →
Dec 16, 1999
Reynolds Coliseum — Raleigh, NC
Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, NC
A late-year show from the run leading into Big Cypress — the rig at full maturity in its final 1.0 configuration. The AN1x, three-loop system, and the Goff-modified Leslie all present as Phish built toward the millennium all-night set.
Stream or download →
11
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.
- Third Deluxe Reverb — first show The third Fender Deluxe Reverb — the unit positioned off to the side and apparently driving the Leslie 925 at Big Cypress — has not been confirmed as to when exactly it joined the rig during the Winter 1999 tour. Whether it replaced the Mesa Boogie Mark III entirely or ran alongside it is also unconfirmed.
- "Laser tone" — source unknown The distinctive bright, cutting tone characteristic of 1999 recordings — widely described as a "laser tone" — has no confirmed gear explanation. The Leslie 925 appears more prominent in the overall sound than in 1997–98, and the Mesa Boogie Mark III driving it may have been set or modified differently. Whether this involved a gain or preamp change, a different Leslie blend, a speaker or component change, or something else entirely has not been confirmed.
- Acoustic guitar — make/model The specific acoustic guitar used for all TAB solo acoustic performances and for The Inlaw Josie Wales with Phish has not been confirmed. Make, model, and year of the instrument are unknown.
- Languedoc cabinet — active or prop Whether the original 1980s Languedoc 2×12 cabinet that returned to the stage in Summer 1999 was carrying an active signal or was present purely for visual purposes has not been definitively confirmed.
- Mesa Boogie Mark III — scope of use The Mark III is confirmed as driving the Leslie 925, and was clearly visible on top of the rack in Summer 1999. Whether it also drove the Languedoc cabinet or was purely a Leslie amp in this configuration is not confirmed.
- AN1x — exact first show The Yamaha AN1x is placed as debuting on the TAB Spring 1999 tour. The exact first show at which it appeared has not been pinpointed from available evidence.
- Boomerang position in guitar signal chain The exact position of the guitar rig Boomerang Phrase Sampler within the signal chain — before or after the volume pedal, before or after the rack effects — has not been confirmed.
- Rack contents — full 1999 inventory The complete contents of the Kriz-Kraft rack for 1999 have not been independently verified. The above reflects the 1998 configuration carried forward; any changes are not confirmed.
12
Photos
Big Cypress · Dec 31, 1999 · © Danny Clinch ↗
Yamaha AN1x synthesizer
Mesa Boogie Mark III on top of rack — Summer 1999
Languedoc 2×12 cabinet — returned 1999
Trey solo acoustic — TAB Spring tour
Big Cypress, Dec 31 1999 — Leslie 925 prominent, third Deluxe Reverb with Vibrato channel plugged in
Koa #1 — 1999
Boomerang Phrase Sampler — floor rig
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