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Skid Row - 18 and Life - Guitar Tab

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Skid Row - 18 and Life - Guitar Tab

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Skid Row - 18 and Life guitar tab video
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Classic Rock

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Skid Row album cover
Skid Row
1989 3:53
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Skid Row Glam Metal 1989 C minor
Capo Advisor 0 C minor · Original key

18 and Life

"18 and Life" is a power ballad by American heavy metal band Skid Row, released in June 1989 as the second single from their self-titled debut album. It became the band's biggest commercial hit, reaching No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and earning RIAA gold certification. For electric guitarists, the song offers a rewarding mix of clean melodic passages and heavier rock tones, making it a practical study in dynamic contrast and classic late-80s hard rock guitar technique.

  • The song peaked at No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it Skid Row's highest-charting single.
  • It was certified gold by the RIAA after selling 500,000 copies, achieved rapidly by September 1989.
  • The track charted internationally, reaching No. 12 in the UK, No. 6 in Canada, and No. 5 in Ireland.
Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Sabo deployed the Les Paul's thick, woody sustain on Skid Row's heaviest tracks, using the guitar's body mass to add low-end punch to power chords. The Les Paul's stock humbuckers pushed his Marshall into aggressive saturation while maintaining the articulate crunch that defines their sound.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Custom's premium build and tonal thickness gave Sabo an alternative for ballad work and heavier material, offering darker midrange warmth than his signature Charvels. This guitar's resonance complemented the Marshall JCM900's natural tube compression for their most saturated, body-forward tones.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The JCM800's hot preamp became the sonic backbone of Skid Row's crunch, delivering that tight, compressed saturation when cranked that defined hits like 'Youth Gone Wild.' Paired with 4x12 cabs loaded with Greenbacks or Vintage 30s, it produced the articulate yet aggressive tone essential to their hard rock identity.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Sabo used the Cry Baby's expressive sweep on solo passages to add human, vocal-like character to leads, especially during extended guitar moments. The wah's responsive filtering complemented his bridge humbucker's output, letting him shape aggressive yet dynamic solo accents.

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Pedal

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay

The DD-3's short slapback repeats provided subtle space and dimension to Skid Row's lead work without muddying the amp-driven tone. Set for tight repeats rather than spacious trails, it added polish to solos while keeping the focus on the Marshall's natural tube saturation and pick articulation.

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