Solo Tone

The Trooper (2015 Remaster)

Iron Maiden

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (likely 1970s, black, maple neck, DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup for Dave Murray's solo)

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head with 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1983)

PickupsDiMarzio Super Distortion (bridge humbucker, likely DP100)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass5.5

mid7

treble7

reverb1.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording for 'Piece of Mind' (1983), remastered in 2015. Dave Murray played the first solo on a Stratocaster with a DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup through a Marshall JCM800. No evidence of pedals used in the studio for this solo, only amp distortion. No chorus, flanger, or delay is audibly present in the solo section.

Tone Character(10)

fluid and smooth legatosinging sustainbright and articulatetight and percussive attackmedium-high gain saturationslightly compressedcutting bridge pickup biteclassic British crunchfocused upper midsminimal ambience

Difficulty

The solo requires advanced legato technique, fast alternate picking, and precise articulation at high tempo, making it challenging for most guitarists.

Sources

Adrian Smith | Equipboard Complete Guide to Iron Maiden 'The Trooper' | Ultimate Guitar [OC] Quick Guitar Trick: Dave Murray's (Iron Maiden) Legato Soloing

This tone has been researched 4 times by the community

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