Gibson unveils the Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker

"I got my Melody Maker in 1977," says Joan Jett. "It was light and it sounded great. It was the guitar I had in the Runaways and then played on all my hits, like I Love Rock 'N' Roll and Bad Reputation and Do You Wanna Touch Me. It's my baby."

And in designing a Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker, Gibson has treated the guitarist's baby with tender loving care. Carefully developed in close cooperation with Jett herself, Gibson's Joan Jett features a lightweight, slab "California" mahogany body with a Worn White finish.

The slim-tapered neck profile is handcrafted to the same specs as Jett's original guitar, with an ebony fingerboard and Gibson's classic, silk-screened gold logo on the headstock. The tuners are mini-Grovers with authentic "witch hat" knobs, exactly as they are on Jett's guitar.

A "kill" switch replaces the normal Gibson toggle switch, and the body is outfitted with a period-correct black vinyl pickguard. The classic, snarling growl of Jett's original Melody Maker is accurately captured by a single Gibson Burstbucker 3 zebra humbucker, slightly overwound with asymmetrical coils, unpolished Alnico II magnets, designed to deliver the power of an original Gibson PAF pickup.

Add some typical Melody Maker appointments - 24 3/4-inch scale length, and standard Gibson Tune-o-matic and stopbar tailpiece - and the result is a heartfelt tribute to one of rock's most fearless artists.

Each Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker comes with a Gibson USA hard case. Retail price is $839.00US.

For more information, visit the official Gibson Guitar website.

By Joe Bosso