Solo Tone

2 Minutes to Midnight (2015 Remaster)

Iron Maiden

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/early 1980s, with DiMarzio Super Distortion or Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in bridge position)

AmpMarshall JMP 2204 Mk II Master Lead 50w head into Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinet

PickupsBridge humbucker (DiMarzio Super Distortion or Seymour Duncan Hot Rails, exact model debated for this era)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass5.5

mid7

treble7

reverb1.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

delayUnknown Delay pedal (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 1984 (album: Powerslave, 2015 Remaster). Dave Murray and Adrian Smith both used Stratocasters with humbucking bridge pickups and Marshall JMP heads for solos. No evidence of Gallien-Krueger or other amps on this album. Effects inferred from audio and era; no pedalboard photos from this session.

Tone Character(10)

singing sustaintight and articulatecrisp attackslight midrange emphasissmooth legatocontrolled feedbackcutting presencemoderate compressionmetallic edgeharmonic clarity

Difficulty

The solo features fast alternate picking, precise bends, and rapid shifts up and down the neck, requiring advanced technique and control for clarity at high speed.

Sources

Iron Maiden Members, Gear & Sound Amp settings for an Iron Maiden tone

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account