Fender celebrates 50 years of Iron Maiden with new signature guitar collection – including an $11,000 Masterbuilt Strat for Dave Murray
As heavy metal legends Iron Maiden celebrate 50 years in the game after their formation in East London in 1975, Fender is celebrating the band’s Golden Anniversary with a new range of signature instruments for guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers, and bassist Steve Harris.
Specifically, the collection features a Fender Custom Shop Dave Murray Stratocaster, two limited-edition Fender Strats for Dave Murray and Janick Gers, a vintage-inspired Jackson for Adrian Smith and a new P Bass for Steve Harris.
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Custom Shop Masterbuilt Dave Murray Stratocaster – $11,000
Heading up the collection is the Fender Custom Shop Dave Murray Stratocaster, which celebrates his longstanding place in the band and contributions to all 17 of the group’s studio albums. The guitar is the result of close collaboration between Murray and Custom Shop Masterbuilder Andy Hicks.
“Dave Murray has always been my favourite guitar hero. Not only is his style absolutely brilliant but he also proved to me long ago that Fender absolutely belongs in the world of heavy metal,” says Hicks.
“It was an absolute honour to build this guitar for him and I will never get over the excitement of seeing my favorite player from my favorite band playing one of my guitars.”
In terms of specs, the ultra-high-end guitar – which will set you back a princely $11,000 – features a two-piece select alder body with an NOS Olympic White finish, oil-finished ‘60s-style Oval “C”-shaped walnut neck, flat-laminated 9.5”-14” compound radius rosewood fingerboard with 21 frets, with Seymour Duncan Hot Rails bridge and neck pickups and a JB Jr. middle pickup.
Other premium features include a Dave Murray signature neck plate, vintage-style tuners, a Fender Custom Shop strap and a certificate of authenticity.
Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Dave Murray Stratocaster – $1,799.99
If you’re a massive Maiden fan but don’t have 11 bands to drop, Fender has also unveiled the Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Dave Murray Stratocaster, which bears a far more manageable $1,799.99 price tag. This guitar features a trio of Seymour Duncan pickups, a compound-radius fingerboard and Floyd Rose R2 double-locking tremolo, and comes in a black finish and with a rosewood ‘board.
Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Janick Gers Stratocaster – $1,699.99
Celebrating the “technical precision and melodic sensibilities” Janick Gers has brought to Iron Maiden since joining the band in 1990, this 50th Anniversary Strat features a 7.25” radius rosewood fingerboard with vintage tall frets, as well as Seymour Duncan JB Jr. neck and bridge pickups, and a Fender Vintage-style synchronised tremolo with bent steel saddles. Finishing touches include a 50th Anniversary neck plate and Gers’ signature on the back of the headstock.
50th Anniversary Adrian Smith Jackson Pro Signature SC1 – $1,799.99
Dave Murray and Janick Gers have new signature guitars, but what about Adrian Smith. Well, he’s not been left out, and proudly shows off a new Jackson signature SC1. The guitar sports DiMarzio DP100 Super Distortion and Fender Noiseless Sumerian Cobalt pickups, a 12”-16” compound radius fingerboard, and a top-mounted Floyd Rose double-locking trem.
Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Steve Harris Precision Bass – $1,699.99
Fender calls Steve Harris “one of the most influential metal bassists alive”, and it’s hard to argue with such a declaration. To celebrate his enduring contributions to the genre, Fender has endowed him with a new signature P Bass, which sports a Satin Black finish, all-maple neck and body with a mirrored pickguard, as well as a split P Bass pickup, Fender Vintage Precision Bridge, Fender round-wound strings and Harris’s signature on the back of the headstock.
What does Fender say about Iron Maiden’s 50th Anniversary Guitar Collection?
“Honoring Iron Maiden’s fifty years of pushing heavy metal forward, this collection brings together the signature instruments that helped define their unmistakable sound,” says Max Gutnik, FMIC’s Chief Product Officer.
“From Dave Murray’s high-performance Stratocaster models and Janick Gers’ energetic, vintage-leaning Strat to Steve Harris’ unmistakable Precision Bass and Adrian Smith’s versatile Jackson SC1, each instrument carries the tone, feel, and power behind Maiden’s multi-guitar attack.
“These anniversary models are more than tributes; they are stage-ready tools built to inspire today’s players and the next generation.”
Learn more at Fender.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
