Back to CommunityCreate Free Account
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)
Amp Settings
gain7
bass5
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
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.
Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear
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)
Amp Settings
gain7
bass5
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
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.