Andy Summers Gear Guide
A quick-reference table guide to Andy Summers's guitars, amplifiers and effects across key musical periods.
Summers used echo and modulation to turn chord voicings into spacious, distinct parts. His Telecasters, Roland chorus gear and expanding pedalboard changed with each Police era.
Quick overview
| Category | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Modified Fender Telecaster (1953) | Telecaster with a Gibson humbucker, custom preamp and phase-switch modifications. | Signature guitar |
| Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus | Clean solid-state combo with built-in stereo chorus; Summers has used it for recordings and live shows. | Main amplifier reference |
| Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress | Flanger / filter modulation; settings can create a chorus-like sound. | Key effect |
Guitars
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Modified Fender Telecaster (1953) | Telecaster with a Gibson humbucker, custom preamp and phase-switch modifications. | Police recordings and live shows |
| Fender Stratocaster | Used for bright single-coil sounds and alternate arrangements. | Police and solo work |
| Gibson ES-335 | Semi-hollow guitar connected to Summers's jazz background. | Selected performances |
| Hamer guitars | Custom Hamer instruments used in Police-era rigs. | Late 1970s and 1980s |
| Roland guitar synth controllers | GR-series instruments and systems enabled synthesized textures. | Later Police / solo work |
Amplifiers
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus | Clean solid-state combo with built-in stereo chorus; Summers has used it for recordings and live shows. | Police and solo periods |
| Fender Twin Reverb | Clean loud combo option for studio and stage. | Selected setups |
| Roland Bolt amplifier | Studio amp cited in gear histories. | Recording context |
| Modern modeling / rack systems | VG-99, Axe-Fx and stereo processing in later studio/live work. | Recent solo rigs |
Effects
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress | Flanger / filter modulation; settings can create a chorus-like sound. | “Message in a Bottle,” “Walking on the Moon” |
| Roland CE-1 / chorus units | Chorus widens clean guitar without heavy distortion. | Police-era textures |
| Roland RE-301 Chorus Echo | Tape echo combined with modulation and preamp color. | Studio and later live rigs |
| MXR Phase 90 | Phaser creates a moving, swept sound. | Selected early songs |
| Musitronics Mu-Tron III | Envelope filter responds to picking dynamics. | “Too Much Information” and selected tracks |
| MXR compressor / Dyna Comp | Controls peaks and evens picked arpeggios. | Documented period boards |
| Analog delay / Echoplex | Repeats add rhythmic layers and depth. | Recording and live use |
| Roland GR-300 / GR-700 guitar synth | Synth-like tones triggered by guitar playing. | Selected Police and solo material |
| Pete Cornish custom board | Early custom routing assembled around MXR and EHX effects. | From 1979 touring period |
Era and song guide
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Outlandos d'Amour (1978) | Modified Telecaster, echo and modulation colors. | “Roxanne,” “So Lonely” |
| Reggatta de Blanc (1979) | Electric Mistress and rhythmic echo textures. | “Message in a Bottle,” “Walking on the Moon” |
| “Message in a Bottle” | Arpeggiated chords with modulation and space. | Effect character helps separate the guitar part |
| Zenyatta Mondatta (1980) | Chorus, flanger and changing guitar effects. | “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da” |
| Ghost in the Machine (1981) | Expanded synth and rack effects palette. | “Spirits in the Material World” |
| Synchronicity (1983) | Chorus / echo sound and more elaborate routing. | “Every Breath You Take” |
| Later solo work | Looping strategies, guitar synth and stereo processing. | Ambient and fusion projects |