Tone library / The police / Message in a bottle

Message in a bottle amp settings — Drive CD 200R

The The police guitar tone for “Message in a bottle”, dialed in for a Drive CD 200R with a Aria Pro ii sl. Studio version, Reggatta de Blanc (1979)

Original rig

Modified 1960s Fender Telecaster (bridge single-coil) → Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress Flanger (chorus setting) → clean Fender-style amp (likely Twin Reverb or similar)

Bright, shimmering clean with lush chorus-like modulation, chimey arpeggios with crystalline high-end

Amp settings — Drive CD 200R

CHANNELClean channelBRIGHTonBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	2
Bass	4
Mid	5
Treble	7
Presence	6
Reverb	2
Master	5

Don’t have a Drive CD 200R? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Mooer GE-100 — Chorus effect (simulating Electric Mistress flanger in chorus mode)

Use the CE Chorus or Analog Chorus model on the GE-100. If a flanger model is available, set feedback/regen low (2-3) and rate slow to achieve the lush, washy sound rather than jet-plane sweep.

Rate 3 · Depth 6 · Mix/Level 7

02Mooer GE-100 — Reverb (plate or room)

Subtle plate reverb for studio ambience. The original is fairly dry — don't overdo it.

Decay 3 · Mix/Level 3

Why these settings

The Drive CD 200R is a budget solid-state practice amp with limited headroom and a darker voicing than Summers' Twin Reverb. I've pushed treble to 7 and kept gain at 2 to maintain a clean, bright platform. Your Aria Pro II likely has hotter humbuckers than Summers' Tele single-coil, so the bridge pickup with tone at 8 will roll off some harshness while preserving the required chime. The GE-100's chorus will carry the iconic shimmer — lean on it.

PRO TIPSummers finger-picked this riff using thumb on bass notes and three fingers on the upper voices simultaneously — this separation is why the arpeggios ring so clearly. A pick won't replicate the dynamic spread. Practice the Csus2-G-Dsus4-Aadd9 cycle with hybrid or pure fingerstyle for authenticity.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Drive CD 200R. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Song, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.