Andy Summers tone on a budget?

Peter Bond · Post by **Peter Bond** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:41 pm

I have been tentatively asked to dep for a guitarist in a Police tribute band and I wondered firstly, how to get the same tones as on the likes of Message in a Bottle, Walking on the moon etc and secondly if there was a way to do it without spending too much.

I'd be using a tele and/or a strat into a deville 212 and I have an OCD for any drive needs and a Earthquaker Devices Ghost Echo reverb pedal but that's about as far as it goes. I was thinking maybe an EHX small clone into some kind of delay might get me a bit closer so I looked into the line 6 DL4 but at the moment its a bit out of my range price wise.

Any suggestions?

I haven't really set my questions out very clearly here but my mind is too tired at the moment.

Noirie. · Post by **Noirie.** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:45 pm

I'd suggest the Behringer Dyna Comp clone and the DMM clone. And maybe a Mooer CE-2 copy. That should be enough really and all kinda cheap.

Peter Bond · Post by **Peter Bond** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:53 pm

Thanks, I'll check out some demos.

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 10:36 pm

If you need a Boss CE2 sound you could try and pick up a Boss CE2B Bass Chorus which has the same circuit as a CE2 with, I think, 1 component difference and a blend knob - and they tend to be a fair bit cheaper.

For flanger, would a Boss BF2 cover Police tones? They can be picked up cheap and they sound ace.

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 10:47 pm

mooer elec lady, that would cop summer's electric mistress flanger tones.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 8:47 am

I read somewhere he swore by an old Ross Compression pedal. Makes sense when you consider he played clean a lot.
The CE-2 (or clone) is definitely essential.

Sounds an interesting appointment. Always wondered about that myself but I don't think I could cover all his chops, never mind find a local Copeland and someone with a voice like Sting.

Peter Bond · Post by **Peter Bond** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 9:42 am

Thanks for the replies all. A local shop has all the mooer stuff in so I might try them out this Saturday.

Fran wrote:Sounds an interesting appointment. Always wondered about that myself but I don't think I could cover all his chops, never mind find a local Copeland and someone with a voice like Sting.

The drummer plays in the jazz and blues orchestra that I'm in and when he approached me I thought "say yes now and shit yourself about actually being able to play the stuff later". He's a great drummer like. Have yet to meet the Sting.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 10:15 am

Peter Bond wrote:Thanks for the replies all. A local shop has all the mooer stuff in so I might try them out this Saturday.

Fran wrote:Sounds an interesting appointment. Always wondered about that myself but I don't think I could cover all his chops, never mind find a local Copeland and someone with a voice like Sting.
The drummer plays in the jazz and blues orchestra that I'm in and when he approached me I thought "say yes now and shit yourself about actually being able to play the stuff later". He's a great drummer like. Have yet to meet the Sting.

you could be onto something good then.
It's them add9 chords he played, 5 fret stretch and played quite quickly on message in a bottle. I can play them okay at home but it would be different on stage after a hours worth of it!
Good luck with it, keep us updated too.

AaronGuitarDude · Post by **AaronGuitarDude** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 8:00 am

Joyo pedals.

George · Post by **George** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:49 am

Fran wrote:I read somewhere he swore by an old Ross Compression pedal. Makes sense when you consider he played clean a lot.
The CE-2 (or clone) is definitely essential.

Sounds an interesting appointment. Always wondered about that myself but I don't think I could cover all his chops, never mind find a local Copeland and someone with a voice like Sting.

hes a bit like keith richards. seems simple enough and you can impersonate the style in a general way, but once you try to play it note for note you realise what crazy rhythms and timings they're doing, and it's actually really difficult to play

Ro S · Post by **Ro S** » Sun Jul 06, 2014 10:16 pm

I read the thread as Ann Summers

Ro S · Post by **Ro S** » Sun Jul 06, 2014 10:25 pm

Andy Summers in The Police used an early EHX Electric Mistress (not the Deluxe Elec Mistress) - a flanger; not a chorus pedal. That pedal can do chorus like sounds. It's a very musical flanger. Hartman do a very nice clone of it. Finding a flanger that can do chorus like effects and musically, is hard imo. If the Hartman is too dear, maybe look into some of the 1980s analogue flangers made by lesser-known Japanese companies - e.g. Yamaha; Tokai; Ibanez L-series.

p.s, Yes, some chorus pedals will get you in the territory though. Make sure you get an analogue chorus though. There are plenty of affordable Boss CE-2 knockoffs (e.g. Biyang/Akai/GFS; Joyo). I good, versatile modern analogue chorus is the Visual Sound Liquid Chorus.