I have read interviews in which Joan Jet said this model was called a "California" Melody Maker and that she had bought it from one of The Raspberries roadies. I have never been able to find any referrance to this model on the Gibson website.
To me, it looks like a '65 style bodied Melody Maker, modified to have a tune o matic / stopbar, Hambackers, and a new hackjob pickguard, but thats just what I can gather from it.
Hmm, from those pics, they just look like modified 60s double cut melody makers with a different pickguard. The Sunburst one with the DEAN sticker on it looks to be a standard melody maker from that time, just routed for a hambacker.
"Raspbernie" on the Rick Resource forum gave me this info about Joan's MM
"Examine these photos closely. Eric's white Melody Maker was originally a Pelham Green mid-'60s model (as shown above on the right.) He had two: one black and the other white. Each was repainted and rewired with humbuckers. This necessitated a new pickguard, which has a unique arrangement of volume/tone pods. Compare the knobs and guitar jack input on the Melody Maker to the right with Joan's and Eric's. The two on the left are an exact match! Both also have a two-piece bridge, unlike the stock model on the right."
Mages wrote:something I just noticed, what's up with that pickup. look it's in both of these guitars:
The pickup is called a Velvet Hammer and it has a tone she loves. It was made by a fellow named Red Rhodes, who made pickups for guitars and steels, he was a steel player himself.
paul_ wrote:When are homeland security gonna get on this "2-piece King Size Snickers" horseshit that showed up a couple years ago? I've started dropping one of them on the floor of my car every time.