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Iron Maiden - The Time Machine Dave Murray & Janick Gers solos - Guitar Solo Tab

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Key ~E minor
Iron Maiden - The Time Machine Dave Murray & Janick Gers solos guitar tab video
Steph Le Gratteux
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Iron Maiden Heavy Metal ~E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About The Time Machine Dave Murray & Janick Gers solos

Twin-guitar harmony and solo work sit right at the heart of this Iron Maiden track, and the Dave Murray and Janick Gers solos are where most of the real work happens for a guitarist learning it. Both players have distinct voices: Murray favours smooth, pentatonic-rooted lines with a singing vibrato, while Gers brings a more angular, rhythmically unpredictable feel. Working in E minor gives you a strong home base, but the phrasing in each solo stretches well beyond the obvious box shapes, so knowing your natural minor and pentatonic positions across the whole neck is essential before you start. The pick-hand demands are serious too, since clean alternate picking at Heavy Metal tempos is needed to keep the runs tight and articulate. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop each solo phrase individually and slow it down until the string changes feel comfortable. Matching the vibrato depth and speed of each player is what separates a note-accurate run from one that actually sounds right.

  • The two solos are voiced differently, so learning them separately before combining them will save you significant practice time.
  • Murray's lines lean on minor pentatonic phrasing with wide vibrato, while Gers uses more intervallic leaps that require precise left-hand positioning.
  • E minor is the tonal centre, making it useful to map out all five pentatonic and natural minor positions before tackling the runs at full speed.

How to Play The Time Machine Dave Murray & Janick Gers solos

Key: E minor

Use the section loop to isolate a passage and drop the speed to build each section up to tempo.

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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