A Kramer electric guitar played by Eddie Van Halen on tour across North and South America in 1982 and 1983 will hit the auction block this fall, carrying a pre-sale estimate of $2 million to $3 million.
Van Halen’s guitars are no stranger to changing hands for lofty sums: The legendary rocker’s guitar from the classic “Hot for Teacher” music video nabbed nearly $4 million in 2023.
This fresh-to-auction Kramer is based on Van Halen’s iconic “Frankenstein” guitar — he modified the red and white striped instrument himself — and is inscribed to his guitar technician, Rudy Leiren: “Rude — Its Been a Great Ten Years — Lets Do Another Ten. Eddie Van Halen.”
Leiren would later sell the guitar to Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars, who made good use of it during the recording of the band’s "Dr. Feelgood" album.
Along with the guitar, the lot includes a note from Mars, which reads, “Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Also it’s a great piece of history.”
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.