1961 Fender Telecaster (sunburst)

From PoliceWiki
Revision as of 00:21, 8 November 2021 by Dietmar (talk | contribs)


Fender Telecaster
Diagram or photo related to this artist's musical gear
Artist: Andy Summers
Band or ensemble: Kevin Coyne / Kevin Ayers / The Police
Time gear used: YYYY - 1986

Introduction

Andy Summers bought his Fender Telecaster from a guitar student in Los Angeles in the early Seventies for just $200. Depending on which literature you consult or who you ask it's either 1961 or 1963 guitar.

Gear breakdown

Most modifications to the original Fender Telecaster were already there when Andy bought the guitar:

  • Gibson Humbucker pickup
  • mini-toggle phase switch
  • preamp on/off mini-toggle switch
  • rear-mounted overdrive unit controlled by a third knob

When he performed with Kevin Coyne the tuners on the Telecaster were still the originals. When he performed with The Police Andy had them replaced with Schallers.

During The Police times Andy Summers made even more changes to his guitar:

  • For the first years up until at least 1978-03-12 Andy played the guitar with its original 3-saddle bridge with raised sides. Photos from October 1978 up until 1979-02-06 show Andy playing the Telecaster with a Fender 6-saddle bridge with raised sides. At the 1979-02-21 Hatfield concert he already played the guitar with a flat brass bridge with its pickup mounted in the guitar's body.
  • Andy added a second string tree on the guitar headstock shortly before the Reading festival on 1979-08-24.

Quotations and trivia

This section needs more information. Include any quotes of interest from the artist on the use of this gear or anything else of relevance.

See also

This section needs more information. Include intra-wiki links that are relevant.

External links

This section needs more information.

References and footnotes

sources: Rolling Stone - February 18, 1982 (1963 Telecaster bought for $200 from a guy he was teaching)