“I want girls and guys everywhere to be fearless about picking up a guitar. Anyone can play rock ’n’ roll”: Joan Jett’s signature Epiphone is back – just in time for the 45th anniversaries of two of her most iconic albums

Joan Jett signature guitar
(Image credit: Epiphone)

Joan Jett’s signature Olympic Special has returned to Epiphone in commemoration of the 45th anniversaries of her iconic albums, 1980’s Bad Reputation and 1981’s I Love Rock ’N Roll.

Back for the first time since 2022, this 2026 edition takes inspiration from the specs of Jett’s workhorse Melody Maker, delivering a “rock-ready model without distractions.”

It features a lightweight, asymmetrical double cutaway mahogany body, a glued-in mahogany body shaped to the guitar’s unique profile, and a rosewood fretboard with a 22-inch radius, 22 medium-jumbo frets, and pearloid dot inlays.

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Aside from carrying the classic Olympic Special silhouette, the headstock is fitted with die-cast tuners, a Graph Tech nut for tuning stability, and a gold reproduction of Jett’s signature.

Joan Jett signature guitar

(Image credit: Epiphone)

The controls channel her no-frills, punk sensibility, with a single PowerHammer ProBucker pickup, a CTS volume potentiometer, a black Speed knob with a rubber grip, and an on/off toggle switch for added kill-switch capability. To top it off, it’s now available in Vintage Sunburst finish.

“What attracted me to guitar was just being able to make that kind of noise and have control over it,” Jett said upon the signature’s release in 2022. “The point is to make it your vision and voice. Being true to your music is really about owning who you are. My guitars have become an extension of who I am.

“I want girls and guys everywhere to be fearless about picking up a guitar. Anyone can play rock ‘n’ roll and make it authentic.”

Priced at $599, Jett’s signature is available now.

For more information, visit Epiphone.

Janelle Borg
Staff Writer

Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology and how it is shaping the future of the music industry, and has a special interest in shining a spotlight on traditionally underrepresented artists and global guitar sounds. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Melissa Auf der Maur, Yvette Young, Danielle Haim, Fanny, and Karan Katiyar from Bloodywood, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her Anglo-Maltese, art-rock band ĠENN.

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