Riff Tone

Message In a Bottle

The Police

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1973 Fender Telecaster (custom, with humbucker in neck and single-coil in bridge)

AmpFender Twin Reverb (silverface, early Police era studio recording)

PickupsBridge single-coil (Fender), Neck humbucker (Gibson)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid6.5

treble7.5

reverb2.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

delayMaestro Maestro Echoplex EP-3

Notes

Studio recording, 1979. Andy Summers used his custom Telecaster with a Fender Twin Reverb amp for the original 'Message In a Bottle' riff. Echoplex tape delay was used for rhythmic repeats. No evidence of Marshall or Roland JC-120 on the original studio riff. Effects were mostly pedals, not amp-based.

Tone Character(10)

bright and glassychiming, chorus-like shimmertight and articulatepercussive attackslightly compressedclear note separationrhythmic delay repeatsminimal breakupopen and airydistinctive tape echo trails

Difficulty

The riff requires advanced left-hand stretching for add9 chord shapes, tight right-hand picking for rhythmic clarity, and precise muting to avoid string noise, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

Andy Summers Talks Echoplex Pedals, Recording with the Police ...Electric Etudes: Andy Summers - Premier Guitar Andy Summers: “The Every Breath You Take riff has become a kind ...

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