One of the Second Batch of "Guitar Traders"

One of the second batch of "Guitar Traders" produced in 1982. Weighs 9.40 lbs. and has a nut width of just over 1 5/8 inches and a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches. Solid mahogany body with carved quilted maple top, one-piece mahogany neck, and rosewood fretboard with 22 wide jumbo frets and inlaid pearl crown position markers. Inlaid pearl "Gibson" headstock logo. Individual Kluson-style tuners with double-ring Keystone plastic buttons. Two humbucker pickups with cream plastic surrounds and balanced outputs of 7.25k and 7.21k. Cream plastic pickguard. Four controls (two volume, two tone) plus three-way selector switch. Gold plastic bell-shaped "Bell" knobs. New Tune-O-Matic bridge and separate stud tailpiece. This guitar is in excellent condition, with only a few small marks and some minor belt buckle scarring. Housed in the original Gibson brown hardshell case with purple velvet lining (9.50).

“In the late 1970s Gibson started producing limited runs of sunburst Les Paul reissues, custom -ordered by specialist dealers like Jimmy Wallace, Guitar Trader, or Leo’s Music. These instruments usually feature an inked-on number on the back of the peghead, meant as a cosmetic replica rather than a proper Gibson number. Thus the inked on number may suggest a 1959 (9-xxxx) or a 1960 (0-xxxx pattern but also sometimes a bespoke number like a birthdate. These early Les Paul reissues can usually be dated thanks to the ‘real’ eight-digit number stamped into the outer rim of the control cavity” (A.R. Duchossoir, Guitar Identification, p. 28). On this guitar the serial number on the back of the headstock is "8 0331." The serial number stamped on the ridge inside the control cavity is "82252052" (made in Kalamazoo). This guitar was made on Friday, August 13, 1982, with the second batch of "Guitar Trader" guitars. The electronics, pick-ups, pots, etc. are dated 1979.

"In the 1970s some US dealers who specialised in older instruments began to order from Gibson's Kalamazoo plant selected Les Pauls with 'vintage correct' appointments. Since the onset of Gibson's new Nashville factory in 1975 the original Kalamazoo plant had leaned more heavily toward shorter, specialised runs of guitars. Jim Deurloo, by the early 1980s plant manager at Kalamazoo, remembers dealers such as Leo's of California, Jimmy Wallace of Texas, and Guitar Trader of New Jersey ordering special vintage-style Les Paul Standards. These dealers and their customers were looking for features such as an exact old-style carving shape and a particular neck feel, as well as a number of small visual details -- and Kalamazoo provided an approximation. A typical ad for these dealer specials came in Guitar Trader's May 1982 newsletter. 'Guitar Trader and Gibson Guitars announce the ultimate Les Paul reissue,' claimed the blurb, alongside a repro of the original Standard entry from Gibson's 1960 catalogue. A list of features followed: 'Dimensions as per 1959 model shown; "painted-on" serial number; original style bridge; two-piece highly figured tops personally selected by our luthiers. These instruments will be produced in strictly limited quantities at the original Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, MI, and represent a special investment value.' Guitar Trader added that if you ordered you '59 Flametop' immediately for summer '82 delivery they would install original 1950s patent-applied-for pickups, subject to availability. The price (with case) was $1500. In the same newsletter, Guitar Trader was happy to offer an original 1959 Standard with 'tiger-striped curly maple top' for $7500. By the end of the year Aerosmith's Brad Whitford was pictured taking delivery of his Guitar Trader Flametop. 'Hasn't felt this good since '59,' he reckoned" (Tony Bacon, 50 Years of the Gibson Les Paul, p. 80).