Tone Profile

A bright, punchy, and iconic 80s rock tone, characterized by a driving rhythmic delay and a slightly gritty clean sound with a strong attack from a Les Paul.

Signal Chain

Recording Notes

• The iconic guitar riff was played by Waddy Wachtel.
• Wachtel used his 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard, an MXR Dyna Comp, an MXR M118 Digital Delay, and a Music Man HD-130 Reverb amp.
• The riff was famously inspired by Wachtel listening to The Police's 'Bring On The Night' and trying to emulate Andy Summers' delayed guitar parts.
• The song was recorded in 1981, primarily at Studio 55 and Goodnight L.A.

Recreation Tips

• Use a Gibson Les Paul or a similar humbucker-equipped guitar, selecting the bridge pickup for a bright, cutting tone.
• Place a compressor pedal (e.g., MXR Dyna Comp) early in your signal chain to even out dynamics and add sustain.
• The key effect is a clean digital delay set to a dotted eighth note. The song's tempo is approximately 111 BPM, so the delay time should be around 405ms. The delay mix should be fairly high.
• Choose an amplifier with good clean headroom but capable of slight breakup, like a Music Man, a Fender Twin Reverb, or similar. EQ for brightness and punch.
• Add a touch of spring reverb, either from the amp or a pedal/plugin.
• Focus on precise, staccato picking for the main riff, paying close attention to the rhythmic interplay with the delay.

Recommended Gear

• Gibson Les Paul Standard(guitar)
• Music Man HD-130 Reverb(amp)
• Fender Twin Reverb(amp)
• MXR M102 Dyna Comp Compressor(pedal)
• Boss DD-8 Digital Delay(pedal)
• MXR M169 Carbon Copy Analog Delay(pedal)
• Shure SM57(mic)
• Source Audio Collider Delay+Reverb(pedal)