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Every Breath You Take (Alternate Mix) Guitar Tone Settings
The Police · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Telecaster (custom, 1961, with humbucker in neck and single-coil in bridge)
Pickups
Bridge single-coil (Fender Telecaster bridge pickup), Neck humbucker (Gibson PAF-style, but riff is bridge)
Amp
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup (Telecaster single-coil)
Studio recording, 1982-1983. Andy Summers used his custom Telecaster with a bridge single-coil into a Roland JC-120 for the clean, chorus-laden riff. Effects were mostly pedals, not amp-based. Alternate Mix uses the same core setup as the original studio version.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass5.5
Gain0
Reverb3
Treble7.5
Presence5
Effects Chain
- MXR Dyna Comp · compression
- Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble (or Roland JC-120 built-in chorus) · chorus
- Maestro Echoplex EP-3 · delay
Fender Telecaster (bridge single-coil) → MXR Dyna Comp → Boss CE-1 Chorus (or JC-120 chorus) → Maestro Echoplex EP-3 → Roland JC-120 (with spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- crystal-clear and bright
- lush, swirling chorus modulation
- tight and percussive attack
- shimmering top end
- compressed and even dynamics
- articulate chord voicings
- studio-polished clarity
- minimal breakup, pure clean
- spangly, alive sound
- signature 1980s clean chorus
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No official amp knob settings for the JC-120 from the original studio session were found; settings estimated based on typical JC-120 clean tones and era.
- Some sources mention use of a Marshall for dirty tones, but all credible sources and the audio confirm the riff is the JC-120 clean with chorus.
- Pedal models are based on interviews and era-correct gear; chorus is likely Boss CE-1 or built-in JC-120, delay is likely Maestro Echoplex EP-3, compression is likely MXR Dyna Comp.
- Exact pedal settings not found; all effect settings are estimated based on typical usage and audio evidence.
- Alternate Mix uses same core gear as original studio version; no evidence of different gear or settings.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Andy Summers used a clean, chorus-laden tone for this riff, likely from a Fender amp set just above clean, with mids and treble pushed for clarity and shimmer. The bass is moderate to avoid muddiness, presence is neutral, and subtle reverb matches the early 80s studio sound.