Eddie Van Halen’s iconic 1982 guitar headed to Sotheby’s auction
Eddie Van Halen‘s iconic 1982 guitar is headed to auction at Sotheby’s for the first time ever.
The late musician’s custom-built 1982 Kramer electric guitar is set to be auctioned by Sotheby’s New York during the house’s inaugural ‘Grails Week’ from October 21, with the estimated sale price said to be between $2-$3 million.
Its design was based on his original “Frankenstrat” axe, with the black and white-striped guitar making its first live outing during Van Halen’s ‘Hide Your Sheep Tour’, which kicked off in 1982.
As detailed by the auction house, Van Halen had visited Kramer’s New Jersey factory to customise the instrument, with photos said to show him wielding an electric drill while working on it.
Later, the guitar was featured in one of the brand’s most famous print ads, where Van Halen can be seen clutching it with pride, with text telling readers: “It’s very simply the best guitar you can buy today.”
It made another iconic on-screen appearance in the band’s ‘Hot for Teacher’ video, with the guitar from that shoot sold for $3,932,000 to an unnamed bidder in 2023.
Van Halen later gave it away as a gift to close friend and longtime guitar technician Robin “Rudy” Leiren, writing a message for him on the instrument that read: “Rude – Its Been a Great Ten Years – Lets Do Another Ten. Eddie Van Halen.”
Leiren, in turn, sold it to Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars, who used it throughout the recording of 1984’s ‘Dr. Feelgood’ album.
The instrument also comes with a letter of authenticity signed by Mars, who wrote: “Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Also it’s a great piece of history.”
“Played during some of Eddie’s most iconic performances and later used by Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars, this instrument connects two giants of heavy metal,” Ian Ferreyra de Bone, Sotheby’s managing director of its luxury division, told THR.
“With its custom build and incredible backstory, it’s a true grail.”
Eddie passed away in 2020 at the age of 65 following a battle with cancer, and Van Halen disbanded in 2020 following his passing.
They entered the Rock & Roll of Fame in 2007, and had released 12 albums in the period from their 1977 signing to 2020, with the Van Halen brothers the two constant members of the band throughout their career.
It was recently revealed that Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Cornell, and Joe Satriani were almost in the running to join Van Halen, with Alex telling Rolling Stone that he and Eddie had met Ozzy with wife and manager Sharon Osbourne to lay out plans for him to record an album with the band.
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Poppy Burton
NME
