Classic Rock Revisited's Jeb Wright has issued an interview conducted with SCORPIONS guitarist Matthias Jabs, who discusses his role as the arranger of the tunes for the band's new release, MTV Unplugged: Live In Athens, as well as what his plans are now that the band has retired from worldwide touring. An expcerpt follows:

Q: Are you are just going to kick back and hang at your guitar store now the band is done doing huge tours?

A: "I have a guitar store in Munich. It is nice and I like guitars and it is a good place. It is a wonderful store. I have vintage guitars, but I also have new ones. In the States, you have more stores like this. In Europe, you either have tiny stores that have nothing interesting, or you have stores that are like Wal-Mart. They are superstores. They have no atmosphere. You go in my store and it is almost cozy. It is a very special.

It has turned out to be a meeting point for Scorpions fans. I will do events, once in a while, and I will play a few songs with a band on a small stage and people love it. It is worth keeping it. I don’t do this for business. It is just a hobby and it actually costs me something, but I love it. Sometimes, I will have an exhibition. In a week from now, or so, I am going to go down and bring my pre-CBS Fender candy apple red guitar collection and make a Christmas display. I will add a few evergreens and a few decorations and I will have a nice Christmas card for next year.

I show people guitars that they can never get close too. I show them some Scorpions touring guitars and then I take them away again. I will bring out the guitar that played on 'Wind Of Change' and I will let them see that. People can talk to me and they don’t have to stand in line backstage trying to get an autograph. I am a regular guy and I just talk to the people. I love it and it is fun to have the store.

I will tell you a story. One woman who is a fan, was probably about age 60, showed up with her son and they flew over from San Diego just in order to come over and meet me and buy a guitar. They spent two days there and then they visited castles and made a trip out of it. It was really great. If you ever come over here then you need to come see me at the guitar store."

Q: Any solo album plans?

Q: People ask me so so many times, 'When is your solo album coming out?' If we are not so busy anymore then maybe, but I am the busiest now because I did all of the arrangements and I am getting ready, believe it or not, tomorrow evening I am going to record 'Temple Of The King' from RAINBOW because they are releasing a tribute album for RONNIE JAMES DIO. We are taking two days out of our tough schedule and recording that song. You’re the first to know. I have the ’57 Strat ready. I have the ’59 Les Paul and we use that in the studio as well. I have one that is so clean and so mint it is unbelievable. I will play these fantastic guitars on it. I checked the song yesterday and it is easy to do, so we will do that.

I would love to do a solo album one day, but I would need to be able to focus on it. The Scorpions has always been, and will always be, my priority. As long as we are so busy, then I wouldn’t find the peace of mind that is worth releasing. My goal would be that it has to be at least as good as the bands album where I have a lot of impact. Otherwise there is no point. Lots of musician’s solo albums are not even half as good as the band effort. I am not stupid. I would not release anything that is not as convincing."

Read the full interview at this location.

Check out BraveWords' MTV Unplugged: Live In Athens at this location.