Solo Tone

Powerslave (2015 Remaster)

Iron Maiden

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

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

AmpMarshall JCM 800 2203 (100w head, studio recording, 1984 era)

PickupsBridge humbucker (DiMarzio Super Distortion or Seymour Duncan Hot Rails, depending on player; Strat single coils in other positions)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass5.5

mid5.5

treble7

reverb1.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

delayUnknown Delay pedal (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording for 'Powerslave' (1984, used for 2015 Remaster). Adrian Smith and Dave Murray both used Stratocasters with humbucker bridge pickups into Marshall JCM 800 heads. Settings are estimated from era and genre; no direct studio settings for this song's solo found. No evidence of pedals used for the solo, but a touch of delay is clearly audible in the solo section.

Tone Character(10)

singing sustaintight and percussivearticulate lead linesharmonic richnessaggressive bridge pickupclassic British crunchclear note separationfluid legato runsslight delay ambiencebright upper mids

Difficulty

The solo requires advanced speed, clean articulation at high tempo, and mastery of legato, bends, and vibrato, making it challenging for most intermediate players.

Sources

Iron Maiden Members, Gear & Sound | Equipboard Iron Maiden - Equipment of the guitarists after 1980 - The Gear Page I thought it was interesting... (Dave Murray and Adrian Smiths gear ...

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