Riff Tone
The Trooper
Iron Maiden
Guitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarFender 1957 Stratocaster (Dave Murray's black Strat, DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 (50-watt head, 4x12 Marshall cab with Celestion speakers)
PickupsDiMarzio Super Distortion (bridge humbucker)
Amp Settings
gain7
bass5
mid7
treble7.5
reverb0
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
distortionMXR MXR Distortion+
eqMXR MXR Ten Band Graphic Equalizer
Notes
Studio recording, Piece of Mind album (1983). Settings and gear confirmed for original studio riff section. Pickup selector set to bridge. No evidence of additional guitars or amp models for the main riff. Effects are primarily from pedals, not amp.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive bridge pickup attackbright and articulatefocused midrange punchminimal bass for clarityhigh-output humbucker saturationBritish crunchfast alternate picking responselittle to no ambienceclassic 1980s metal rhythm
Difficulty
The main riff requires fast, consistent alternate picking with tight palm muting and precise timing to achieve the signature gallop rhythm, making it challenging for most intermediate players.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarFender 1957 Stratocaster (Dave Murray's black Strat, DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 (50-watt head, 4x12 Marshall cab with Celestion speakers)
PickupsDiMarzio Super Distortion (bridge humbucker)
Amp Settings
gain7
bass5
mid7
treble7.5
reverb0
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
distortionMXR MXR Distortion+
eqMXR MXR Ten Band Graphic Equalizer
Notes
Studio recording, Piece of Mind album (1983). Settings and gear confirmed for original studio riff section. Pickup selector set to bridge. No evidence of additional guitars or amp models for the main riff. Effects are primarily from pedals, not amp.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive bridge pickup attackbright and articulatefocused midrange punchminimal bass for clarityhigh-output humbucker saturationBritish crunchfast alternate picking responselittle to no ambienceclassic 1980s metal rhythm
Difficulty
The main riff requires fast, consistent alternate picking with tight palm muting and precise timing to achieve the signature gallop rhythm, making it challenging for most intermediate players.
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