Riff Tone

Aces High (2015 Remaster)

Iron Maiden

Guitarmetal2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarIbanez RS315 Electric Guitar

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 (studio recording, 1984 era, as used on Powerslave sessions)

PickupsIbanez V2 humbucker (bridge), Ibanez S1 single coil (neck)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass5.5

mid7

treble7

reverb1.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1984 (Powerslave), referenced for 2015 remaster. No evidence of pedal use for main riff rhythm tone; all drive from amp. Guitar and amp confirmed for era, but no direct studio photo for this exact session.

Tone Character(10)

tight and articulateaggressive palm mutingclassic British crunchbright and cuttingfocused low endslightly scooped midspercussive attackfast responsedry, immediate soundhigh-gain saturation

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, accurate alternate picking and tight palm muting at a high tempo, with precise rhythm and stamina, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

Adrian Smith | Equipboard Album Discussions Week 5 - Powerslave : r/ironmaiden

This tone has been researched 3 times by the community

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