The Police Reggatta De Blanc (1979) gear

(last updated: 31/7/21)

Musical gear

Stewart Copeland:

• TAMA blue drum kit:
• 22” x 14” bass drum
• 14” x 5” snare
• 12” x 7” rack tom
• 13” x 8” rack tom
• 16” x 15” floor tom
• Cymbals (Zildjian hollow logo A's):
• 14" hi-hat
• 22” heavy ride
• 2 x 16” crash
• 18” crash
• Roland Chorus Echo RE-301 tape delay

Sting:

• Basses:
• 1978 Fender Precision fretless
• 1979 Ibanez Musician MC900DS (modified to fretless)
• Amplification:
• Marshall 100-watt
• Marshall 4"x12" cabinets

Andy Summers:

• Guitars:
• Hamer Sunburst Cherry red
• 1963 Fender Telecaster custom
• Gibson Les Paul Custom
• Roland GS-500
• Amplification:
• Marshall 1959 JMP 100-watt amp head
• Marshall 4x12 cabinets
• Music Man 212 HD
• Effects:
• Pete Cornish custom FX pedalboard:
• Electro-harmonix Electric Mistress flanger
• Mutron III envelope filter
• MXR Dyna-Comp compressor
• MXR Distortion+
• MXR Phase 90 phaser
• Pete Cornish fuzz
• Maestro Echoplex echo/delay - heard on "Deathwish"
• Note: "Walking On The Moon" guitar effects were created with Scamp racks (see Recording & Studio equipment section for more details). It's possible the Pete Cornish effects board was only intended for live use, but is listed here in case it had been used in the studio as well.
• Miscellaneous:
• Roland GR500 guitar synth (“Walking On The Moon” faint bubbling sounds)

Studio & Recording gear

Microphones:

• AKG: 
• D12 (bass drum)
• C451 (overheads, hi-hat)
• Beyerdynamic:
• condenser mics of unknown model (toms)
• Electro-Voice (unknown models)
• Neumann: 
• U67 (vocals)

Outboard gear:

• Audio & Design Recording Express compressor/limiter
• Audio & Design Recording SCAMP units:
• F300 Expander/Gate(s)
• P200 phasers (?)
• S01 Compex compressor/limiter(s)
• S24 ADT modules /w flanger
• S100 Dual gate(?)
• AMS DMX 15-80S digital delay/harmonizer
• Dbx 162 stereo compressor
• Dolby M16(?) 24-track noise reduction
• Dolby 2-track noise reduction
• EMT 140 plate (“Bring On The Night”)
• Rebis RA402 Dual Parametric EQ

Miscellaneous:

• Bosendorfer (or Broadwood) grand piano
• MCI JH-24 24-track tape machine
• MCI JH-400B console /w automation
• MCI JH-110 2-track (assumed)
• 2 x Revox A77
• Tannoy Reds in Lockwood or Electrovoice Sentry III monitors

References

http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/summers/6534#

Studio Sound August 1978 (Surrey Sound info)

The Policewiki & Jeff Seitz (cymbals)

Various photos

International Musician & Recording World July 1979 (Andy’s FX)

Guitar player September 1982 (GR500)

https://www.guitarworld.com/features/police-ghosts-machine

Guitar Player June 2007

Music Week June 10, 1978 (Surrey Sound info)

Studio Sound November 1984 (Surrey Sound info)

Walking On The Moon: The untold story of The Police and the Rise of New Wave Rock by Chris Campion (Revox and "Walking On The Moon" guitar effects info)