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Rig Rundown: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

The influential “riot grrl” Rock and Roll Hall of Famer keeps it simple, but that doesn’t mean she’s not picky about her Gibson Melody Makers, Red Rhodes Velvet Hammer pickups, and Music Man amps.

For her spring 2015 tour opening for Heart, she’s also been playing a brand-new signature Melody Maker prototype with a Burstbucker 3 pickup, a metallic redburst finish, and red dot inlays.

Premier Guitar’s Shawn Hammond met with Zach Nagy, guitar tech for Joan Jett, lead guitarist Dougie Needles, and bassist Hal Salzer before the Blackhearts’ show at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 21, 2015.

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