Roland G303/GR-300 Guitar Synth, Don't Stand So Close To Me

Don't Stand So Close To Me, The Police. Another of those Sting compositions that mix the creepiest of subjects with the catchiest of choruses - and because of that chorus, you never forget the song. The best-selling single of 1980 - those were the days.

But the stand-out challenge for guitarists was trying to work out how on earth Andy Summers was producing the sounds that tracked the song. You wouldn't guess from the video for the single, where he mimes to rock-god knee-slides. But then there was The Tube - and a chirpy Jools Holland talking to Andy Summers about his guitar set-up - all still out of reach, but at least explained. And all down to a Roland G-303 Guitar/Controller, a GR-303 Guitar Synthesiser, and a Volume Pedal.

His one was the natural wood version. This one, owned by Manfred Mann's Earthband guitarist Mick Rogers, is white, and looks so much better ;-). Have had a lot of fun playing around with the settings. I don't think Andy Summers used it throughout the song, but I decided to use it without any other effects to see what it was capable of - including the setting to 5ths for that "wow" break. A bit of a showcase for a fabulous piece of analogue technology!

See, hear and read more about this 80s classic - and a beautiful guitar in its own right - here:
https://www.godsownguitars.com/1983-r...