British Steel: Capturing the Guitar Tones of UK Heavy Metal (With Neural Amp Models)
Explore the iconic guitar tones behind Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, and Venom—all with TONE3000 Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) profiles.
Some say that rock ’n’ roll was invented in America, but perfected in the UK. You could just as easily argue that heavy metal was invented in Britain, but perfected in the USA. What’s undeniable, however, is that the UK is the birthplace of heavy metal. It's a sound rooted in the primordial sludge of Black Sabbath, the mayhem of Motörhead, the jet-black hearts of Venom, and the screaming twin-guitar leads of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. These are the bands that established what it sounds like to be both British and brutal.
In this guide, we’ll explore the amps and cabinets behind their aggressive tones, and how you can recreate them yourself with Neural Amp Model (NAM) captures and impulse responses (IRs) from TONE3000. So pour yourself a cuppa tea, put on some brass knuckles, and let’s bang some (amplifier) heads.
Black Sabbath
You knew this list had to start with Sabbath. Because without Tony Iommi, there is no heavy metal. And without his trusted Laney LA100BL Supergroup (a British classic in its own right), there would be no Tony Iommi sound. Paired with its matching Laney 4x12 cabinet (the appropriately named “LA412”), this rig delivered the low-end sludge that made his guitar sound like it came from the bottom of the abyss. Match the NAM profile for the Laney Supergroup with the impulse response for the LA412 cabinet and head into the void.
Download Neural Amp Model ➝ Laney LA100BL Supergroup
Download Impulse Response ➝ Laney LA412
The first, and still greatest, heavy metal band of all time. (Tony got it right the first time.)
Judas Priest
With razor-sharp riffs and twin-lead guitars, Judas Priest helped define the UK heavy-metal sound of the late ’70s and ’80s. Guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing leaned heavily on Marshall gear, particularly the Marshall JCM800 heads, to power their dual assault. If you want to dial in a legit Judas Priest tone, the technical term for the correct setting is “high f*cking gain.”
“I have almost exclusively used {Regular Vintage 50 and 100 Watt} Marshall amps… until 1982, when the JCM800 head was developed.” - Glenn Tipton
Download Neural Amp Model ➝ Marshall JCM800
Judas Priest: Delivering the ultimate soundtrack for committing crimes
Iron Maiden
A safer band would have suggested you walk to the hills, but Maiden never played it safe. Their marriage of knife-edged, lead guitars doubled in unison, with galloping rhythms set them apart as true innovators of heavy metal. The band has had a slew of guitarists over the years, but longtime guitarists Dave Murray and Adrian Smith are overwhelmingly the fan favorites. It should come as no surprise that Murray and Smith have a long history with Marshall amps, including the 2203/2204 and JCM800 heads. But in the 80’s, it was the solid-state Gallien Krueger 250ML that gave them their high-gain, high-frequency, and high-stakes heavy metal sound.
Download Neural Amp Model ➝ Gallien Krueger 250ML
Gallien Krueger: Mostly for bassists, occasionally for British heavy metal guitar heroes.
Motörhead
If you wanted to really piss off your parents in the 80’s, there was no better band to listen to than Motörhead. Fronted by bassist/vocalist/amphetamine-enthusiast Lemmy Kilmister, Motörhead were all about being loud, fast, heavy. Lemmy used a mid-1970’s Marshall Super Bass amp that was as notorious as the man himself. In fact, his amp had such a dangerous rep that it’s known to his fans and foes alike as “Murder One.”
Download Neural Amp Model ➝ Marshall Super Bass
Motörhead scared the hell out of the British mums and dads back in the day. I can see why.
Venom
To be the heaviest band on a list like this is a pretty scary achievement. But delivering pure, unadulterated horror was exactly how Venom made their mark. Hailing from the not-very-metal sounding town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Venom wrote songs about extremely-f*cking-metal topics like Satan, satanism, the devil, demons, and of course, burning in hell. As the original pioneers of Black Metal, these not-so-jolly blokes pioneered a sound that paved the way for the heaviest of heavy bands. And like many proper British metalheads, guitarist Jeffrey "Mantas" Dunn worshiped not only at the altar of Satan, but also of the mighty Marshall JCM8000.
Download Neural Amp Model ➝ Marshall JCM800
Venom: Satan's little helpers
British Beasts and Burdens
As you can see from the British metal scene, it’s not all tea and crumpets in jolly old England. They’ve also got fistfights, substance abuse, poverty, desperation, and disillusionment. All those things that people live with—and fear—in our modern world. By addressing these grim realities with the power of music, these British heavy metal legends give fans a way to face those fears. And then kick those fears right in the bollocks. All it takes is a great song, some screaming leads, and the sound of a loud amplifier. Pretty cool you can do all that with guitar music. Cheerio.
