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Scorpions - Bad Boys Running Wild - Guitar Solo Tab

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100%

Tools

BPM
Key E minor
Scorpions - Bad Boys Running Wild guitar tab video
Steph Le Gratteux
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Love At First Sting album cover
Love At First Sting
1984 3:56
Listen on Spotify
Scorpions Hard Rock 1984 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Bad Boys Running Wild

From the 1984 "Love At First Sting" album, "Bad Boys Running Wild" is one of those Hard Rock tracks that rewards you for getting the rhythm guitar feel exactly right. The song sits at 120 BPM in E minor and E Standard tuning, which keeps everything familiar, but the real work is in locking the riff's attack and groove to the drum pocket. Scorpions build the track around a driving, mid-tempo riff that relies on tight palm muting and a controlled release at just the right moments, so sloppy muting will cost you the feel immediately. Pay close attention to where the muting lifts and where the open string ring is allowed to breathe. If the riff's rhythm is giving you trouble, set up an A/B loop on the Practice Toolbar and slow it down until you can place every note cleanly before building the tempo back up. The chord work in the verses is straightforward, making this a solid choice for intermediate players working on rhythm consistency and right-hand discipline.

  • The song is in E minor with E Standard tuning, so no retuning is needed and open-position power chords ring naturally throughout.
  • Tight palm muting control is the central technique: the riff depends on knowing precisely when to damp and when to let the strings ring.
  • At 120 BPM the tempo is moderate, making this a practical song for drilling right-hand rhythm consistency before pushing to faster material.

How to Play Bad Boys Running Wild

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 120 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Matthias Jabs adopted Fender Stratocasters with humbuckers in later years, using their brighter character for cleaner ballad tones and more articulate lead work than his earlier Explorer guitars. The single-coil versatility lets him dial back aggression while maintaining the Scorpions' signature sustain.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

While less documented than their Custom models, the Les Paul Standard's thick body and stock humbuckers provide the warm, sustained tone the Scorpions need for layered lead harmonies and heavy power chord work in the studio.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Matthias Jabs relied heavily on Gibson Les Paul Customs in the studio for their superior sustain and thick tonal character on solos, using the guitar's humbuckers and weight to achieve the band's signature fat, compressed lead sound.

Gibson Flying V
Guitar

Gibson Flying V

Rudolf Schenker's iconic Gibson Flying V since the mid-70s delivers his aggressive, palm-muted rhythm tone through hot PAF-style humbuckers, becoming synonymous with the Scorpions' raw, pointed attack and distinctive visual identity.

Gibson Explorer
Guitar

Gibson Explorer

Matthias Jabs built his lead style around the Gibson Explorer's angular design and humbucker tone, using the guitar's focused midrange and sustain for expressive solos before transitioning to signature ESP and Fender models.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

Both Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs powered the Scorpions' classic 80s sound through Marshall JCM800 heads, with Schenker running moderate preamp gain for defined rhythm crunch and Jabs pushing higher gain for lead work and sustain.

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