Stings Police Arsenal

[andreaska]

So I've been thinking instead of Sting having his natural Ash fretless P refinished I think it's either another fretless bass or he switched the body with another bass.

From pictures I think it's ridiculously close to Morocco Red, a colour from the International Series that was on the market at the time.

Hi,
AFAIK this is the same bass as the natural ash P. There was a point when the origin tuners have been replaced and later then the body was done in red (or maybe replaced, don't know if that was in the early 80s as easy as today).
I have done a (none public) documentary about all Stings's basses. Think about a translation in english... and maybe send it to anybody by request.

Regards
Andreas

 

[Mdrummey]

Not the Police but I dig the sound of that Modulus VJ he played on the Ten Summoner's Tales era. That band was on fire! I love hearing Vinny playing those Police tunes too on the live stuff.

 

[andreaska]

Not the Police but I dig the sound of that Modulus VJ he played on the Ten Summoner's Tales era...

That was an (early) Fender reissue P with a Modulus J neck.

Regards
Andreas

 

[winterburn69]

That was an (early) Fender reissue P with a Modulus J neck.

Regards
Andreas

Hmmm, first I've ever heard that. Very cool bass anyways.

Not to discredit you or call your claim a fraud, but do you have any sort of somewhat official confirmation that the body is indeed a Fender Reissue?

 

[andreaska]

A fraud? Maybe I can be wrong so no problem.

But of course I try to do some confirmation with two indications:
At first the pickguard - it's the look like on those 82/83 reissue basses. Not an old 60s pickguard.
Second, the body paint is real clean and on some close up pictures you can see the wood and at least the 2 pieces the body is made of. So no primer as used in the 60s.

Also for explain the neck swap - comparison of three videos

1990
Invalid Link Removed

1993
Invalid Link Removed

2013
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I'm not sure, but think to remember to read about once where it was mentioned that it's a reissue Precision.

Regards
Andreas

 

[A. D. Fairhurst]

Roxanne is a jazz bass. Just listen to the isolated track on YT.

 

[azfatboy]

One of my all-time favorite bands, and that was before I fell in love with the bass. Thanks for this great thread. I have hardly anything to contribute, other than my jealousy of all these awesome bass covers, and even more, those fortunate enough to be in a tribute band! What a dream that would be. I think I need to go learn a few police songs!

 

[Mdrummey]

Probably already been asked but how about that Ibanez fretless on the Soul Cages DVD?

 

[A. D. Fairhurst]

General eras:

Outlandos D'Amour - 70s Jazz, 70s Fretless P's
Regatta De Blanc - P, Ibanez Musician
Zenyatta Mondatta - Musician, P
Ghost in the Machine - Steinberger
Synchronicity - White Spector NS2

Through 2nd and 5th album, he's lovingly used 'Brian', the electric (and carved out) double bass mentioned.

He's been known to always have a vintage P handy, just in case.

This is just what I've collected from being a Police nut for most my life

Would those have been the basses used on the albums, not just on the tours?

 

[andreaska]

Probably already been asked but how about that Ibanez fretless on the Soul Cages DVD?

You'll find all information here: Sting's "Soul Cages" Fretless

 

[andreaska]

Would those have been the basses used on the albums, not just on the tours?

AFAIK:
Outlandos: 62' jazz bass
Regatta: fretless Precision and, not for sure, the jazz
Zenyatta: the fretless P, the jazz, a double bass and the van Zalinge EUB
Ghost: a Precision from Andy Summers and the EUB, maybe the fretless P
Synchronicity: the jazz, the fretless P, the Steinberger and the EUB, maybe the double bass

I've never seen any pics or reading interviews of playing any of the Ibanez basses for recording.

Regards
Andreas

 

[winterburn69]

Roxanne is a jazz bass. Just listen to the isolated track on YT.

Yeah that's about as obvious as saying Motown songs sound like a P with flats.

AFAIK:
Outlandos: 62' jazz bass
Regatta: fretless Precision and, not for sure, the jazz
Zenyatta: the fretless P, the jazz, a double bass and the van Zalinge EUB
Ghost: a Precision from Andy Summers and the EUB, maybe the fretless P
Synchronicity: the jazz, the fretless P, the Steinberger and the EUB, maybe the double bass

I've never seen any pics or reading interviews of playing any of the Ibanez basses for recording.

