Clean Tone
Message In a Bottle
The Police
BassReggae rock / New wave1970s
Original Gear
BassUnknown (likely Sting’s fretless Precision Bass or Jazz Bass)
AmpStudio DI / console blend (typical Police 1979 Reggatta de Blanc studio practice); live rig used Acoustic 370
PickupsSingle P-Bass split-coil (Sting's fretless-converted Fender Precision) or dual Jazz Bass single-coils (alternate)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass6
mid5.5
treble6
presence5
compression4
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Sting often used a fretless Precision Bass during Police recordings; some discussions suggest Jazz Bass, but no definitive source confirms the exact model or amp used on this track.
Tone Character(3)
reggae‑influencedclean and articulatesnappy attack
Difficulty
The bass line features syncopated reggae‑rock rhythm and requires precise, articulate playing, making it intermediate difficulty.
Sources
This tone has been researched 2 times by the community
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Create Free AccountBassReggae rock / New wave1970s
Original Gear
BassUnknown (likely Sting’s fretless Precision Bass or Jazz Bass)
AmpStudio DI / console blend (typical Police 1979 Reggatta de Blanc studio practice); live rig used Acoustic 370
PickupsSingle P-Bass split-coil (Sting's fretless-converted Fender Precision) or dual Jazz Bass single-coils (alternate)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass6
mid5.5
treble6
presence5
compression4
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
This tone has been researched 2 times by the community
Notes
Sting often used a fretless Precision Bass during Police recordings; some discussions suggest Jazz Bass, but no definitive source confirms the exact model or amp used on this track.
Tone Character(3)
reggae‑influencedclean and articulatesnappy attack
Difficulty
The bass line features syncopated reggae‑rock rhythm and requires precise, articulate playing, making it intermediate difficulty.
Message In a Bottle settings for your amp
Exact settings ToneAdapt players use on these amps.
- Message In a Bottle on Amp
- Message In a Bottle on Fender Rumble 25
- Message In a Bottle on Fender Rumble 15
- Message In a Bottle on Fender Rumble 40
- Message In a Bottle on Fender Bassman
- Message In a Bottle on Fender Rumble 100
- Message In a Bottle on Fender Mustang LT25
- Message In a Bottle on Acoustic B25C Bass Combo
More The Police tones
- Every Breath You Take · riff
- Message In a Bottle · riff
- Every Breath You Take (Remastered 2003) · riff
- Synchronicity II (Remastered 2003) · riff
- Message In a Bottle · riff
- Every Breath You Take · clean
- Every Breath You Take (Alternate Mix) · riff
- Every Breath You Take (Remastered 2003) · solo
- King of Pain · riff
- Message In a Bottle · distorted