A guitar that was played on tour by Eddie Van Halen in 1982 and 1983 is up for auction by Sotheby’s and is expected to sell for $2 million to $3 million, per the auction house.
It is described as the guitar virtuoso’s “iconic” electric guitar, manufactured by Kramer. This guitar is decorated with a black and white stripe design with red paint based on Van Halen’s original 1975 “Frankenstein” guitar.
Van Halen, a self-taught guitarist who died in 2020 at age 65 after a cancer battle, was born in the Netherlands and moved to Pasadena, Calif., when he was young. In the 1970s he co-founded the rock band Van Halen with this brother.
“Among his innovations was ‘two-handed tapping’ in which both hands sound the strings from the fingerboard, enabling him to create fluid phrasing at extraordinary speed. His work ultimately helped redefine the hard rock genre,” said Sotheby’s.
He was also always striving to create the “ultimate guitar,” it said. In addition to being recognized as one of the greatest guitar players in the history of rock, Van Halen also held multiple patents related to guitars, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Sotheby’s said that Val Halen visited the Kramer factory in Neptune, N.J., to work on the 1982 guitar currently up for auction and can be seen in photographs working on it with an electric drill. This particular guitar was also featured in a famous Kramer ad.
Over the years, the guitar has had at least two other notable players and it shows extensive wear. On its body, there is an inscription from Van Halen to Rudy Leiren, his guitar technician in the 1980’s.
“Rude - Its Been a Great Ten Years – Lets Do Another Ten,” it reads. Leiren sold the guitar to Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars. Sotheby’s’ said Mars played it extensively while recording the band’s album “Dr.
Feelgood” as well as other recordings. Van Halen himself played the guitar at concerts in the U.S. and South America, based on photo evidence.
“This guitar is amongst his most iconic and identifiable instruments, encouraging copies from other manufacturers and inspired generations of fans to design their own instruments,” Sotheby’s said. Included in the auction lot is the factory Kramer case and a letter of authenticity from Mick Mars.
“Hope you enjoy it as much as I did,” said Mars. “Also it’s a great piece of history.”