Matthias Jabs: The Unsung Guitar Hero 

Very underrated, one of the most melodic players ever

I love this guitarist ! His solos are so good

Jabs is great, excellent player. There are lots of great solos in Rock and Metal, he does one of my many favorites. The solo in the song “Blackout” is viscous, fucken badass !!!

The first time ever hearing Love At first Sting I was an instant fan. The guitar work was absolutely pheonominal. I had heared "NO ONE LIKE YOU" before But never knew It was SCORPIONS untill after I became a BIG fan and started ventureing further into their music. SCORPIONS will always be my first favorite into the HEAVY METAL genre, as FOREIGNER is my first favorite Into mainstream "rock N roll". Matthias Jabbs is by far one of MANY if not the greatest over shadowed and underrated Guitarists in the world. I hope some day he and the rest of the band get recognised with a lifetime achievement GRAMMY and or an induction to the R'n'R hall of fame.

Every lead guitarist in Scorpions was great ...Micheal Schenker , Uli Roth , and Matthias Jabs . Jabs was my favorite because of his tone and Van Halen type playing and the cool looking explorer guitars .

I always had him right there with Jake E Lee, Wolf Hoffman, Lynch and Demartini. Terrific player.

Great player. The thing I love about seeing him live is you can see he truly loves what he is doing.

Uli Jon Roth was always going to be a tough act to follow. Jabs not only filled the role, but helped the Scorpions reach a level of fame and notoriety that they didn't have beforehand.

Agree that he is very underrated. Being a child of the 80’s and seeing so many great guitarists live he is in my top 3 right behind Eddie Van Halen & Billy Gibbons.

Truly makes that main guitar Gibson Explorer sing like no other. 👍🎸

He’s great. Had giant shoes to fill.

My first Scorps album was Lovedrive in high school, my devotion to this band as one of the best ever has never faltered. Saw a lot of bands all through the decade, all the metal bands, Scorpions I got to see twice in the early 80s and I still to this day will state, they were the best sounding, best performance, best show of all. Mathias blows you away with his guitar playing if you see him live. Is he underrated? I don't know really, don't give one fk what other people think, I know what I know because I was there and I'm at peace with it ~

Outstanding player.

It's nice to see the great guitarist that aren't as well known getting shown

First saw Scorps in 1980 … Jabs was the lead guitarist they needed …

His work on 'Blackout' and 'Love at First Sting' are the best. But 'Blackout' is my favorite, being one of my very first albums that I collected in 1982. I was a 16 year old pot head and loved listening to Blackout in my room.

The Zoo was really the first song I heard that grabbed my attention to them, loved his use of that Talk Box. The entire Blackout album is great, still holds up today.

He rocks in a big way! 🤘

I've always loved the song... Lady starlight.

I met Matthias when he was new to the band. He was signing autographs for the Animal Magnetism release tour at Tower Records Mountain View California. He and Herman Rarebell were there. Really cool guys, and all great players. Scorpions (mostly Rudolph according to Michael) put tremendous pressure on Mattias when he joined the band. They expected Matthias to be Michael or Uli, but he is his own man. They brought in Michael again to help record the first album Mattihas was doing with them. Some of the solos were Michael's but Matthias got the credit. It was a very hard transition, until the band finally accepted that Matthias was his own person and player. He did stellar after that, and the new album last year was KILLER. Some of what I wrote above is from Michael's interviews. He did not want to get involved with the Scorpions again, but his brother pleaded with him. Matthias' playing on that tour (Animal Magnetism) was so killer. I saw them then for the first time and they blew doors. A guy who worked at Tower also introduced me to the Scorpions when Taken By Force was new. Like Motorhead and Maiden with Diano, some heavy European bands were coming on up.

I don’t think I would’ve been a Scorpions fan if Matthias didn’t join the band. I got hooked on the band on the blackout tour and have been a follower ever since. Mr Jabs got me hooked on my Explorer guitars. three over the years I still have two of them. I was fortunate enough to shake his hand in Toronto, Ontario Canada at Sam The Record man. I’ll always be a fan of him and the band. ROCK ON!!🤘🤘

Matthias has been one of my favorite players since I heard him play on Animal Magnetism in 1980. He is an extremely solid, stylist, professional player who doesn't miss a note. He's a big influence and inspiration for me. I've seen him with Scorpions dozens of times since the 80s. Yes, he played on Lovedrive, but he didn't make his mark on that album like Michael did. So I always considered Magnetism to be the first true showcase for Matthias's style.

