Riff Tone

Prowler (2015 Remaster)

Iron Maiden

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (1970s, likely black, as used by Dave Murray on debut album)

AmpMarshall 50-watt JMP heads with Marshall 4x12 cabinets (Celestion and EV speakers)

PickupsDiMarzio Super Distortion (bridge), DiMarzio PAF (neck)

Amp Settings

gain6.5

bass5.5

mid7

treble7

reverb1.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

wahDunlop CryBaby Wah

distortionMXR MXR Distortion Plus

eqUnknown Graphic Equalizer (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 1979-1980 sessions for debut album; gear confirmed for this era and song by Guitar World interview. 2015 Remaster is a remaster of the original 1980 studio recording.

Tone Character(10)

scraping, aggressive introtight and percussive rhythmarticulate note separationclassic British metal crunchpunchy, biting attackclear riff definitionslightly scooped but present midshigh-output, saturated distortiondynamic pick attacktouch of wah for phrasing

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, accurate alternate picking and palm muting at a high tempo, with tight rhythmic precision and dynamic control, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

Interview: Iron Maiden's Adrian Smith and Dave Murray in ...The 50 best Iron Maiden songs of all time

This tone has been researched 3 times by the community

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