Tone Talk: Walking On The Moon

This page explores what created the iconic guitar tone on The Police's "Walking On The Moon", released on Reggatta De Blanc in 1979. Specifically the opening D minor 11th chords.

From what Andy recalls, it was a '63 (or '61) Fender Telecaster custom though a chorus pedal and a Fender Twin amp, with possibly a little bit of compression.

However, his mention of the Chorus pedal is slightly inaccurate, which he suggested was a Boss Chorus in other recent interviews. There is no evidence of him having a Boss Chorus in 1979, so he was likely referring to the Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress Flanger probably dialled to a chorus-like effect.

Apparently, assistant engineer Chris Gray remembers that the guitar sound in the intro was purely a SCAMP rack unit (produced by Audio & Design (Recording) Ltd.) - specifically the S24 ADT delay/flanger module. Although Andy already had his effects pedalboard by then, Chris claims "no flange pedal ever gave the same glass-effect of the SCAMP".

In a 1979 interview with Sounds magazine, Andy was quoted as being rather impressed with expensive AMS equipment in the studio including the flanger. He probably meant an AMS DMX 15-80 digital delay, which belonged to Surrey Sound studios and which Nigel occasionally used on Andy's guitars to thicken them up a bit. It was used more as a chorusing unit, and producing a wide stereo sound. Back to the quote, Andy seems to be implying the studio had an AMS flanger, but there is no evidence the studio had such a unit at that time. So it's possible he could be referring to the SCAMP ADT rack unit instead.

Live, he reproduced the sound using the Electric Mistress pedal embedded in his Pete Cornish effects board with some enhancement from a volume pedal.