Just what the scorps needed, at the perfect time.

Jabbs is one of my top 10 favorite players.

I don’t think he’s the virtuoso Michael or Uli are but he was the right guy for the direction Scorpions were headed, and as great as they were I don’t think they would have gotten to where they were without him

MATTHIAS IS THE REASON WE MAKE MUSIC AND STARTED OUR BAND....................BIG INFLUENCE ON US

One of my all time favorites

The solo from No One Like You outshined anything Roth or Michael Schenker ever did. Lol, yeah, I said it.

How much I love this band still.

Have seen them many times and they never disappoint, 1st time was Blackout. One of my favorite bands!

I am not sure where you are from but it warmed my heart when I saw your ticket stubs for the 84 Cal Expo and Day on the green shows!! Cal expo was my stomping grounds until they leveled it! I used to go to almost every show that rolled into that venue in my teens and 20's! Miss that place and Jabs is way underrated and the reason I started playing guitar when I was 12 years old! Great video thanks for posting!!

Might be the most mainstream underrated guitarists ever.

Great job on this piece. Matthias is very under-rated indeed.

Let's say my favorite guitarist from my favorite period of the band. Everybody knows Uli & Michael are great & more revered than Matthias but for some reason he's underrated. He has my favorite style of the 3 & the band produced their best music from 79 to 84 in my opinion & although not a song writer his solo's make those songs greater.

He's not only the best guitarist the scorpions have ever had, but one of the best guitarist period. He deserves more credit for his amazing fretboard work 🎸👍

Man, we had some good new music in high school 1984.

love his solo part in scorpions songs.. great sound and playing..

Agree totally.. underrated and over looked..great guitar player

I love how he plays man! Glad i got to see him back for world wide live

Jabs is awesome and was perfect for the 80s scorpions. Personally I like Uli best but that’s just my preference.

Seen him 3 times and I'd have to say he is the best!

Three legendary Scorpions guitarists but my favorite is Matthias Jabs , incorporating melody with mind blowing solos and has that 80’s axe slinger sound

He is very good and I've seen him 5 times live in the 80s. However, huge shoes to fill. Not only Uli Roth but also original Michael Schienker.

In my opinion he is the best guitarist in Scorpions

One of my favourite guitarists, very underrated.

Thanks for the story. Didn’t know about schenker coming back for a short time.

I would have to say YES!!!

I can’t think of the Scorps without Rudy with his V and Matthias with his Explorer! One of the greatest guitar duos!

i love you Matthias 🥰❣️

Mattias is definitely amazing- and The Scorpions latest album, Rock Believer, is a modern day masterpiece.🤘🏻

Matthias has always been one of my heroes! if anyone doubts if he can play Uli's solos, go listen to their performance of He's A Woman - She's A Man in Osaka 1979 and he nails the solo note for note 🦂

Saw them on their tour supporting Blackout (which I wore out on my boom box). Scorpions, Riot and Rainbow - all in one show. A concert tat taught me to never stand up front for a three band show if you've drank anything at all in the previous 4 hours 😞 It was cool to see Richie Blackmore and a few of the other Deep Purple alumni up close but I was there for Scorpions. The whole first side of Blackout were bangers. The line of demarcation between pre-Jabs and Jabs was a bright one.

He is great, and so are Uli and Michael. Scorps were kick ass in those early records.

I was there at the Day on the Green in '85!💯💯💯

I love Animal Magnetism, BLACKOUT and Love at First Sting was my first Scorpions album.

YES!!! it’s about the song!!!

Agree, without question

Matthias is an insanely talented classical player. Listen to the Savage Amusement album and he is laying down killer leads and fills from beginning to end. I have been a fan of his since I was a teen. He is one bad ass guitarist.

Has some of the greatest Guitar tone ever in rock!

Between Scorps, Priest, and Maiden, I never would have picked up guitar. Can't say his solo work in "Blackout" is his best, but it is definitely my favorite. Very interesting to see them doing a regular gig in Vegas next year. Definitely need to save up some cash for that period of time.

