Andy - where is your telecaster???

[New Zealand Promoter]

In all these clips, all I can see is the red strat. In addition -

I find it curious and somewhat dismaying that as great a guitarist he is, Andy seems to have abandoned the great original (analog) effects he used in the '80's (echoplex, electric mistress etc) for a digital effects rack (we've all heard the multi delay / pitch filter effect he's been using, first heard in 'voices inside my head' at the whiskey and in between tracks)....

Being a guitarist, I really appreciate the natural, psychedelic vibe of classic effects (and even many of the reissues sound great) - Andy's were the best in the early '80s.

Much is possible in digital, though, and i'm sure he'll continue to sound great in his own inimitable way. Let's hope we get to see him play some of that wicked floating cloud stuff in songs like 'Tea' and 'Shadows'.... so far he's got lots of solos but no real chance to perform his atmospheric wizardry.... and using those cheap pitch filtery effects in songs like 'don't stand' doesn't count.... come on, where's the roland guitar synth, man? don't emulate these sounds! you can afford the real thing, and a crew of techs to ensure it all works properly!

Big question is - does anyone know why he's not using the telecaster anymore? (yes I know he's taking the reissue on tour, but it seems to only be used in one song or not at all)... Any guitar head here can testify that the Andy Summers Police sound is characterised by his unique Tele / Gibson neck pickup combo....

[thedaner]

I don't get it, either. Fender went through all that trouble for the Andy Summers Telecaster; Andy himself used Copy 1 at the Grammies and you see it all over the rehearsal videos and so far it seems he plays it on ONE song. Okay, so the red strat is from the Synchronicity video (and apparently he used it on the recording of EBYT) but EVERYONE knows the beat up Tele! It was Andy's main guitar for YEARS! We'll see what happens as the tour unfolds.

As for his effects, the most recent Guitar magazine (or Guitar Player, I can't remember) shows off his new setup versus the old. I see the ease and convenience of the new setup--e.g., he has a monitor that shows the song title, the key, the effects setup to use, but yes, some digital effects lack the warmth of analog. If they're doing DSSCTM with the new arrangment (read: Sting's) I don't see the point in the guitar synth (and he's not bringing the vintage Roland anyway), but apparently he has an updated effects rack for that.

[Laz]

I guess it's up to Andy what guitar he feels most comfortable with... seems like he might be going through a tremolo bar phase or something... I know that he did do a heavily whammy-bar-oriented, Jeff Beck-ish guitar solo on "Walking In Your Footsteps" on 5/28. I only remember seeing him play the Tele on "Murder By Numbers" on both nights... I guess it would be nice to see the Tele a little more, but again I guess it would ultimately be up to him.

I was definitely concerned when I found out that there would be no Roland guitar synth on this tour, but having seen them live I can honestly say he's got some really nice-sounding stuff happening with the Eventide Eclipse he's using nowadays instead.

Laz

[Grant]

Stewart said he 'ruined it' meaning the original.


But what about Brian? Any sight of him?


I can't, I can't, I can't stop reading
I can't, I can't, I can't stop posting...

[secretjourneyranch]

Andy talks all about it in the latest Guitar Player (he got the cover).
It says:
Summers crafts his tones with the help of a custom, V-shaped Bob Bradshaw switching system. Most of the stompboxes and signal processors are loaded in an off-stage rack, but Summers opted to keep a few "oft-tweaked" devices - such as the Moogerfooger Analog Delay and Boss Loop Station - easily accesible on the floorboard. Summers assistant/tech Dennis Smith, has an identical Bradshaw unit he can use to switch patches off stage whenever the guitarists isn't near the pedalboard.

Some of the equipment:
Love Eternity Overdrive
Red Switch Empress Chorus
MF-104Z Analog Delay

The article goes on to say that he won't be bringing the original Tele on the road at all this tour.

Quote: "I was conflicted about the possibility of bringing the original on the road. I need that guitar for the classic Police songs, but I was also so afraid something would happen to it. Thanks to the Fender Custom Shop I can leave the original safely at home"

The 3 guitars he will be using:
Fender Custom Shop Andy Summers Signature Telecaster
Fender Custom Shop Replica of Summers Red Strat
Fender VG Stratocaster (This is the one we have seen so much of)

See ya!
Gregg

[feralkid]

I believe I read somewhere that he was not entirely happy with the sound of the copy he received describing it as too "shrill" or something. I wish they never made a copy anyway, it takes away the magic of there being only one.