Van Halen’s six-string legend tuned for million-dollar bidding war

When it goes up for sale, another guitar that was once owned by Eddie Van Halen and then Mick Mars is anticipated to bring in a sizable sum. The Kramer guitar in question has a crimson, black, and white paint job that is comparable to Van Halen‘s iconic “Frankenstein” guitar. Throughout 1982 and 1983, the band’s Hide Your Sheep Tour in promotion of “Diver Down” featured the namesake Van Halen guitarist on the axe. Concerts in Philadelphia, Caracas, Venezuela, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, featured guitars onstage. During Sotheby’s Grails Week (October 21–28), Van Halen‘s guitar will be the focal point of the company’s next “Rock & Pop” auction on October 24. Memorabilia from the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and others will also be up for sale. The instrument is expected to sell for between $2 million and $3 million, according to the auction house.

Eddie Van Halen‘s soon-to-be-auctioned Kramer guitar is adorned with his unique touches. The body was engraved by the late maestro to Rudy Leiren, his guitar technician from the 1980s. Other well-known musicians have also owned the guitar, including Mick Mars of Mötley Crüe, who bought it from Leiren and played it a lot while the band was recording their 1989 album “Dr. Feelgood”. A factory Kramer case and a letter of authenticity from Mars are included with the deal. This is not the first Van Halen guitar to fetch a hefty price at auction. He played a custom Kramer guitar in the band’s “Hot for Teacher” music video, which sold for an incredible $3.9 million in 2023.