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Iron Maiden Stratocaster?


RGGR

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Must be some Maiden fans on here that know.

I did quick search in google but couldn't find too much on set-up Dave is using.

IM_Murray.jpg

(and yes I know.....he must have tons of guitars with all different set-ups).....

But what would bring me close.....I know he had OFR on his strat, with SD JB junior and SD Hot Rails being mentioned. I know the Iron Maiden Strat (official Fender copy) has basswood body......but will Dave use this too???

Edited by RGGR
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Must be some Maiden fans on here that know.

I did quick search in google but couldn't find too much on set-up Dave is using.

(and yes I know.....he must have tons of guitars with all diferent set-ups).....

But what would bring me close.....I know he had OFR on his strat, with SD JB junior and SD Hot Rails being mentioned. I know the Iron Maiden Strat (official Fender copy) has basswood body......but will Dave use this too???

I have a 50'th anny strat book at home and it talks about his setup a bit.. if I have a chance I'll get some info back to you...

and yes maiden RULES

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I recall the early stuff was done with stock '57 Strats I believe, and then around '80 or '81 they had them modified to retrofit DiMarzio Super Distortions in the neck and bridge (maybe Super 2 in the neck?). Later on, the one used a JB in his Charvels. Right now, according to this issue of Guitar World I have, they're using the same set up as the Maiden strat and Marshalls. I don't have it with me, so I can't give you the low down on it. I've played the Iron Maiden Strat and it was pretty nice, especially for the price, but it was before I started listening to Maiden, or even had any decent lead playing ability, so whether it nails them or not, I don't know.

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According to Australian Guitar some months ago, he uses a standard Fender Strat with Seymour Duncan Hotrails pickups and an Original Floyd Rose. In all the glory of the magazine it didnt go into detail on what positions he uses the Hotrails in, however im guessig just the bridge and maybe the neck, because he also goes on about how he likes the versatility of the strat for clean tone as well, and that wouldnt make much sense if he replaced all 3 single coils.

Oh yeah and besides the pickups and trem he did say it was just a stock standard fender strat.... so I doubt the body is basswood.

- Dan

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Like Jivin just said, he uses the HR1's on the neck and bridge with a JB Jr on the middle, also his black strat got a JB Jr on the neck too. In the early 80's they both switched to humbuckers (DiMarzio Super Distortion)in the neck and bridge, but as soon as SDuncan came out with the rails and the JB Jr, he switched back.

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Well according to a Guitar Buyer Article from August 2003 he uses -

Fender Stratocaster fitted with Humbucking pickups

Crybaby wah wah pedal

Marshall JMP-1 preamp

Marshall JFX-1 Multi-FX

Rocktron Midi Mate Foot Controller

Pete Cornish Custom Router/Switcher Unit

Marshall 9200 Dual Monoblock Power Amp

Marshall 1960B straight 4x 12 cabs x 2

His Strat was a '56 Fender Strat with a Maple neck and 2 DiMarzio Super Distortion Humbuckers. He did switch to JV Squier Strats at one point but now uses Fender Starts again modified specially for him with skinn frets and a 7.25" radiused fretboard. I assume the pickups etc. are the same as he used to have o his '56 Strat but dunno for sure.

MAIDEN RULE! seen 'em in cardiff in 2003 and they rocked - Dave Murray is amazin', apparently they're playing Reading this year too so i'll be there!!

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Maybe the tremolo can be modified in some way to suite it?

Either way, I never knew that spec, I can't beleive a gutiarist who plays leads would deliberately choose to have such a tiny radius. Does he just have an extremely high action or something? or is it just not as uncommon as I think?

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The OFR's have a 10" radius. You can easily use them with a fretboard with a radius within +/- 2 inches of that (8 to 12). You can also adjust each saddle to create a custom radius if your board exceeds that 2 inch tolerance.

When I first saw Yngwie's guitar, I was really surprised. He has very high action and prefers the same tight radius fretboard as Dave Murray. I guess some people are used to playing that way.

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Either way, I never knew that spec, I can't beleive a gutiarist who plays leads would deliberately choose to have such a tiny radius. Does he just have an extremely high action or something? or is it just not as uncommon as I think?

Hey, think about it. When all those guys like Murray, Malmsteen, Beck, Clapton, and Hendrix were learning to play, that's how all the Strats came. Notice also how Murray has spec'd skinny frets too. The Standards and Vintage Reissues come with those, but the American series is all medium-jumbo with flatter radius.

I like playing American Strats because they just play better, but it does take a little bit of getting used to because I'm just used to the setup on my MIM Standard.

