Riff Tone

The Clairvoyant (2015 Remaster)

Iron Maiden

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (Dave Murray) or Jackson Adrian Smith SDX (Adrian Smith)

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head into Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabinet

PickupsDiMarzio Super Distortion (bridge, Dave Murray Strat) or Jackson HSS (Adrian Smith SDX, likely Seymour Duncan Hot Rails or similar humbucker in bridge)

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass5.5

mid7

treble7

reverb1.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

overdriveBoss Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive

noise_gateUnknown Noise Gate Pedal (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 1988 (Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, remastered 2015). Both Murray and Smith tracked rhythm/riff parts. Gear confirmed for this era and song by multiple sources. Settings below are for the studio rhythm/riff tone, not live.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussiveclassic British midrange punchfull-bodied distortionarticulate top endaggressive palm mutinglayered harmoniespunchy low endclear note separationsustaining crunchdriving, energetic rhythm

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, accurate alternate picking, tight palm muting, and precise synchronization for harmonized lines, making it challenging for most intermediate players.

Sources

Iron Maiden Amp Settings (gear and tone tips) - Guitar Chalk Iron Maiden Members, Gear & Sound | Equipboard The Clairvoyant Guitar Lesson | Iron Maiden | Lick Library

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