Scorpions - Bad Boys Running Wild - Guitar Tab

Practice Studio

Scorpions - Bad Boys Running Wild - Guitar Tab

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

Not in tune?

Select a Loop

Start of your loop
End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key E minor
·
–50¢ 0 +50¢
· Tap to start

Your browser will ask for microphone permission.

Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

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
Scorpions Hard Rock 1984 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

Bad Boys Running Wild


"Bad Boys Running Wild" is a hard rock track by the Scorpions, featured on their 1984 album Love At First Sting. Released on one of the band's most celebrated records, the song showcases the driving riff work and tight rhythm playing that defined the Scorpions' mid-80s sound. For electric guitarists, it offers a solid study in straightforward hard rock technique, including power chords, rhythmic precision, and the kind of energetic picking that made the album a landmark of the genre.

  • Love At First Sting was the Scorpions' ninth studio album, released in early 1984 via Mercury Records in the US.
  • The album also contains "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and "Big City Nights", making it essential listening for any rock guitarist.
  • The Scorpions are a German rock band, bringing a distinctly European hard rock style to their guitar-driven arrangements.
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.