Song Rig
Still Warm
John Scofield · Still Warm · 1986
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
Scofield's most critically acclaimed solo album — the title track presents his electric guitar tone in the Miles Davis post-fusion context. The Ibanez AS200 through a clean-to-light-overdrive setup produces a warm, slightly funky tone with more note-texture than pure clean jazz guitar.
Signal Chain
- 1Ibanez AS200 semi-hollow (humbuckers)
- 2Acoustic Control amp or Mesa Boogie (clean channel)
- 3Electro-Harmonix Micro Synth (occasional)
- 4Arion Stereo Chorus
Amp Settings
Slightly driven, mid-heavy — Sco's tone has a characteristic warmth and slight compression that comes from the semi-hollow guitar's natural acoustic resonance combined with moderate amp drive. The elevated mids give his single notes a vocal, nasal quality.
Technique
How to Play It
Jazz-rock fusion phrasing with blues influence — Scofield uses jazz-derived scale choices (altered dominant, diminished) but applies them with the rhythmic phrasing of blues guitar rather than bebop's metronomic eighth-note streams.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Ibanez AS200 or ES-335 → Mesa Boogie or any medium-clean amp → Arion or Boss chorus → the nasal mid-forward quality comes from the semi-hollow guitar's resonance combined with amp settings that boost 800Hz–1.5kHz.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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