Fender Bassman settings
Message In a Bottle settings for Fender Bassman
The Police · adapted 5 times on ToneAdapt
To get the The Police "Message In a Bottle" clean tone on a Fender Bassman, set Gain 0, Bass 6, Mid 6, Treble 6, Presence 5, Bright switch 0. Use the p pickup (split-coil, only pickup position) pickup.
Clean settings
Adapted for a Fender Precision Bass · updated 2026-11-13
- Pickup
- P pickup (split-coil, only pickup position)
Fender Bassman knobs
- Gain
- 0
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
- Bright switch
- 0
Playing tips
- Use a firm pick to achieve a snappy attack.
- Focus on playing closer to the neck for a warmer tone.
- Experiment with finger placement on the strings to enhance articulation.
The original rig
What The Police used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Fender Bassman actually has.
- Bass
- 1973 Fender Telecaster (custom, with humbucker in neck and single-coil in bridge)
- Amp
- Fender Twin Reverb (silverface, early Police era studio recording)
- Gain
- 0
- Bass
- 5.5
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 7.5
- Presence
- 5.5
- Reverb
- 2.5
Different bass or pedals? Get Message In a Bottle adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts The Police's tone to your own bass, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Fender Bassman settings for Message In a Bottle?
Set Gain 0, Bass 6, Mid 6, Treble 6, Presence 5, Bright switch 0.
Which pickup should I use for Message In a Bottle?
P pickup (split-coil, only pickup position).
What gear did The Police use on Message In a Bottle?
Bass: 1973 Fender Telecaster (custom, with humbucker in neck and single-coil in bridge). Amp: Fender Twin Reverb (silverface, early Police era studio recording).
Will these settings work with my bass?
These settings were adapted for a Fender Precision Bass. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact bass, pickups, amp and pedals.
Message In a Bottle on other amps
- Message In a Bottle on Amp · 14
- Message In a Bottle on Fender Rumble 25 · 10
- Message In a Bottle on Fender Rumble 15 · 8
- Message In a Bottle on Fender Rumble 40 · 5
- Message In a Bottle on Fender Rumble 100 · 3
- Message In a Bottle on Fender Mustang LT25 · 2
- Message In a Bottle on Acoustic B25C Bass Combo · 2
Popular songs on the Fender Bassman
- For Whom the Bell Tolls · Metallica
- Hysteria · Muse
- Feel Good Inc. (feat. David Jolicoeur, Kelvin Mercer & Vincent Mason) · Gorillaz & De La Soul
- Orion · Metallica
- Another One Bites the Dust · Queen
- Paranoid · Black Sabbath
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- My Name Is Mud · Primus
- Money · Pink Floyd
- Come Together · The Beatles
- Chop Suey! · System Of A Down
Settings are generated by ToneAdapt's tone adaptation for the gear named on this page and are a starting point — every amp, guitar and room is a little different.