Here is an assortment of various other guitars Andy played with the Police.
Aria Pro "Outlandos"
The reason why I call this Aria Pro an "Outlandos" is because it is closely associated with that album. It was a backup guitar for Andy in the early days of the Police. It is featured in the Old Grey Whistle Test Video of "Next To You", as well as the inner sleeve of "Outlandos D'Amour."
An inside sleeve shot from "Outlandos D'Amour" shows a very dissatisfied Andy Summers with his Aria Pro.
Guitars Galore
Andy collected all sorts of instruments on the road, including electric mandolins and electric sitars . . . plus some weird ones (wow, that's saying alot.)
Look at this one . . .
Andy's Banjo
"Well I always take the banjo in," Andy told Virtual Guitar Magazine in February 1999. "It's just kind of a personal quirk. I like to have the banjo around. I sometimes put it on tracks because it just throws the track slightly off-kilter. The minute you put a banjo in there, it tends to make the track sound... I don't know why, it's such a bright sound. And it doesn't seem inappropriate in a couple of places. I always have it there. I don't always use it, but I just have it there. It's had the same strings on it for about 20 years, I think. [Laughs]"
Martin D-28
Andy has always been a lover of acoustic instruments. One of his most prized acquisitions was a Martin D-28. He liked to practice on it, because the high action gives him a good workout. Andy's brainstorming process for writing songs involved taking this acoustic into his kitchen, which he claimed in June 1983's Musician magazine, "has great acoustics." He would then play spontaneous riffs and ideas that would be recorded onto a tape recorder, write and number them all in a notebook, and sort them out later.
Sting playing a Martin . . . which could possibly be Andy's.
"Unusual Custom Made 12-String"
This is how a Police fanzine described this guitar. I think it's a Hamer, since Hamer had always made custom instruments for Andy. But who knows except the man himself . . .
Update: I have realized that this is the very same red guitar Andy straps on for 'Synchronicity I' on the 'Synchronicity Concert' video. It is not a Hamer. Ken Johnston wrote to me: "About that 12-string Andy played on the Synchronicity tour, I'll probably figure out what it is. I remember them back in the day in the music stores (but the 6-string versions). I think the name begins with a P."
I believe Andy plays a six-string version of this 'P' guitar during the 1980 'It's Alright For You' Kenny Everret show appearance. The mystery unfolds!
By Greg
Danielak - 2000
