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Andy Summers’ heavily modified Telecaster, a cornerstone of The Police’s early sound, remains a mystery. In 1972, while teaching in California, Summers bought the guitar from a student. Already well-worn, it featured a humbucker in the neck, a phase switch, and an active boost controlled by a third knob. Though Summers only recalls adding Schaller tuners, much of the guitar’s history is uncertain. While Summers identifies it as a 1961 model, others suggest it could be a 1963 Telecaster Custom, possibly with a 1950s neck given its maple fretboard, though this is debated.

The Telecaster became central to The Police's unique sound, but it wasn’t until 2006 that Fender decided to reproduce it. Summers had originally approached Fender about building a Strat with a Steinberger TransTrem, but the guitar giant received so many requests for his Telecaster that they instead launched a limited run of 250 Tribute models in 2007, priced at £9,399. The release coincided with The Police’s reunion and Summers’ autobiography One Train Later. One of the Tribute models recently resurfaced for sale at nearly double its original price.

To create the Tribute series, Fender’s master builder Dennis Galuszka closely examined Summers’ original guitar. Despite this, the guitar’s true origins remained elusive. No identifying dates were found on the neck or body, and Galuszka speculated that the neck might be from a 1950s Telecaster, based on remnants of white blonde paint. The body had been routed so heavily that no original markings were left. While adding a Gibson humbucker and phase switch was a common mod at the time, the brass bridge and active boost circuit were more unusual.

The guitar’s secret weapon was its active boost, controlled by a mini-toggle switch near the bridge. Yet the person who installed these mods remains unknown. Despite The Police’s massive success, no one has come forward to claim credit for the modifications. Summers, too, has never revealed the name of the student who sold him the guitar.

Summers (or someone else) continued modifying the guitar after purchasing it. In a 1978 performance, the Tele still had its original three-saddle bridge, but by late that year, Summers had replaced it with a six-saddle bridge. The bridge pickup was also direct-mounted to the body, likely due to routing required for the brass bridge plate. Photos show a crack in the plate between the pickup and control plate, which Summers left unaddressed.

The guitar’s pickups also remain a puzzle. Fender’s team found that a Seymour Duncan ’59 humbucker closely resembled the neck pickup, while the bridge pickup seemed custom-made. The active boost circuit, added before Summers bought the guitar in 1972, required routing to fit a nine-volt battery, which was uncommon for the early ’70s. The Tribute model replicated this feature using a modified Eric Clapton mid-boost circuit since the original was no longer functional.

Despite its iconic status, the Telecaster has only been reproduced in limited numbers. Guitars with humbuckers or phase switches are common, but the active boost remains rare due to the substantial modifications needed to fit it into a Telecaster’s small control cavity. It’s intriguing that, for such a well-known instrument, no mass-market model has ever been made, and that the person responsible for its groundbreaking mods remains anonymous.

Summers’ heavily modified Telecaster played a vital role in shaping the sound of The Police and became one of the most unique instruments in rock history. It’s remarkable that such an influential guitar was modded by an unknown individual whose work helped define a band that sold millions of records. Hopefully, one day, the person responsible for these now-legendary modifications will get the credit they deserve.

YouTube

Unveiling The Mystery Mods Who Really Built Andy Summers Iconic Telecaster 9/19/24

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