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Message In a Bottle Riff Guitar Tone Settings — The Police
The Police · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1961 Fender Telecaster (heavily modified, maple neck, rosewood board, humbucker in neck, single-coil bridge)
Pickups
Bridge single-coil (Fender Telecaster bridge pickup)
Amp
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1979. Andy Summers used his signature 1961 Telecaster into a Roland JC-120 for the clean, chorus-laden riff. No Marshall amp for this section; Marshall was used for dirty/solo tones, but the riff is JC-120. Effects were run into the front of the amp. No effects loop.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass5.5
Gain0
Reverb2
Treble7.5
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress Flanger/Filter Matrix · flanger
- Echoplex Tape Delay (model unknown) · delay
- MXR Dyna Comp Compressor · compression
Fender Telecaster (bridge pickup) → MXR Dyna Comp → Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress → Echoplex Tape Delay → Roland JC-120 (clean, light spring reverb, chorus on amp or pedal)
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Tone Character
- bright and glassy
- lush chorus shimmer
- articulate and percussive attack
- tight, staccato chord voicings
- clear note separation
- crisp, cutting highs
- minimal amp breakup
- distinct stereo chorus effect
- slightly compressed dynamics
- clean, modern new wave sound
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No exact amp knob settings found in sources; settings estimated based on typical Roland JC-120 clean tones for late 1970s/early 1980s new wave/rock.
- Pedal model for chorus is not 100% confirmed, but Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress flanger/chorus is most likely based on era and interviews.
- Delay is audible but exact pedal model is not confirmed; Echoplex tape delay is likely per Premier Guitar.
- All gear and effects are for the STUDIO riff section only; live rigs and solo/dirty tones are different.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Andy Summers used a clean, bright, and chimey tone for 'Message In a Bottle,' likely with a Fender amp (Twin Reverb or similar) set just above clean, with strong mids and treble for clarity and presence. The era and genre favored minimal reverb and a forward, articulate sound to highlight the arpeggiated riff.