Fender Rumble 500 settings
Message In a Bottle settings for Fender Rumble 500
The Police · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the The Police "Message In a Bottle" clean tone on a Fender Rumble 500, set Gain 0, Drive 0, Bass 4, Mid 6, Treble 6, Bright 0. Use the p pickup favored (80% neck / 20% bridge) pickup.
Clean settings
Adapted for a Squier Affinity Series Precision Bass PJ · updated 2026-11-06
- Pickup
- P pickup favored (80% neck / 20% bridge)
Fender Rumble 500 knobs
- Gain
- 0
- Drive
- 0
- Bass
- 4
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 6
- Bright
- 0
- Contour
- 0
- Vintage
- 0
- Compression
- 4
Playing tips
- Use a pick to achieve a snappy attack and articulate sound.
- Focus on playing near the neck pickup for a warmer tone.
- Keep your playing dynamics consistent to maintain clarity in the clean tone.
The original rig
What The Police used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Fender Rumble 500 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 Rumble 500 settings for Message In a Bottle?
Set Gain 0, Drive 0, Bass 4, Mid 6, Treble 6, Bright 0.
Which pickup should I use for Message In a Bottle?
P pickup favored (80% neck / 20% bridge).
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 Squier Affinity Series Precision Bass PJ. 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 Bassman · 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 Rumble 500
- For Whom the Bell Tolls · Metallica
- Schism · TOOL
- Come Together · The Beatles
- Hysteria · Muse
- Money · Pink Floyd
- Paranoid · Black Sabbath
- Chop Suey! · System Of A Down
- Feel Good Inc. (feat. David Jolicoeur, Kelvin Mercer & Vincent Mason) · Gorillaz & De La Soul
- Symphony of Destruction · Megadeth
- Orion · Metallica
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
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.