silverwulf

So I put on my old Maiden and Priest albums again today for the first time in a while and broke out live recordings too. I know both bands back in the day used JMP and later JCM 800's. Great old school tones.

So I was browsing the booklet for Maiden's "Live After Death" and I noticed the guys using an MXR Distortion + and Tube Screamer, obvious what those were for. I also noticed Murray using an MXR EQ Pedal and Smith using a DD-2 Delay later on. So now I'm curious, random questions that anyone might know the answer to:

1. Anyone know what OD pedals Priest used around the British Steel era?
2. Anyone know what gear Maiden used around the Piece of Mind era?
3. Any clue how Murray was using his EQ pedal (no loop back then)?
4. Anyone know how Smith was using his DD-2 with no loop?

Anyway, just random questions if anyone knows the answers. Now, just for good measure:

American Viking

not so sure about what pedals but on my 2203 just using a TS9 tube screamer the tone sounds about right on for '80's era Priest. I don't know about the Maiden boys. I think they used a lot less gain.

__________________
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silverwulf

Oh yeah, I can get pretty close with my OD808 into my 2203. I'm just one of those gear fanatics that doesn't want to run out and buy what they used (I'm happy with my gear), I just like knowing what they used...

oldGNRfan

I always thought Priest NEVER used boosts. I may be wrong though. Just CRANKED JCM 800s.

silverwulf

Not sure. I think they used Treble Boosters back in the 70's, but I don't know by the time they got to British Steel.

MGSchindel

I seem to recall around Piece of Mind, Maiden was using DiMarzio super distortion bridge pickups, tube screamers, in front of 2204 50w JCM800s, early 80's JCM800 4x12 1960B cabs with rola G12-65 silverback celestions, and had pretty intricate custom-built pedal boards. They used the mxr EQs as a boost and it also shaped the tone of their pickups and overdrives, then into the amps. i think I saw rocker wahs on those boards...

Richard_H

H used tube screamers, Dave Used a MXR Distortion + (Script logo) , a pete cornish soft sustain 2 and a pete cornish linear booster in his pedalboard as well.

Pete cornish designed and built both H and dave's pedalboards and racks.
As for amps, it was mainly 50w JCM800 or JMP2204 (same amp, different cab) powering 300w Cabs loaded with celestion GT12-75w speakers and EVL-12M speakers 'til the Somewhere on Tour, where they changed the marshalls for Gallien Krueger 250ML MKII / or the 250RL (the rackmount version) amps, driving the same speaker cab's.

MGSchindel

Maiden didn't use G12T-75 celestions on Piece of Mind or Number of the Beast, as the original poster asks about, not touring and not recording, that was 1982-1983. The G12T-75 hadn't even been designed or developed yet. From 1979 to 1982 marshall cabs used primarily G12-65s. From 1983 to early 1986, they used primarily the new G12M-70s, and from 1986 on, they used the newly developed G12T-75s (but still loaded G12M-70s in some combo amps and in some of the 1987 Silver jubilee 4X12 Cabs) Hence the G12t-75 was only first used in marshall cabs, and made available to the public as individual speakers, in 1986, after Maiden had already gone to GK Amps. I own marshall 4X12 cabs loaded with all these different speakers, and not only do the production and recording dates in question have to jive, but regardless of the fact they didnt exist yet, even my ears also tell me that Piece of Mind, Number of the Beast, and Powerslave cannot be, and are not, G12T-75s. Check the Doyle book to verify dates of celestion useage in marshall cabs. Cheers!

BTW, did Maiden EVER use GK cabinets when they had switched to GK rigs in 1986 for Somehwere in Time? I had a 1987 GK 4X12 and it was loaded with ...8 ohm celestion G12M-70s, which are a very neutral, smooth speaker which sounds very good with solid state amps, unlike the warm midrangey G12-65 before it and the punchy, scooped crunchy G12T-75 after it, both of which prefer tube amps, to my ear.

Richard_H

That sounds funny, because in this site :
Celestion G12T-75 classic guitar speaker 8ohm

and this site:
STEAMCO MUSIC: Celestion Loudspeakers
It says that the G12T-75 was introduced in the Late 70's making it quite possible for maiden to have used them in their speaker cabs. And, if you read the Live after Death booklet, it says that Dave Murray used 85w celestions in some cabs and EVM 12-L in some cabs.