A Kramer electric guitar played by Eddie Van Halen and given a trademark paintjob by the musician will be auctioned in New York this October.
Sotheby’s will sell the red, white and black instrument as the lead item in their Rock & Pop sale in their first Grails Week. Bidding opens on September 24, with the sales concluding October 21 – 28.
The guitar is Van Halen’s second legendary instrument and is based on the first, his homemade “Frankenstein” guitar.
Van Halen has painted this guitar himself. It is inscribed to his guitar tech, Rudy Leiren, “Rude – Its Been a Great Ten Years – Lets Do Another Ten. Eddie Van Halen”. Leiren sold the guitar to Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars, who played it on records including Dr Feelgood.
The guitar was made for Eddie Van Halen by Kramer in 1982. The guitarist’s original instrument was a home-made attempt to combine the best features of Fender and Gibson guitars.
Van Halen’s guitar in the player’s own finish, said to be inspired by the Dutch De Stijl art movement. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.
Ian Ferreayra de Bone, Sotheby’s luxury division managing director said: “Eddie Van Halen’s influence on modern guitar playing is immeasurable and this guitar is a rare piece of that legacy. 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.”
Photographs show this guitar being used through tours in 1982 and 1983.
In 2023, an Eddie Van Halen guitar, the “Hot for Teacher” model (another custom-made Kramer with a similar paint job) auctioned for $3.9 million in 2023.
Van Halen was formed in 1972 in Pasadena, California by brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen with bassist Michael Anthony and singer David Lee Roth. They released their first record in 1978, and sold over 80 million albums worldwide by 2019. Eddie Van Halen died in 2020 and the band disbanded.
Eddie Van Halen was an extremely influential guitarist, pioneering and popularising the two-handed tapping technique. He played the solo on Beat It on Michael Jackson’s Thriller album, introducing him to a huge new audience.
The Kramer guitar has been extensively adjusted by Eddie Van Halen, whose use of the maker was key in making them a popular instrument, particularly with heavy rock and metal players.
Elsewhere in Grail Week at Sotheby’s, buyers will fight it out for Bob Dylan’s lyrics for Subterranean Homesick Blues (top estimate $600,000), a cymbal used by the Beatles on Please Please Me ($150,000), and the original art work for the Rolling Stone’s It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll ($150,000).
The most valuable guitars in history are both Kurt Cobain instruments. His Smells Like Teen Spirit Fender Mustang sold for $4.5 million in 2022. The Unplugged Martin acoustic realised $6 million in 2020.
The Van Halen guitar is sold with a note from previous owner Mick Mars, reading: “… Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Also it’s a great piece of history.”
