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The chrome pickup surrounds add some rock 'n' roll bling

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We've been itching to get our hands on this baby for many months now and the timing couldn't be better: we're writing this review on official Iron Maiden Day!

As a band, Maiden were honoured with a Fender Strat back in 2001 but the three new axes in this series mark the first occasion that any specific member of the six-string fusillade has been given a signature model.

Although a Dave Murray Strat has been sporadically available via Fender Japan for a while now (the HST-57DM), this new US-built model – based on Murray's original guitar that, in turn, was previously owned by Paul Kossoff – is on sale across the globe.

Like the other two guitars in this series, the Dave Murray Strat harks back to the instruments used by the respective members of Iron Maiden on 1987's Somewhere In Time tour.

While the guitar is not intended as strict replica model, the spec, look and, most importantly, vibe and tone is designed to be close to the real thing.

History

Back in 2003, Dave recounted the story of the guitar that he'd recently removed from service.

"Yeah, that's been retired," he said with a smile. "I got it in 1976 through an ad in Melody Maker. I'd done some research and I thought, 'okay, this is it'.

"I had a Les Paul at the time and I sold that, borrowed some money, and went for that Strat specifically because of the history behind it.

"I mean, I think I used it for something like the first five albums," he continued. "But we were touring a lot and it was a case of, Well, it's done me well, y'know? The newer guitars are good road guitars."

That guitar was an original 1957 Strat once owned by the late Free guitarist Paul Kossoff. Murray recorded many of Maiden's greatest songs with it and the pair of Super Distortions were, of course, retrofitted.

Features

A late fifties Strat is certainly a very attractive article and, aside from the provision of two double cream DiMarzios, this is not as far removed from an original model as you may perceive.

For example, the guitar is loaded with a three-way selector (albeit topped with a black rather than white switch cap), and the maple neck offers a 'V'-shape.

That said, this profile has been softened slightly and the subsequent feel, as we'll discover, does benefit the guitar's likely target audience.

The chrome pickup surrounds add some suitably flashy rock credentials and, although Dave uses Floyd Rose vibratos on his current stage axes, the classic vintage 'Synchronized' vibrato is more in keeping with the original.

Sounds

Check it out on video alongside its siblings here: