This 12 3/4-inch-wide '59 reissue weighs 10.90 lbs. and has a nice, fat nut width of 1 11/16 inches and a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches. Solid mahogany body with carved maple top, mahogany neck, and rosewood fretboard with 22 wide frets and inlaid pearl trapezoid position markers. Headstock with inlaid pearl "Gibson" logo and "Les Paul Model" silk-screened in gold. "Standard" on truss-rod cover. Individual Gibson tuners with tulip-shaped metal buttons. Serial number ("82672558") and "Made in U.S.A." stamped on the back of the headstock. With the original factory "Custom Made" plaque on the side of the body. Two black and white Zebra humbuckers with outputs of 7.18k and 7.09k. Cream plastic pickguard. Four controls (two volume, two tone) on lower treble bout plus three-way selector switch on upper bass bout. Gold plastic barrel-shaped "Speed" knobs. New Tune-O-Matic bridge and separate stud tailpiece. Aside from some very minor belt buckle wear and a tiny surface chip on the back of the neck at the third fret, this very rare guitar is in near mint (9.25) condition. With a special type of strap holders. Housed in the original Gibson black hardshell case with maroon plush lining (9.00). Complete with the original case key.

"The Les Paul KM model was made in the Kalamazoo plant in 1979, supposedly at the request of a southern sales district, according to one account (this history is refuted by another account). The guitar was intended be a sunburst Les Paul that more closely approximated ’59 Standard specs. The result, the KM model, is a nice guitar but does not come close to a ’59 reissue. The guitar has two exposed coil, double cream colored T-top humbuckers, speed knobs, large black side dot markers, a Nashville bridge, stop tailpiece, Grover tuners, wide binding in the cutaway, brown backplates, and “Les Paul K.M.” engraved on the truss rod cover. The guitar has an unusually wide headstock and a volute and three piece mahogany neck. The Gibson logo on the headstock has a closed “b” and “o” and no dot above the “i”. The first run had a “Custom Made” plaque that was either left loose in the case or mounted below the tailpiece. The guitar came in antique sunburst, natural, or cherry sunburst finish. Many examples of this model in bright cherry sunburst or dark sunburst have been available, many with plain tops. It is reported that some flametops were made...many of which were shipped to Japan. A total of approximately 1,500 Les Paul KMs were made...In speaking with Timm Kummer, who worked for Guitar Trader in the early 80’s, when the Les Paul KM model was introduced it was so far off from ’59 specs that it prompted his boss, Dave DeForrest, to identify specifications for the order for the Guitar Trader Reissue Les Paul from Gibson, which took until 1982 to produce" (Mike Slubowski, "Gibson Les Paul Late 70’s/Early 80’s 'Pre-Reissues': On the Road to ’59?," reprinted from the February 2004 issue of Vintage Guitar Magazine at http://www.lespaulforum.com/slubarticle/59reissues/59reissuearticle.html).