,,,,no worries,........his music is heard everywhere,,elevators,hospitals,,all radio,...we who know,,,know.....and we have been hearing him most of our lives.......that will not change.😮

First Michael, fill those shoes! WTF?!! Uli?! Fill those shoes! WTactualF??! Matthias?! Nobody else on earth could have usurped the throne except Matthias. U rule man🤘

I tried listening to the Scorpions before him and couldn't do it, I thought they were terrible then while at the record store they were playing Blackout and I was hooked, he changed the sound of the band and made them sooo! much better

He doesnt get eniugh love if you ask me. Great guitsrists with great note choices and great tome. He just rocks. ❤🤘♥️

The Scorpions were blessed with three fantastic guitar players. If your flavor is into psychedelic sound, then Uli would be it. Michael is very technical and creative. Neither of these two guitarists could’ve brought the Scorpions to the height that they reached, only due to style. Jabs style and creativity is what took the Scorpions to the next level, and they enjoyed the game and record sales because of his playing. It’s not his solos that separates him from the other two, it’s his fill-ins that he plays throughout the songs that does it. His playing was very tasty, and memorable. Rudolph played the base of the rhythm guitar while Matthias had his own lead rhythm going on that took the song to a different level. Half the time, I was listening to his playing and missing out on the songs lyrics. For these reasons, Matthias is the best guitar player for the Scorpions, and the fame and sales that they enjoyed ask these years.

I loved Uli’s playing, Jabs was a very melodic player.

Does anyone know if Matthias old bands cut any albums? Would love to hear some of his early work.

Hell yea Killer player

I was at that same day on the green in 85. I was there to see Metallica but the scorpions impressed me. Seen them a few years later at monsters of rock at candle stick.

One of the GREATS.

Yes

It is so hard for me to say that I would put Micheal 3rd. Uli is always 1st but growing up in the 80s I listened to a shit ton of Jabs. What a stud!!

Matthias fit into where the Scorpions were going...towards the #1 band in the world. His playing for their mix of raunchier down to earth and more relationship lyric wise rock. I mean, how could you top Uli and Michael? You can't. But both of them were on their ways to being more guitar driven song smiths. Mathias fit and his solos were pretty damn hot too. From 82 when I saw their Blackout tour twice and 88 and 91 he evolved. Definitely a guitar hero.

I agree

Criminally underrated player. His solos in certain songs are way better known than his actual name, which is a pity.

Loved him on Lovedrive, but I couldn't distinguish him from Michael Schenker. He was good on Animal Magnetism but GREAT on Blackout!

Uli might be a better technician but Matthias came up with the best licks

Wow, you obviously haven't heard of Uli Jon Roth, right?

He's a great player.

I was at the Day on the Green in 85.Best concert ever.Metallica was incredible then other band it got dark and Scorpions killed it.They sounded exactly like their records.

No. Michael Schenker was. They had to bring him back to save their career.

While he isn’t the best player they ever had he plays on the songs I like the best.

Jabs is a monster!!! But he's no Roth or Schenker

commercially, yes. Musically...well... u can not compare him with Michael schenker & Uli jon roth, different levels

Pretty darn close and a great player. But, Uli gets my top vote.

It’s unfair to compare ANYONE to Uli! Unless it’s Matthias :)

IMO, yes. He is the greatest! He has a unique sound that lets you know you are listening to the Scorpions.🦂

If only Matthias contributed more to the writing aspect of Scorpions songs.

I’ve always thought he was better than both Schenkers.

always thought he was the cleanest great player ever

World Wide Live still kicks ass today in my personal opinion. Mr. Jabs a better fit than his predecessors.

Uli is hendrix tone❤ jabs is the SCORPION SOUND 🎉

For me it's Uli.

Jabs is great, any guitar player knows Uli ìs a better guitarist but my favorite album of the Scorpions with neither one but Micheal its all a matter of what you like and I do like them all

Ive always put Mathias right up there next to Jimmy Page, Hendrix, the rest of the truly greats. I even place him above EVH. And thats saying somethibg.

Never. He is the man they needed. But Roth and Michael Schenker are far beyond. But Scorpions needed Jabs. he's definitely the guy for the direction they decided at the Time of lovedrive and animal magnetism. And he succeeded.great guitar player

You do know Michael Schenker was in the group right.

Of course he is.

Gorpions?

U JRoth was lightyears ahead.