A Go Go

The recording

Recorded at Avatar Studios in New York, John Scofield performed both electric and acoustic guitars on 'A Go Go' (Songtone credits). Scofield used his signature Ibanez AS200 semi‑hollow guitar routed through a Fender Reverb amp, delivering the warm, slightly overdriven tone heard on the track (Stereophile interview). A modest pedalboard—including a Dunlop Cry Baby wah, Boss DS‑2 Turbo Distortion, Boss CE‑2 Chorus and an Electro‑Harmonix Memory Man delay—shaped the signal before the amp, as detailed in his 2013 Premier Guitar rig rundown. The acoustic parts were captured with a studio condenser microphone, but the make of the acoustic guitar is not documented.

Tuning Standard E (E-A-D-G-B-E)

Reported gear

Ibanez AS200 (Signature)

Guitar

Scofield's signature Ibanez AS200, a semi‑hollow body modeled after a Gibson ES‑335, was his primary electric guitar on the A Go Go sessions, as he confirmed in a 2018 Stereophile interview.

Acoustic guitar (model unspecified)

Guitar

An acoustic guitar is audible on the track, but the specific make was not disclosed in the session credits.

Boss TU-3

Tuner

A Boss TU‑3 tuner sits at the start of Scofield’s pedalboard, ensuring precise intonation before any effects, as listed in his 2013 Premier Guitar rig rundown.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Wah

Scofield uses a classic Dunlop Cry Baby wah to shape his tone, shown in the Premier Guitar rig rundown.

Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion

Overdrive

The Boss DS‑2 Turbo Distortion provides the smooth overdriven edge heard on ‘A Go Go’, as part of Scofield’s pedalboard in the 2013 rig rundown.

Boss CE-2 Chorus

Chorus

A Boss CE‑2 analog chorus adds a subtle width to Scofield’s tone, documented in his Premier Guitar rig rundown.

Electro-Harmonix Memory Man

Delay

Scofield employs an Electro‑Harmonix Memory Man analog delay for the ambient repeats in the track, as listed in the 2013 rig rundown.

Fender Reverb (c. 1963)

Amp

Alternatives

Ibanez AS200 (Modern equivalent)

Modern equivalent · for the Ibanez AS200 (Signature)

$900 to $1,200

Boss DS-2

Still made · for the Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion

$120 to $150

Martin D-28

Modern equivalent · for the Acoustic guitar (model unspecified)

$2,500 to $3,200

Boss CE-2

Still made · for the Boss CE-2 Chorus

$100 to $130

Boss TU-3

Still made · for the Boss TU-3

$80 to $100

EHX Memory Man

Still made · for the Electro-Harmonix Memory Man

$200 to $250

Dunlop Cry Baby

Still made · for the Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

$100 to $150

Fender '63 Reverb Twin Reverb Reissue

Reissue · for the Fender Reverb (c. 1963)

$1,500 to $2,800

Practical playing approach

Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.

1. 1.Select the bridge pickup and roll the tone knob back for a brighter, cutting tone.
2. 2.Engage the Cry Baby wah and sweep slowly to accentuate solos.
3. 3.Set the Boss DS-2 drive to medium and the volume knob high to achieve the smooth overdrive heard on the track.
4. 4.Add a subtle Chorus (Boss CE-2) and short delay (Memory Man) to thicken the sound without losing definition.
5. 5.Use a light, alternating thumb‑finger picking technique to emulate Scofield’s hybrid picking style.