Matthias Jabs
Encyclopedia
Matthias Jabs is a German guitarist
and songwriter
. He is a member of the heavy metal
band
Scorpions
. Before joining the Scorpions, Jabs had played for the bands Lady, Fargo and Deadlock.
Jabs was hired to join the Scorpions immediately upon the departure of guitarist Ulrich Roth
in August of 1978. However Michael Schenker
, younger brother of Scorpions rhythm guitarist/songwriter Rudolf Schenker
had made the decision to leave his own band, UFO
, and expressed interest at re-joining the Scorpions as lead guitarist (Michael Schenker had already been a member of the Scorpions and left the band after the recording of their first album Lonesome Crow
in 1972). As a result, Jabs was dismissed very shortly after joining the band.
However, Michael Schenker proved to be very unreliable during this time period and would frequently turn up absent from the band's live shows, causing the Scorpions to contact Jabs at the last minute to fill in. After too many incidents of this happening, the band cut ties with Michael Schenker and permanently reinstated Jabs as lead guitarist, which he has been ever since. This is also a reason for the Scorpions 1979 album Lovedrive
(Jabs' debut) featuring lead guitar tracks recorded by both Jabs and Michael Schenker. Jabs' playing was a large part of Lovedrive
s fresh new hotter, heavier sound which became the band's signature and propelled them to superstardom throughout the 1980's.
During the 1980s he had a 1963-64 black Fender Stratocaster
, called his "trouble guitar", which had a Floyd Rose
floating bridge and a Bill Lawrence
L90 pickup, and it was featured on many tracks that needed a tremolo, including "Blackout". A copy of this guitar with a black Gibson humbucker
is seen on the 'Make a Difference Foundation' video
filmed in Russia
, with other guests including Ozzy Osbourne
and Gorky Park
.
Jabs favours Gibson Explorer
guitar
s and designed a model for them, called the Explorer 90 (due to the body being 90% the size of a regular Explorer), in the late 1980s. He also has a signature Fender Stratocaster dubbed "Jabocaster". Nowadays, Jabs and the rest of the Scorpions play the German Dommenget brand of guitars, with all their signature models now made by them. His most recent signature guitar is his "Mastercaster" used mostly on stage and on their Humanity - Hour 1 album. Jabs is notable for his playing of a Talk box
in some songs (such as "The Zoo" on Animal Magnetism and "To Be No. 1" on Eye II Eye
, "Money and Fame" (Crazy World
), "Can You Feel It" (Unbreakable
), and "Media Overkill" (Savage Amusement
) ).
Jabs had also once replaced the Marshall amplification
logo
on his amplifier
cabinets with his own name, in the same font
style as the Marshall logo. Besides Marshall, Matthias uses Wizard cabinets, Hiwatt
, Engl
, Fender Prosonic and Soldano
amplifiers and cabinets, kitty hawk preamps, Dunlop picks, Seymour Duncan
JB pickups, back in the 80s he uses marshall JCM 800 2210 amplifiers which you can see on the world wide live DVDs, Ovation 6 and 12 string acoustics, D'addario strings, talk box from Heil. In 2010 Cort Guitars collaborated with Matthias to develop his signature line of electrics guitars called the Garage 1 and Garage 2.In the year 2000 he was awarded the city of Hanover plaque.
In 2010 Cort Guitars collaborated with Matthias to develop his signature series electric guitars called the Garage 1 and Garage 2
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. He is a member of the heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
. Before joining the Scorpions, Jabs had played for the bands Lady, Fargo and Deadlock.
Jabs was hired to join the Scorpions immediately upon the departure of guitarist Ulrich Roth
Ulrich Roth
Ulrich Roth , more commonly known as Uli Jon Roth, is a Germanguitarist and one of the earliest contributors to the neo-classical metal genre. He is also the founder of Sky Academy and inventor of the Sky Guitar. He is the older brother of fellow guitarist and artist Zeno Roth.-Career:In the early...
in August of 1978. However Michael Schenker
Michael Schenker
Michael Schenker is a German rock guitarist, best known for his tenure in UFO, in addition to his solo band. He first rose to fame as a founding member of the Scorpions, then achieved fame in the mid 1970s as the lead guitar player for UFO. Since leaving UFO in 1978, he has been leading the...
, younger brother of Scorpions rhythm guitarist/songwriter Rudolf Schenker
Rudolf Schenker
Rudolf Schenker is a German guitarist and founding member of heavy metal band Scorpions, being the rhythm/lead guitarist and one of the main song-writers of the band...
had made the decision to leave his own band, UFO
UFO (band)
UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
, and expressed interest at re-joining the Scorpions as lead guitarist (Michael Schenker had already been a member of the Scorpions and left the band after the recording of their first album Lonesome Crow
Lonesome Crow
-Personnel:Credits for Lonesome Crow adapted from Allmusic.Scorpions*Klaus Meine - vocals*Michael Schenker - lead guitar, backing vocals*Rudolf Schenker - rhythm guitar, backing vocals*Lothar Heimberg - bass guitar, backing vocals...
in 1972). As a result, Jabs was dismissed very shortly after joining the band.
However, Michael Schenker proved to be very unreliable during this time period and would frequently turn up absent from the band's live shows, causing the Scorpions to contact Jabs at the last minute to fill in. After too many incidents of this happening, the band cut ties with Michael Schenker and permanently reinstated Jabs as lead guitarist, which he has been ever since. This is also a reason for the Scorpions 1979 album Lovedrive
Lovedrive
Lovedrive is the sixth studio album by the German heavy metal band Scorpions, released in 1979. Lovedrive was a major evolution of the band's sound, which exhibited their "classic style" that would be later developed over their next few albums. Michael Schenker, younger brother of rhythm guitarist...