I find this to be accurate except for perhaps the Jazz being used on Zenyatta Mondata (unless there's specific tracks you think he used the Jazz on)

IMO it's been 30+ years since the newest Police stuff was released, at the end of the day it doesn't really matter what he used to record the albums and he usually didn't use the same bass when it was played live. For me, I always use my fretless for playing along to album stuff and I use my fretted P for playing along to Certifiable.

 

[A. D. Fairhurst]

AFAIK:
Outlandos: 62' jazz bass
Regatta: fretless Precision and, not for sure, the jazz
Zenyatta: the fretless P, the jazz, a double bass and the van Zalinge EUB
Ghost: a Precision from Andy Summers and the EUB, maybe the fretless P
Synchronicity: the jazz, the fretless P, the Steinberger and the EUB, maybe the double bass

I've never seen any pics or reading interviews of playing any of the Ibanez basses for recording.

Regards
Andreas

Thank you, dude!

 

[A. D. Fairhurst]

AFAIK:
Outlandos: 62' jazz bass
Regatta: fretless Precision and, not for sure, the jazz
Zenyatta: the fretless P, the jazz, a double bass and the van Zalinge EUB
Ghost: a Precision from Andy Summers and the EUB, maybe the fretless P
Synchronicity: the jazz, the fretless P, the Steinberger and the EUB, maybe the double bass

I've never seen any pics or reading interviews of playing any of the Ibanez basses for recording.

Regards
Andreas

Bookmarked.

 

[Onward]

Last night, i was listening to Shambelle using my headphones. Never realized how smooth that bassline was until focusing with headphones and focusing on the bassline. When i get much better at my bass techniques , that is one song i will definitely learn.

 

[Rumbles]

Last night, i was listening to Shambelle using my headphones. Never realized how smooth that bassline was until focusing with headphones and focusing on the bassline. When i get much better at my bass techniques , that is one song i will definitely learn.

The first song I learned to play after learning a basic blues line was "Walking on the Moon".

 

[doctorwholittle]

Couldn't tell ya what he played in studio, but live during syncronicity era, he used a spector.

I've seen him rawk his single coil P, and a fretless Ibanez, and a J General eras:

Outlandos D'Amour - 70s Jazz, 70s Fretless P's
Regatta De Blanc - P, Ibanez Musician
Zenyatta Mondatta - Musician, P
Ghost in the Machine - Steinberger
Synchronicity - White Spector NS2

Through 2nd and 5th album, he's lovingly used 'Brian', the electric (and carved out) double bass mentioned.

He's been known to always have a vintage P handy, just in case.

This is just what I've collected from being a Police nut for most my life

Sting didn't use the Spector NS2A in the studio. It was given to him, directly from Spector, at the 1st or 2nd show of the 'Synchronicity' tour. That bass was only ever recorded live on that tour, never in the studio.

 

[doctorwholittle]

The only thing I have to ad is in 1990-91 during the "Soul Cages" period he played a small black fretless, the maker of which I don't recall.

That's the Ibanez 'Butterbean' or just 'Bean' bass, which, IIRC, are offshoots of the Musician series. These were quite cool and varied, available in bolt-on and neck-through. Been trying to snag one for a while, now, but always a bit out of my budget or right when the big bills hit. /c:,'

 

[doctorwholittle]

Have you ever tried singing and playing "Spirits in the Material World"? It's insane. It's almost impossible to concieve of anything more difficult to deal with rhythmically.

In all fairness, he altered that bass line considerably when he played it live. Having attempted it on several occasions, I understand why. I can play and sing 'Seven Days', 'Love Is Stronger than Justice', and 'I Hung My Head' far more easily than 'Spirits in the Material World'.

 

[renkema]

That's pretty comprehensive.

He played a fretless MC900 before playing a couple of maple board 940s (a maple top (1st gen 940) and a gray colored (2nd gen 940)). he had gone back to playing the now red fretless P bass and I believe Ibanez made the maple board 940s to accommodate. best way to tell the different models is the EQ configurations but also the fret marker positions. The MC900 fretless had the 22 fret markers along the top of the neck (just visible under the E string) whereas the 940 maple top and gray model had dots at the typical steps just under the G string.

I have both a first gen 940 fretless DS and a fretless MC900NT (the only one I've ever seen). I prefer the 900.