Iron Maiden's gear on Somewhere in Time (1986): Guitars, amps and effects

Somewhere in Time remains one of the most distinctive albums in Iron Maiden’s catalogue, blending the aggression of the band’s early records and classic Heavy Metal guitar work with the futuristic, polished production and technology of the mid-1980s.

Stereo guitar tones, lush Chorus effects and guitar synths pushed Maiden into new territory while still maintaining the signature twin-guitar attack that defined the band. From the opening moments of the first track, “Caught Somewhere in Time”, the difference is immediately obvious.

In this guide, we’re looking at the guitars, amps and effects used by Adrian Smith and Dave Murray on Somewhere in Time – some of the most distinctive guitar tones of the 1980s.

What guitars did Iron Maiden use on Somewhere in Time?

Dave Murray & Adrian Smith during the Somewhere on Tour 1986/87 tour. Credit: Ross Halfin

Fender Stratocaster (Dave Murray)

By the mid-’80s, Murray’s Strats typically featured humbuckers, well suited to his fluid lead playing. The exact guitars used during the recording sessions aren’t well documented, but hot-rodded Strat-style guitars were a major part of his rig during this period.

The original Gear Monkey interview describes his ex-Paul Kossoff 1957 Stratocaster as the guitar he used on Maiden’s first eight albums, including Somewhere in Time. Murray told the story of how he found it:

"It used to belong to Paul Kossoff of Free... I saw it advertised in an English magazine called Melody Maker, and I went down and checked it out. I got the serial numbers to make sure that it was his guitar!

"He used that guitar on a lot of Free. I actually saw him many years ago using it during a Free performance of ‘My Brother Jake’ on an English television show called Top of the Pops. They were one of my favorite bands, and I had to have that guitar because it belonged to Kossoff."

In a November 1983 Guitar World interview, Murray described a DiMarzio Super Distortion at the bridge and a DiMarzio PAF at the neck. On tremolos, Smith said in January 1986 that Murray used a Kahler system.

The fan-compiled MaidenFans inventories list a second black Strat, identified as a 1964 model, and a light-blue ESP Strat-style guitar among Murray's instruments used for the Somewhere on Tour in 1986/87.

Custom Jackson superstrat (Adrian Smith)

Adrian Smith’s white custom Jackson became one of the most iconic guitars of Maiden's Somewhere in Time era.

Smith described the build himself in a joint interview with Steve Harris in One Two Testing in January 1986: an HSH pickup layout, maple fingerboard, black pickguard and Floyd Rose, with a coil split on the bridge humbucker and the neck shape copied from his 1955 Strat. At that point he hadn’t yet used the new guitar in a working situation.

The MaidenFans inventory lists a second white Jackson used for the 1986/87 tour – no pickguard, maple neck, chrome Floyd Rose and built-in Roland synth controls – along with a white Jackson Soloist with one humbucker and one single coil as a backup.

Guitar synths

Roland G-707 controller, shown for reference. Its use on Somewhere in Time is unconfirmed.

One of the defining sounds of Maiden’s Somewhere in Time era is the guitar synth. In the January 1986 interview, Smith said he was already experimenting with a Roland guitar synth – the “Roland 700” he named is probably the GR-700 – and looking for ways to expand beyond traditional Heavy Metal tones.

This was the first time Iron Maiden had used guitar synths on an album, adding atmospheric textures that gave the album its futuristic feel. You can hear it immediately in the opening swells of “Caught Somewhere in Time”.

The album’s personnel listing credits guitar synthesiser to both Smith and Murray, meaning both guitarists were using synths on the record – although the specific synths used aren’t as well documented.

Smith has also linked a Roland guitar-synth sound to the writing of “Wasted Years”, but more as an idea behind the riff rather than something you can hear on the finished track.

Guitar amplifiers used on Somewhere in Time

Gallien-Krueger 250ML

Instead of relying on their usual Marshall stacks, Maiden used transistor amps for much of the guitar tracking on this album. Smith has said that he got Murray onto them. The model Maiden's guitarists used was probably the compact Gallien-Krueger 250ML: Gallien-Krueger’s own period advertising names it on Maiden’s 1986/87 tour, and MaidenFans accounts of the album name the same amp.

The 250ML delivered massive stereo tones for such a small combo: built-in Stereo Chorus, a short Echo, Compression on channel A, a four-band EQ and Distortion, as a December 1986 review sets out. Its output was 100 watts in stereo: 50 watts per side.

The wide, polished Chorus character it provided defines the record, and you can hear it all over tracks like “Wasted Years” and “Stranger in a Strange Land”.

Pedals and effects around the Somewhere in Time era

The pair’s earlier interviews and live rigs give us a closer look at the pedals they were using before the move to Gallien-Krueger amps.

Ibanez Tube Screamer

The Ibanez Tube Screamer was already in Smith’s rig by November 1983, where he named it alongside an MXR Micro Amp, a Flanger and a Boss Chorus.

Boss DD-2

Credit: BOSS

The Boss DD-2 Digital Delay appears in Smith’s live rig in a July 1985 equipment diagram, alongside his EQ and Boost pedals.

Both rigs in July 1985

International Musician & Recording World published diagrams of both guitarists’ live rigs in July 1985, before the Somewhere in Time sessions.

Murray ran a FET preamp, an MXR 10-band Graphic EQ, an MXR Distortion, a Phase 90 and a Cry Baby Wah into a Pete Cornish splitter and switcher, feeding two customised Marshall 50W heads and 4x12s, with a Korg tuner connected at the Cornish unit.

Smith’s chain was a Boss GE-7 Graphic EQ, a Boss DD-2, an MXR Micro Amp and an MXR 10-band EQ into a Cornish splitter, then out to Marshall 50W and 100W heads with 4x12s, with a third branch running a Tom Scholz Rockman into another 100W Marshall.

Get the Somewhere in Time sound

The good news is that you don’t need rare vintage gear to get close to the Somewhere in Time sound! The Gallien-Krueger amps which delivered so much of the character of Somewhere in Time can these days be replaced by a modelling amp or digital multi-effects unit. The Blackstar ID and the Boss Katana are great starting points, as they include a range of clean and overdriven tones alongside built-in effects.

Set your amp to a mids-forward voice and pair it with a superstrat-style guitar loaded with humbuckers, and you're well on your way to getting this mid-'80s Maiden tone.

Much of the album’s sound comes from the wide stereo Chorus so whether it's amp modelling or a pedal, ensure your Chorus effect is set to wide and subtle rather than heavily modulated.

Next, dial in a plate-style Reverb to recreate the polished ’80s studio ambience.

For your clean tones, some Compression evens out your picking and adds sustain. A slower attack setting lets more of the pick transient through, which can help with that percussive ’80s attack; then match the release to what you’re playing.

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A Tube Screamer-style pedal in front of the amp also helps shape the tone by tightening the low end and pushing the mids forward. Keep the gain low if you want more midrange push without added distortion. 

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Somewhere in Time track listing

1. "Caught Somewhere in Time" - 7:22
2. "Wasted Years" - 5:06
3. "Sea of Madness" - 5:42
4. "Heaven Can Wait" - 7:24
5. "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" - 6:31
6. "Stranger in a Strange Land" - 5:43
7. "Deja-Vu" - 4:55
8. "Alexander the Great" - 8:35