Joan Jett joins forces with Epiphone for new signature Olympic Special guitar
Finished in Aged Classic White, the rock legend's new signature model is a no-frills machine with one PowerHammer PRO humbucker, a single black volume knob and a kill switch
Joan Jett has teamed up with Epiphone to create a new signature Olympic Special electric guitar.
Based on Jett's onstage axe of choice (the similar Gibson Melody Maker) this super-straightforward signature guitar features a mahogany body and mahogany neck with an Indian laurel fingerboard boasting 22 frets and a 24.75" scale length.
Sonically, the guitar's about as simple as it gets, boasting just one PowerHammer PRO humbucker wired to a single CTS volume potentiometer. Just as on Jett's signature Gibson Melody Makers from years past, the Olympic Special boasts a kill switch in place of a pickup selector.
Elsewhere, the guitar boasts an adjustable wraparound bridge and tailpiece, Die-Cast tuners, nickel hardware, a Graph Tech nut, and a retro Aged Classic White finish.
The guitar is light on signature flourishes, but the Olympic Special headstock – with Jett's signature reproduced on the rear – is a nice touch.
The Epiphone Joan Jett signature Olympic Special guitar is available now – with a custom premium gig bag included – for $549. In price, specs and looks, it brings another one of Epiphone's recent signature offerings – the similarly no-bells-and-whistles Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior – to mind.
For more info on the guitar, stop by Epiphone.
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Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.
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