Riff Tone

The Number of the Beast (2015 Remaster)

Iron Maiden

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (Dave Murray signature or late-70s/early-80s model, likely with DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup for riff section)

AmpMarshall JMP 2203/2204 (Master Lead 100w/50w head, late 1970s/early 1980s, through Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinet)

PickupsDiMarzio Super Distortion (bridge humbucker, Dave Murray's Strat); Seymour Duncan Hot Rails or stock single-coils possible for Adrian Smith

Amp Settings

gain7

bass5.5

mid7

treble7

reverb1.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1982 (original album, applies to 2015 remaster as it is a remaster of the original studio track). No evidence of live rig or post-1982 gear for this recording. No evidence of effects loop or rack effects in studio for riff section.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivecrunchy, overdriven British amp soundmidrange-forwardarticulate and defined attackslightly scooped bassaggressive palm mutingharmonic richnessfast, precise rhythmlayered dual-guitar soundclear note separation

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, accurate alternate picking and tight palm muting at a high tempo, with precise timing and rhythm changes typical of classic Iron Maiden. While not as technically demanding as the solos, the speed and tightness needed make it challenging for intermediate players.