Epiphone Joan Jett Olympic Special Returns in Vintage Sunburst
The stripped back rock and roll machine returns
5,0 / 5,0 | 
The Epiphone Joan Jett Olympic Special is back and now available in a Vintage Sunburst finish. This stripped-back single-pickup guitar brings everything back to basics.
Contents – Epiphone Joan Jett Olympic Special
Vintage Sunburst
I covered the original release of the Epiphone Joan Jett Olympic Special in Aged Gloss White in 2022, and now it is back in Vintage Sunburst. Since I wrote that article, I have played that original version a few times over the last few years, and it was always just an okay experience. In my opinion, there isn’t much there to justify the price tag, and for a lot less money you can get a whole lot more in 2026.
Epiphone Joan Jett Olympic Special
The Epiphone Joan Jett Olympic Special is a stripped-back rock-and-roll guitar with a simple set of controls and basic construction. Really, you are paying extra for the Joan Jett association here.
It features a mahogany body and a 24.75-inch scale-length mahogany neck with a 12-inch radius rosewood fretboard (an update from the 2022 model, which has an Indian laurel fretboard). It has a custom Olympic Special profile, 22 medium-jumbo frets, and pearloid dot inlays.
PowerHammer Pro Humbucker
This model features a single PowerHammer Pro Humbucker in the bridge position, plus a single CTS Volume Control (with a black Speed knob with a rubber grip) and an on/off toggle/Kill Switch. It’s super basic, but exactly what you need for rock riffs and more.
Basic hardware
The hardware is also very basic, with an adjustable MTB605 bridge, a GraphTech nut, and a set of die-cast tuners, all in a nickel finish. Finally, it has Joan’s signature on the rear of the headstock and comes with an Epiphone-branded gig bag.
Verdict
It is a stretch to see how this guitar is worth the official $599/£499 asking price, even with the included gig bag. For the money, I would more than likely go for a single-pickup guitar without the Joan Jett association and Epiphone name tag. You can get so much more guitar for a lot less, so I have to say this guitar is seriously overpriced for what it offers.
I do love rock and roll, but not at this price point.
Availability
The Epiphone Joan Jett Olympic Special is available now at Thomann and Sweetwater.
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