Joan Jett Launches Signature Axe

Punk rock icon Joan Jett has made history by becoming the first female with a Gibson signature model electric guitar.

The Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker was designed and produced in close cooperation with the rock legend herself.

The model pays tribute to the iconic Melody Maker Jett played on hits like 'I Love Rock N´ Roll,' and 'Do You Wanna Touch Me.'

The axe replicates Jett's custom velvet hammer pick ups which haven't been available for 20 years.

"It´s perfect for gigs as well as recording,” says Jett. “For those of you performing live, you may understand the value of being able to shave off those split seconds between playing and interacting with the audience, especially if you use your hands to communicate. I can move between the killswitch, which mutes the guitar, and playing, and then back again without a lot of in-between motion. With its no frills basic set up, it´s a perfect guitar for either an experienced player or someone just learning.”

The guitar features a lightweight, slab mahogany body with a White Worn finish. The slim-tapered neck profile is similar to the Les Pauls and SGs of the mid to late 1960s.

The 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, and all the punch and power of an original Gibson PAF pickup.

It also includes such typical Melody Maker features as 24-inch scale length and the standard Gibson Tune-o-matic and stopbar tailpiece.
The Gibson Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker retails for $839 (about £400).