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Every Breath You Take Riff Guitar Tone Settings — The Police
The Police · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1973 Fender Telecaster (custom, with humbucker in neck and single-coil in bridge)
Pickups
Neck: Gibson PAF-style humbucker, Bridge: Fender single-coil
Amp
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus
Pickup Position
Neck pickup (humbucker)
Studio recording, 1982-1983. Andy Summers used his custom Telecaster with a neck humbucker and bridge single-coil, into a Roland JC-120 for the clean, chorus-laden riff. Effects were primarily from pedals, not amp. Mesa/Boogie and Marshall amps were used for other songs/solos, but not the main riff of this track.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass5
Gain0
Reverb3.5
Treble7
Presence5
Effects Chain
- Maestro Echoplex EP-3 · delay
- Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble · chorus
- MXR Dyna Comp · compression
Guitar → MXR Dyna Comp → Maestro Echoplex EP-3 → Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble → Roland JC-120 (with spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- crystal-clear clean
- lush chorus shimmer
- tight, percussive attack
- bright and articulate
- spacious, ambient delay repeats
- compressed but dynamic
- no audible overdrive or breakup
- distinct stereo chorus effect
- slightly scooped mids
- studio-polished clarity
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No official amp knob settings for the studio recording found; settings estimated based on typical Roland JC-120 clean tone and era.
- Some sources mention Marshall/Mesa/Boogie amps for solos or live, but the riff section is confirmed JC-120.
- Exact pedal settings not found; effect types and models are confirmed by multiple sources.
- Pickup position inferred from Andy Summers' own statements and tone analysis.
- Presence control on JC-120 is not standard; value estimated for tone matching.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Andy Summers used a clean, bright, and slightly compressed tone for 'Every Breath You Take,' likely with a Roland JC-120 (solid-state, no tube breakup), chorus, and subtle studio reverb. The amp settings favor clarity and shimmer (high treble, strong mids, restrained bass), with very low gain for pristine cleans.