Hi There!
     A quick note about the Joan Jett Melody Maker.  She bought the guitar from a friend of mine here in Cleveland, who had purchsed it about a year before.  In that period, he let me use it for a while after my guitar had been stolen.  This started my life-long relationship with them.  I was disappointed when he sold it to her, because I had been trying to get him to sell it to me!  He bought the guitar from Eric Carmen of the Raspberries, when he sold off some of his old gear.  Eric originally bought the guitar in sad shape.  It was painted black (badly) but after a bit of a touch up, Eric used it in the sessions for the "Side 3" album.  He did the photo sessions for the cover with it as well, and it is pictured in the jacket.  Shortly afterward, he sent it out to be serviced and repainted, this time in white.  So the guitar spans two famous acts, and survived me as well!  I have also seen photos of Joan Jett with an earlier model, Les paul shaped, Melody Maker.  As for me, I now own a '59, a '61, a '65, a '67, a '72, and a rare '68 12-string model.  Since I play mine regularly for gigs, virtually nothing is stock about them.  The hardware always was the cheapest Gibson could get, but the basic guitars are great.  I love 'em!

     Geoff K.