(Jabs' debut) featuring lead guitar tracks recorded by both Jabs and Michael Schenker. Jabs' playing was a large part of Lovedrive
Lovedrive
Lovedrive is the sixth studio album by the German heavy metal band Scorpions, released in 1979. Lovedrive was a major evolution of the band's sound, which exhibited their "classic style" that would be later developed over their next few albums. Michael Schenker, younger brother of rhythm guitarist...
s fresh new hotter, heavier sound which became the band's signature and propelled them to superstardom throughout the 1980's.
During the 1980s he had a 1963-64 black Fender Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
, called his "trouble guitar", which had a Floyd Rose
Floyd Rose
The Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo, or simply Floyd Rose, is a type of locking vibrato arm for a guitar. The first of its kind, Floyd D. Rose invented the locking vibrato in 1977, and it is now manufactured by a company of the same name...
floating bridge and a Bill Lawrence
Bill Lawrence (guitar maker)
Bill Lawrence is a recording musician and an electric guitar pickup designer/maker and guitar designer/maker in the musical instrument industry, designing pickups and guitars for Fender, Gibson, Peavey and other companies from the 1950s to the present.MusicianThe Bill Lawrence story began...
L90 pickup, and it was featured on many tracks that needed a tremolo, including "Blackout". A copy of this guitar with a black Gibson humbucker
Humbucker
A humbucker is a type of electric guitar pickup, first patented by Seth Lover and the Gibson company, that uses two coils, both generating string signal. Humbuckers have higher output than a single coil pickup since both coils are connected in series...
is seen on the 'Make a Difference Foundation' video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
filmed in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, with other guests including Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
and Gorky Park
Gorky Park (band)
Gorky Park or Парк Горького was a Soviet Glam Metal band, that gained mainstream popularity in USA during Perestroika. Gorky Park is famous for its kitsch use of western stereotypes of Russians, such as pseudo-traditional clothing, balalaika-like guitar design and Hammer and sickle as their logo...
.
Jabs favours Gibson Explorer
Gibson Explorer
The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar that made its debut in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its sibling, the Flying V. The Explorer was the final development of a prototype design which years later Gibson marketed under the name Futura.The...
guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s and designed a model for them, called the Explorer 90 (due to the body being 90% the size of a regular Explorer), in the late 1980s. He also has a signature Fender Stratocaster dubbed "Jabocaster". Nowadays, Jabs and the rest of the Scorpions play the German Dommenget brand of guitars, with all their signature models now made by them. His most recent signature guitar is his "Mastercaster" used mostly on stage and on their Humanity - Hour 1 album. Jabs is notable for his playing of a Talk box
Talk box
A talk box is an effects unit that allows a musician to modify the sound of a musical instrument. The musician controls the modification by lip syncing, or by changing the shape of the mouth...
in some songs (such as "The Zoo" on Animal Magnetism and "To Be No. 1" on Eye II Eye
Eye II Eye
Eye II Eye is the fourteenth studio album by German heavy metal band Scorpions, released in 1999. It is a radical departure in that Eye II Eye is much more pop-oriented than their previous work, which alienated some fans, despite lead single "Mysterious" reaching number 26 on the Billboard...
, "Money and Fame" (Crazy World
Crazy World
Crazy World is the eleventh studio album by the German heavy metal band Scorpions released in November 1990. Crazy World peaked at number 21 on Billboard 200 Chart for albums in 1991...
), "Can You Feel It" (Unbreakable
Unbreakable (Scorpions album)
Unbreakable is the fifteenth studio album by the German heavy metal band Scorpions, released in 2004. In this album, Scorpions return to their original, more raw style of music after many concept albums and experimenting with different styles....
), and "Media Overkill" (Savage Amusement
Savage Amusement
Savage Amusement is the tenth studio album by the German heavy metal band Scorpions, released in 1988. It peaked at #5 in the USA where it became platinum on June 20, 1988. It was also the last Scorpions record to be produced by Dieter Dierks....
) ).
Jabs had also once replaced the Marshall amplification
Marshall Amplification
Marshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
on his amplifier
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
cabinets with his own name, in the same font
Typeface
In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
style as the Marshall logo. Besides Marshall, Matthias uses Wizard cabinets, Hiwatt
Hiwatt
Hiwatt was a British company that manufactured amplifiers for electric guitars and electric basses. Starting in the late 1960s, together with Marshall and Vox, the company contributed to the sonic image popularly termed "British sound"....
, Engl
Engl
ENGL is a German company that makes high-end tube amplifiers for electric guitars. Over the years ENGL has succeeded in becoming a global player in this market...
, Fender Prosonic and Soldano
Soldano
Soldano is a guitar amplifier manufacturing company, founded in 1986 by Michael Soldano in Los Angeles, California and later relocated to Seattle, Washington. It is mostly known for its modern high gain amps, particularly their flagship model — Soldano SLO-100, but product lineup also...
amplifiers and cabinets, kitty hawk preamps, Dunlop picks, Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan is a company that is best known for manufacturing of guitar pickups, and currently has a line of effects pedals. The company was founded in 1976 by guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and his then-wife Cathy Carter Duncan in Goleta, California, USA...
JB pickups, back in the 80s he uses marshall JCM 800 2210 amplifiers which you can see on the world wide live DVDs, Ovation 6 and 12 string acoustics, D'addario strings, talk box from Heil. In 2010 Cort Guitars collaborated with Matthias to develop his signature line of electrics guitars called the Garage 1 and Garage 2.In the year 2000 he was awarded the city of Hanover plaque.
External links
In 2010 Cort Guitars collaborated with Matthias to develop his signature series electric guitars called the Garage 1 and Garage 2