Fender LTD 50th Dave Murray Strat BLK

Fender LTD 50th Dave Murray Strat BLK review

The Fender LTD 50th Dave Murray Strat BLK is an Iron Maiden 50th anniversary signature guitar built around a familiar ST-style outline and a more specialized hardware and pickup setup. Its core combination is an alder body, a bolt-on maple neck, a rosewood fingerboard, three Seymour Duncan pickups, and a Floyd Rose Original double-locking tremolo. Fender lists the guitar at 1499, with availability beginning in December 2025. A gig bag is included, but a hard case is not.

The specification suggests a guitar aimed at players who want quick access to several pickup voices and the tuning security of a locking tremolo. The configuration is HSH: humbuckers at the neck and bridge, with a single-coil pickup in the middle. That gives the five-way switch a broader palette than a two-pickup layout, while the master volume and two tone controls provide familiar, direct adjustments. The supplied information does not detail the individual switch positions, so players should check the control layout in person if they need a specific combination.

Neck and playing feel

The maple neck has a C profile, a 648 mm (25.5-inch) scale, and 21 medium-jumbo frets. Its rosewood fingerboard has white dot inlays and a compound radius that transitions from 241 mm (9.5 inches) to 355.6 mm (14 inches). The tighter radius at one end and flatter surface at the other are intended to balance comfortable fretting with a less curved playing area farther along the neck. The nut is 41.3 mm wide, and the Floyd Rose R2 locking nut is part of the tremolo system.

Those measurements are useful context, but they cannot settle whether the neck will suit a particular hand or playing style. Players who prefer a narrow, vintage-style board or a substantially different neck shape should try the C profile before buying. The medium-jumbo frets and compound radius make this a more explicitly performance-oriented specification than a plain description of the guitar's classic body shape might suggest.

Pickups and controls

The pickup set consists of a Seymour Duncan Antiquity Texas Hot single coil in the middle, a JB TB-4 humbucker at the bridge, and a '59 SH-1N humbucker at the neck. This is a named, model-specific set rather than a generic HSH arrangement. The bridge humbucker provides the high-output option in the layout, while the neck humbucker and middle single coil offer contrasting positions for different tonal needs. The review data supplied here does not include measured output, frequency response, or recorded comparisons, so any description of the guitar's exact sound should be treated cautiously.

One owner reported that the guitar arrived well set up and praised the Seymour Duncan pickups as powerful, adding that the instrument looked better in person than in photographs. That is a useful first impression, though it is a single customer account, not a controlled test. Setup quality can also vary between instruments and after shipping, so buyers should still inspect tuning, action, and intonation on arrival.

Floyd Rose hardware and practical details

The Floyd Rose Original double-locking tremolo is the guitar's defining piece of hardware. Paired with the R2 locking nut, it is designed to keep the strings locked at both ends of the system. This arrangement can suit players who use the tremolo heavily, but it brings a more involved string-change and tuning process than a conventional fixed bridge. Players who rarely use a vibrato arm may prefer a simpler setup. The guitar also has vintage-style tuning machines, chrome hardware, and a single-ply white pickguard against its black finish.

The tremolo's advantages depend on the player's habits. For a guitarist who regularly makes dramatic pitch changes, the locking design is a central reason to consider this model. For someone who changes tunings frequently or wants uncomplicated maintenance, the same system may add unnecessary work. The product information does not specify an included tremolo arm or describe setup tools, so confirm those details with the seller before ordering.

Verdict

The Fender LTD 50th Dave Murray Strat BLK brings together a recognizable Strat-style body, an HSH Seymour Duncan pickup set, a compound-radius rosewood fingerboard, and Floyd Rose Original hardware. Its specifications make the most sense for players who want a flexible pickup layout and expect to use a double-locking tremolo. The included gig bag is convenient, although the absence of a hard case matters for players who need more substantial protection in transit.

The available owner feedback is positive on setup, pickup power, appearance, and delivery, but it is limited to one report. At the listed price of 1499, the strongest reasons to shortlist this signature model are its specific pickup combination and locking tremolo, rather than the body shape alone. Check the neck feel, tremolo preferences, and case requirements before committing. Item number 623705 identifies the model, which is listed as a single-piece sales unit.