Gibson Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker Guitar Review

The Gibson brand is well known for working with popular, often legendary artists to create exact replicas of their instruments. Many legends in the music industry have cooperated and assisted Gibson in creating an instrument that matches, fret for fret and grain for grain, all of the feel and look of the original. Fans of the artist and those looking to find a similar sound are, naturally, drawn to these guitars. One such example is the Gibson Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker. I've taken a close look at it to describe just what it has to offer.

Features: The body of the Gibson Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker, like her original guitar, is made of solid mahogany wood. There is only one finish available. (As you could probably guess.) It's solid white with a black pickguard. It is a little worn and has a lacquer finish in an effort to completely authenticate the entire look. The neck, meanwhile, is made of mahogany and set into the body. Also, it has a slim tapered profile, again to match Joan Jett's original Melody Maker. The fretboard is made of ebony, and has twenty two total frets with pearloid dot inlays. All of the hardware, including the Grover tuning heads and stopbar style bridge, is chrome. Its polished look goes surprisingly well with the worn aesthetics of the wood. As for electronics, the Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker has one single coil pickup in the bridge position and one volume and one tone control knobs. Also, the toggle switch normally found on a Melody Maker is replaced with a kill switch, allowing for some cool percussion style effects.

Playability: The playability of the Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker is subjective to what one particular musician prefers. The neck's slim tapered profile allows for easier chording and reaches on the lower end. Also, the fact that the neck is set into the body means fret access is relatively easy on the high end. On the other hand, the cutaways are shallow and the neck is a somewhat thick C shape, which means it's not necessarily the best instrument for running up and down the fretboard.

Sound: The sound of the Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker, as one would probably expect, is not all that versatile. In the right situation, though, it performs very well. These situations include classic rock style, which requires punchy distortion, and pop, which often includes scratchier clean tones. The Signature Melody Maker definitely has a specific range of strengths in the sound department.

Overall: If you're a big fan of Joan Jett, of course, the Joan Jett Signature Melody maker is a great choice. But it's not just for fans. If you are looking to play classic rock are harder edged pop, this guitar is comparatively excellent. You can find the Gibson J.J. Signature Melody Maker in music stores for around $750.