1989 Kamikaze I

Updated
1989 Kamikaze I

Hi all, i've been a GL fan since the 1980's and have had the pleasure of seeing George play with Dokken/LynchMob a few times. First time was when Dokken supported Accept at the Newcastle Mayfair ballroom 1986.

So when the Kamikaze model hit the market i decided to save my pennies and buy one asap.

I finally bought one at a shop called Allbang & Strummit in London in 1989 for the sum of £999 (case included) and remember that there were two of these hanging on the racks. After trying both of them i headed off to catch a train back home from Kings Cross station very happy.

The hardware is all ESP branded and the trem is a Sinclair type. The humbucker is a KH-200 (i think that's what the sticker said but its been a while. Edit- it's LH-200) but i don't know anything about the single coil pickup as there is no label or markings on it.

The picture of the pilot is quite dark compared to some others i've seen.

As you can see from the check card the serial is 940406 so i'm not sure how the dating system works on that one as it had its final check on 6th October 1989. Anyone able to work it out?

Edit:  Ok, i think i've worked out the formula for these type of serial numbers.   The first digit is the last number of the year, in this case a 9 for 1989. Then the next two digits are the week number, which is week 40 and the final three digits are the guitar production number #406.

Maybe this could be cross checked with other guitars from the same era.

I hope this information helps to build up a better picture of the Kamikaze I  in the early days.

 

ESP 348

That is very very cool Gary!! Thanks for sharing mate, you're lucky as I don't think too many people out there would own an 89 Kamikaze 1.

Gary C.

Thanks, it's a cracking guitar to play and still gives me a lot of pleasure.

Just been looking at a catalog from 1987 (Japan version) and it looks like ESP were offering the Kami I with a humbucker in the neck position (a power rail type).

Seems as if there were numerous changes to these during the back end of the eighties.

ESP 348

That's great to hear man. You're a lucky man to have it and enjoy it when you want.

lanie a.

hi?

Mario V.

Hey Gary,

Thanks to forum members ESP348 and CLT-ESP I got a lot of interesting info on my Kamikaze I. You can find the info in this post : http://www.espguitars.com/forums/1963222/posts/2162912-george-lynch-kamikaze-1-paint-patterns?page=1&show_post=2163164#forum_post_2163164

My Kami is a late 88, early 89 model with a flush German Floyd Rose trem. The serial numbers are a pain to understand and not really thrustworthy as I understood. Mine has serial 120606.

Gary C.

Thanks Mario, i read that thread when i joined the forum and it has some great info on it

If my theory about the dates is correct, then i believe your kami was made in 1991 in the 40th week and was guitar no 606.   We need more inspection cards from that era to confirm this theory though. Many of the original inspection cards that came with the guitars are probably lost now unfortunately.

Mario V.

Don't know Gary. A '91 guitar with a non recessed tremolo like mine is almost impossible... As of more or less end '89 the production models had recessed trems like yours...

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