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Saw the Fender Maiden copy came with 12" radius neck. That set-up makes also more sense with OFR trem.

These compound 10"-16" Warmoth necks would be great set-up of course. Best of both worlds.

Personally I like playing my 17" RG neck. Going to 7.25" or 9" radius would be like playing on the side of baseball bat. Not my cup of tea.

And yes, I understand that these guys learned playing on tight radius necks and stuck to it. Doesn't mean I have to have same set-up of course.

Great thing about building your own (or assembling from Warmoth/USA Custom parts) is that you can get your own personal set-up.

Might go the Warmoth route, get Alder SSS body with recessed OFR route. Get nice maple neck with 16" radius (or 16"-10" compound radius) with nice Wizard type back profile.......Might also make my own body, as I would like to have AANJ on Strat.

shine5.jpg

Pick-ups would be JB Jr in bridge and SD Hot Rails in middle and neck.

Iron_Maiden_Strat-PUs.jpg

No guitar ever can't be improved upon.

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If i have a warmoth neck that is compound 10-16" radius how does that affect the setup of an OFR?

I shim my floyds to approx 18" for fretboards with that type of compound radius. I think there are some people here on PG that just leave the floyd at 10" and deal with the higher action on the middle strings. I prefer shimming it though.

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Yeah RGGR, Warmoth parts really does seem to be quite a good option. I just ordered my stuff, which was a Alder/Koa strat body HXH with recessed OFR routing. The neck was a Maple/Rosewood with 10-16"radius, jumbo frets and a reverse KWS headstock with a koa veneer. I'm looking forward to it heaps, especially the koa body:

warmoth_body_502_2.jpg

embellished by me a touch perhaps, but hey, im excited :D

I plan on putting a Seymour Duncan Custom in the Bridge and Alnico II Pro in the neck. I cant wait!

Edit: Thanks Dave

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I really, really like the AlnicoII pro in the neck position. I think it's one of the best sounding neck pickups (int the passive category) I have heard.

It's name doesn't do much in terms of getting people's attention but for those of us who have played through one - the name doesn't matter. Nice choice!

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I shim my floyds to approx 18" for fretboards with that type of compound radius.

You know what dave, you are the 1st person that I hear does that too. I just modded the TOM that I put on my 7 string to about 18" radius. I helps big time with the action of the guitar, I figured this out by going up with the radius change, from 10-16 in 18" so I added 2" to the radius for the rest of the scale leght, it wors niiiiiceee!

And yes the I M copies that are sold by Fender are not the same set up as the ones played by Dave. Just liek the MAlmsteen is a bit different too, and the ESP LTD are different for the Jeff Hanneman ...etc...

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And yes the IM copies that are sold by Fender are not the same set up as the ones played by Dave. Just like the Malmsteen is a bit different too, and the ESP LTD are different for the Jeff Hanneman ...etc...

Yeah, I know this. These guys get their guitars customly make for them. The IM Fender copies are just commercial knock-offs. Fender just marketing the name Maiden and try to sell some over-priced guitars to some ca$h-short fans.

Also not trying to make exact copy.Not overly impressed with Fender. I'm just trying to get more feel for his set-up. I love the Maiden sound......so why not have guitar similar. Of course giving my own tist to it.

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The strat I had, before putting the EMG KH-21 on it had a set up like the one about, but I had 2 HR, one on the brdge and another on the neck with a Fender lace sensor blue on the center. It sounded better than the single coils, much better sustain, and punch, but to get the Maiden Sound from Seven Son or Somewere in Time,(which IMO are the classic MAiden sound, there is a lot of electronics involved.

I have tried for ever, got close with the GNX1 that I got, but I'm missing something, I think is the fingers of Dave or Adrian to make it work. (See that I don't mentione Janick, he is a buffoon, ever since he entered Maiden it started going down hill, his sound is not Maiden compatible)

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See that I don't mention Janick, he is a buffoon, ever since he entered Maiden it started going down hill, his sound is not Maiden compatible

Hahaha, a buffoon ;-)

Bit overkill anyway to have 3 guitarists in one band.

Some Maiden fans are also not very impressed with the X-factor and the Virtual X CDs......while I think some of Maidens best songs are on there.

And I totally agree with this review:

http://www.mp3.com/albums/175141/reviews.html

I love to play along with; - Sign of the Cross, Lightning Strikes Twice, The Clansman, When Two Worlds Collide, and The Educated Fool.

To be honest, I think Maiden is the reason I started playing guitar. :D

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