Across Iron Maiden’s five decades at the forefront of heavy metal, Dave Murray has remained a constant force, shaping the band’s sound with climactic solos, galloping riffs, and the multi-guitar harmonies that define their unmistakable attack.
To honor Murray’s legacy and celebrate his role in carving out Iron Maiden’s sonic identity, Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilder Andy Hicks teamed up with the guitarist to craft a new pinnacle instrument: the Limited Edition Masterbuilt Dave Murray Stratocaster. Hicks, a lifelong Maiden fan, calls the project a career highlight, noting that Murray’s playing proved early on that Fender absolutely belongs in the world of heavy metal.
Working side by side, Murray and Hicks engineered a high-performance Strat built for the uncompromising demands of global touring. The result is a powerful, punchy, and ultra-versatile instrument featuring 21 medium jumbo stainless-steel frets, an oil-finished 60s-style Oval C Walnut neck, and Murray’s signature pickup trio: Seymour Duncan Hot Rails at the bridge and neck, with a JB Jr. in the middle.
Finished in a pristine NOS Olympic White over a 2-piece select Alder body, the guitar balances elegance and aggression. Premium performance upgrades include an AxLabs Tone Claw Locking Spring Claw, Heavy Duty Noiseless Springs, and an extensive suite of FU-Tone components – from a Big Brass Block to titanium and stainless hardware – ensuring absolute stability and bulletproof reliability on stage. After road-testing the final build, Murray crowned it his new number one.
Alongside the Masterbuilt Strat, Fender is releasing three additional Limited Edition Iron Maiden instruments. The 50th Anniversary Janick Gers Stratocaster captures the raw energy and dramatic flair of the guitarist who joined Maiden in 1990. Finished in classic Black, it features a 7.25-inch radius Rosewood fingerboard, vintage tall frets, Seymour Duncan JB Jr pickups in the neck and bridge, a Fender Vintage-style Synchronized Tremolo, and Gers’s signature on the back of the headstock.
Equally formidable is the 50th Anniversary Dave Murray Stratocaster, a production-model counterpart to the Masterbuilt version. Equipped with the guitarist’s preferred Seymour Duncan trio, a compound-radius fingerboard, and a Floyd Rose R2 double-locking tremolo, it captures the tone, feel, and aesthetic Murray has carried through countless world tours. Finished in Black with a Rosewood fingerboard, it stands as a streamlined tribute to one of metal’s most melodic lead players.
Rounding out Fender’s lineup is the 50th Anniversary Steve Harris Precision Bass, honoring the man whose galloping lines are as synonymous with Maiden as the band’s mascot. Finished in Satin Black with an all-maple body and neck, the bass sports a mirrored pickguard, a powerful split-coil P Bass pickup, a Vintage Precision Bridge, and Harris’s signature on the headstock. It comes loaded with a set of Rotosound Steve Harris Signature flat-wound strings, making it stage-ready straight out of the gig bag.
Not to be outdone, Jackson joins the celebration with the 50th Anniversary Adrian Smith Jackson SC1. Smith, whose expressive solos and melodic phrasing have been central to Maiden’s identity since the 1980s, worked closely on this tribute model. Featuring a DP 100 DiMarzio paired with Fender’s Noiseless Sumerian Cobalt pickups, a 12–16 inch compound-radius fingerboard, and a top-mounted Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo.
Get the entire line of Iron Maien signature instruments right here!
