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Suede·Social·Issue No. 20
Tone recipes·2026 · JUL
Jazz1998

01John Scofield

A Go Go

Hollow-body jazz tone with a touch of edge — Sco's Ibanez AS200 into a vintage Vox AC30 just at the edge of breakup. The tone is fat in the mids with a slight rasp on hard-picked notes. Funky single-note lines snake around 16th-note patterns from drums and organ. The pick attack is loose and behind the beat — Sco's distinctive 'lazy' phrasing. Reverb is amp spring with light room mic'ing. No flashy effects, just amp warmth at the edge.

02Signal chain

Guitar to amp, 2 pedals between.

  1. In
    Guitar

    Ibanez AS200 (Sco's signature, sunburst)

  2. 01
    Subtle quarter-note delay on some sections
    Boss DD-3 Digital Delay

    Time: ~300ms, Feedback: 25%, Mix: 20%

  3. 02
    Alternative analog delay for warmth (later rigs)
    MXR Carbon Copy

    Delay: 11 o'clock, Regen: 9 o'clock, Mix: 9 o'clock

  4. Out
    Amp

    Vox AC30 (top boost, just breaking up)

03Field note

The secret sauce

Scofield picks behind the beat — like a hair behind — which makes the lines feel funky even when they're complex. The amp grit fills the dynamic gap so the lazy attack still has bite. Played in-the-pocket, this tone sounds clean and characterless.