GuitarCleanRiff72% confidence
Every Breath You Take (Remastered 2003) Guitar Tone Settings
The Police · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Telecaster (Andy Summers' custom-modified 1961 Telecaster)
Pickups
Custom-wired single-coil pickups (Telecaster configuration, neck and bridge, with added preamp and phase switch)
Amp
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus
Pickup Position
Neck pickup (likely, for warmth and clarity in arpeggios)
Studio recording, 1983, Synchronicity album. Andy Summers' Telecaster featured a built-in preamp and phase switch. The JC-120 is renowned for its stereo chorus and ultra-clean sound. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this studio riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass5.5
Gain0
Reverb3
Treble7
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble · chorus
- Delay pedal (model unknown) · delay
Fender Telecaster → Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble → Delay pedal (model unknown) → Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus
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Tone Character
- crystal-clear and pristine
- bright and articulate
- lush stereo chorus
- shimmering, glassy highs
- tight, percussive attack
- minimal sustain
- atmospheric and spacious
- clean, undistorted
- studio-polished clarity
- subtle warmth from neck pickup
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No direct numeric amp settings found; settings estimated based on typical JC-120 usage for 1980s studio clean tones.
- Pickup position inferred from tone and Andy Summers' known preferences; not explicitly confirmed for this riff.
- Pedal models confirmed for chorus, but delay pedal model not specified in sources; included as 'Delay pedal (model unknown)'.
- No evidence of amp reverb being a major part of the sound; JC-120 reverb set low or off, most ambience from pedals or studio.
- No evidence of compression, EQ, or other effects in the signal chain for this riff section.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Andy Summers used a clean, compressed tone with his Roland JC-120 and Fender amps, favoring a bright, chimey, and mid-forward sound for the iconic riff. The settings reflect a pristine clean with subtle warmth, moderate bass, strong mids, and a touch of chorus and studio reverb typical of early '80s production.