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Iron Maiden - Killers Dave Murray's - Guitar Solo Tab

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Iron Maiden - Killers Dave Murray's guitar tab video
Steph Le Gratteux
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Iron Maiden Heavy Metal

About Killers Dave Murray's

Dave Murray's playing on the "Killers" album sits right at the heart of what made Iron Maiden such a force in early Heavy Metal. His parts tend to favour fluid, pentatonic-based lead runs delivered with a loose, slightly behind-the-beat feel that can trip up guitarists who try to play them too rigidly. The twin-guitar interplay introduced when Adrian Smith joined for this record means you will also encounter rhythm parts that need to lock in tightly with a second guitar, so pay close attention to palm muting and attack consistency. Getting the right pick angle for those fast single-note runs is where most players struggle, and the Practice Toolbar is your best friend here: loop any tricky phrase slowed down until the pick movement feels natural before bringing the tempo back up. E Standard tuning keeps everything where Murray played it, so no retuning is needed. Focus on keeping your fretting hand relaxed through the longer scalar passages, because tension is what kills the smoothness of the lines.

  • Dave Murray's lead work on the Killers album is rooted in pentatonic and blues-scale runs, making minor pentatonic fluency a key technical focus.
  • The album marked Iron Maiden's first use of the twin-guitar lineup with Adrian Smith, so many parts are designed to interlock with a second rhythm or lead guitar.
  • All parts sit in E Standard tuning, meaning no alternate tuning setup is required before you start working through the tab.

How to Play Killers Dave Murray's

Tuning: E Standard · Tempo: 152 BPM

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 152 BPM.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Iron Maiden's signature choice for heavy metal, the Strat's bright single-coils in neck and middle positions deliver the glassy, articulate tone that defines their melodic passages. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith pair bridge humbuckers with this platform to preserve pick dynamics and note definition rather than drowning in compressed gain.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The backbone of Maiden's iconic sound, the JCM800's moderate gain structure lets the power tubes sing without preamp saturation, preserving the punch and harmonic clarity that makes their riffs cut through a mix. Murray and Smith set gain moderately to maintain definition while pushing the amp into natural tube breakup.

Seymour Duncan JB
Pickup

Seymour Duncan JB

Adrian Smith's weapon of choice, the JB's balanced output drives Marshall amps into singing sustain without over-compressing dynamics, allowing his lead lines to breathe with clarity and snap. This moderate-output humbucker maintains the attack and articulation essential to Maiden's punchy, defined metal tone.

DiMarzio Super Distortion
Pickup

DiMarzio Super Distortion

Dave Murray's bridge pickup at 13k output strikes the perfect balance, hitting the Marshall hard enough for thick sustain yet retaining enough dynamics for expressive bending and harmonic control. It's hot enough to sing but not so overwound that it flattens the natural Strat character underneath.

Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
Pedal

Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive

Murray and Smith use this clean boost to push their Marshalls harder during solos, adding aggression without relying on pedal distortion, keeping the tube amp saturation as the true tone source. The SD-1 preserves their natural playing dynamics while giving leads extra presence and cut.

ISP Decimator Noise Gate
Pedal

ISP Decimator Noise Gate

Smith occasionally employs this noise gate to manage feedback and hum from his high-output rig without sacrificing sustain, staying true to Maiden's philosophy of minimal pedal intervention. It's a practical tool for live performance that doesn't color the natural tube amp tone.

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