Welcome back to Guitardoor.com, where we celebrate the true guitar heroes whose playing is as unique as their fingerprint. Today, we’re plugging in and turning up the gain to explore the wild, unpredictable, and brilliantly creative world of one of the 1980s’ most iconic and influential shredders: the one and only George Lynch. As the lead guitarist for the multi-platinum glam metal titans Dokken and the creative force behind his own Lynch Mob, “Mr. Scary” was a true original, a player whose aggressive attack, exotic note choices, and “go-for-broke” solos made him a god to a generation of aspiring guitarists.
The Sound of the Sunset Strip Animal
The sound of George Lynch was a key ingredient in the sonic assault of 1980s hard rock. While his contemporaries were often building on the party-rock foundation of Van Halen, Lynch was carving a different path. His playing was darker, more aggressive, and far more eccentric. In Dokken, his fiery, unchained, and often “out-of-the-box” solos were the perfect, dangerous counterpoint to Don Dokken’s smooth, melodic vocals, creating a “fire and ice” dynamic that made the band’s music so compelling. He was a true “mad scientist” of the guitar, a player who seemed to be channeling pure, chaotic energy every time he took a solo.
Anatomy of “Mr. Scary”
The guitar playing of George Lynch is a thrilling and unique blend of pure, untamed aggression and sophisticated, outside-the-box thinking. He was a key pioneer of the “shred” movement, but his style was never as clean or classically-based as his peers. It was greasy, dangerous, and full of a raw, almost violent energy. To listen to a Lynch solo is to hear an artist who is not afraid to be “sloppy” in the pursuit of pure, unadulterated feel, creating a sound that was always on the verge of collapsing, yet never did.
The Wide, Erratic Vibrato: This is his most recognizable signature. Lynch’s vibrato is not a smooth, even pulse; it’s a wide, aggressive, and almost frantic shake of the string that gives his notes an incredible, animalistic, and “stinging” quality.
The “Gothic Octave”: Lynch was a master of using exotic, “outside” scales to create a dark, menacing, and unpredictable sound. He frequently used the Hirajoshi scale (a Japanese pentatonic scale) and diminished runs to create his signature “Gothic” or “exotic” textures.
Aggressive, Stuttering Legato: While a master of alternate picking, Lynch is also known for his unique, aggressive legato and tapping phrases. His runs are rarely smooth and flowing like a typical shredder; they are often “stuttery,” syncopated, and full of odd note groupings that are incredibly difficult to replicate.
The Skull and Bones: He is one of the ultimate icons of the 1980s “super-strat,” and his collaboration with ESP Guitars produced some of the most iconic axes of the era. His most famous models, like the “Skull and Bones” (nicknamed “Mom”), the “Kamikaze,” and the “Tiger,” were as visually striking as his playing. His classic tone was a high-output Seymour Duncan JB or his own “Screamin’ Demon” pickup plugged into a roaring, hot-rodded Marshall amplifier.
The Essential “Mr. Scary” Solos
George Lynch’s solos with Dokken are the stuff of legend, each one a perfectly crafted burst of creative mayhem. To understand his unique and aggressive style, these three tracks are absolutely essential.
Mr. Scary
This is it. His definitive instrumental anthem, and the track that earned him his nickname. It is a masterpiece of 80s shred guitar. To approach playing it, the key is to master the song’s heavy, driving main riff, which is full of his signature syncopated “stutter.” The solo sections are a masterclass in his entire arsenal: wide vibrato, lightning-fast alternate-picked runs, diminished scales, and huge, screaming “pinch” harmonics. It is a true benchmark for rock guitar.
Kiss of Death
From the Back for the Attack album, this track features one of his most ferocious and brilliantly composed solos. The approach here is to master the “call and response” phrasing. The solo is built on a series of incredible, high-speed runs that are “answered” by massive, aggressive, bent notes. The challenge is to play the incredibly fast parts with precision while maintaining that raw, “un-gonna-come-unglued” energy.
Into the Fire
A classic, mid-tempo Dokken track, the solo here is a perfect lesson in building an emotional arc. To approach it, a guitarist should focus on the phrasing. It’s not just a burst of speed; it’s a story. It starts with a slow, melodic, and incredibly soulful “whammy bar dip” before exploding into a flurry of his signature wide-vibrato notes and lightning-fast pentatonic runs. It’s a perfect example of his ability to be both melodic and absolutely savage in the same solo.
In the end, George Lynch’s legacy is that of one of the true, one-of-a-kind originals of 80s metal. He was a player’s player, revered for his raw, animalistic energy and his brilliantly eccentric, “mad scientist” approach to the guitar. In an era of clones, “Mr. Scary” was, and is, a true, untamable original.
Cover Photo Credit “Souls of We (George Lynch)” by ThunderKiss Photography is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
