ESP Mirage Custom - Help with when and where it was made.

Michael G.Michael G.
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    ESP Mirage Custom - Help with when and where it was made.

    I bought this Pearl Gold ESP Mirage Custom second hand in 2013. This was the second ESP Mirage Custom I bought. The only identification on it is a serial number stamped into the last fret of the fretboard, Serial# 1431 (see pic). There are no markings on the back of headstock or under the pickups or anywhere else on the guitar. This is the only Mirage Custom I have seen with a two dual humbucker pickup configuration.  It came with an original Floyd Rose that is not recessed (don’t know if it had a Sinclair that was replaced). Can anyone identify when a where it was made with this information?  Thanks

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    ESP 348
    ESP 348 wrote

    I can't help with any information, but I love these guitars! Take care and enjoy mate.  

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      Pushead
      Pushead wrote

      It was made in Japan, though I can't be more specific than that. It was a late 80s guitar, possibly as new as 90, but by 91 they had switched away from the "Jackson style" head stock to the current version of the "knife stock" they use today. I believe they also switched to a reverse head stock on The Mirage Custom guitars. Mine is a 91 with the reverse, knife stock. Mine also had a recessed sinclair trem. When I had it refinished, I also replaced it with an OFR and deepened the route.

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        Michael G.
        Michael G. wrote

        Thanks. Nice guitar you have there. So did the OFR set up correctly as a direct replacement for the Sinclair you had?  I tried to replace a Sinclair on my other Mirage Custom, but the pivot studs were too far from the nut and the high E string couldn’t be intonated correctly. So I just have the Sinclair on it. 

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          Michael G.
          Michael G. wrote

          Do you have some before and after pictures of your ESP with the Sinclair and then with the Floyd. Some maybe close up shots of the bridge area. 

          thanks

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            Tony Y.
            Tony Y. wrote

            I bought a similar guitar couple months ago, it's a 91 custom mirage I think, the original owner modded it but it still has a Sinclair on it

             

            Getting that replaced with Gotoh ge1996t, hope it'll turn out great!

             

            Here's some images from the previous owner!

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              Pushead
              Pushead wrote

              I had to dowel and redrill the holes for the studs. Mine was just a bit too narrow. I didn't have any intonation problems. The Sinclair is a nice bridge, just hard to find parts for now a days.

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                Michael G.
                Michael G. wrote

                Gotcha. Thanks. I would still like to find a “Floyd Rose” tremolo to put on it without having to move the studs. Here are pics of it

                The guy I had do the routing did a horrible job. I want to try to cover it with some type of graphic or something like that  

                 

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                  Pushead
                  Pushead wrote

                  Oof, that's bad. It could be fixed, but it would require a refinish (on the body, at least.) I'm surprised you had trouble getting the Floyd to intonate, it looks like the studs are right up to the pickup.

                  This one is older. As it got into the mid and late 80s, the points on the headstock were a bit rounder, not sharp like they eventually became.

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                    Michael G.
                    Michael G. wrote

                    Thanks for the info. I can’t find any type of serial number on this one. It has the Made in Japan mark on the back of the headstock. I looked under all 3 pickups and no serial number there. 

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                      Raider_77
                      Raider_77 wrote

                      What kind of fret wire size do these come with? Looks like extra jumbo to me high above the board 

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                        Michael G.
                        Michael G. wrote

                        Not sure on that. 

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                          Pushead
                          Pushead wrote

                          I don't have the original res versions of these photos anymore, but here are some photos of the original cavity and bridge post locations along with the finished routing.The template I used for the cavity was oversized and I wish I had found something else because the finished cavity feels too big.

                            

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                            Keith S.
                            Keith S. wrote

                            Awesome find! This is the only other Sinclair I have seen with the small head string locks. not sure what they are called though, Most have a head on the end for an allen wrench. Mine is also this blade style, however I have no idea when it was made. I've always thought it was late 80's. 

                             

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                              Ruster1
                              Ruster1 wrote

                              Michael G.. I hope you still have this one.. my GUESS would be an early model.. late 87-88 as it has the Jackson headstock.. non recessed trem.. (I believe that came a bit later).. and serial number on the fretboard.. (early models 87 had NONE i an told).. I was lucky to find an 89 Mirage Custom in 1991 as the guy wanted a les paul (something lighter.. lol).. mine was a definite custom order.. serial number stamped on headstock indicates it was made January 89 (25th guitar made in Jan).. has the NON JACKSON headstock.. MATCHING PEARL WHITE HEADSTOCK.. and shark fin inlays ..mine is router to float.. and the ESP branded trem broke and I replace it with an OEM Floyd (needed a bit of sanding in the cavity) and I put EMG's in mine SA/SA/81 and added the 3rd middle pot.. best guitar i own.. neck through gives such bite and sustain.. you can feel the vibration against your body and your hands.. unreal and powerful guitar to play.. snappy.. bright also.. all that maple helps.. 

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