Eddie Van Halen’s Legendary 1982 Kramer Guitar Could Fetch Up to $3 Million at Auction

Van Halen fans had best get ready to jump on a lot at Sotheby’s this fall.

An iconic electric guitar custom-built and played by the late, great Eddie Van Halen will lead the auction house’s first Grails Week in New York this October, where it is expected to hammer down for between $2 million and $3 million.

The 1982 Kramer axe graced the hands of not one but two legendary musicians, making it a true piece of rock ‘n’ roll history. It was extensively played by Van Halen on his rock band’s tours in 1982 and ‘83, appearing onstage at concerts in Philadelphia, Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina. It has, of course, been photomatched to multiple performances.

Sometime between 1985 and 1986, Van Halen gifted the instrument to his friend and guitar technician Robin “Rudy” Leiren. (The body features an inscription from Van Halen to Leiren, in fact.) He later sold it to Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars, who used it during the recording of his heavy-metal band’s Dr. Feelgood album. The current owner is not known and has requested anonymity.

“Eddie Van Halen’s influence on modern guitar playing is immeasurable and this guitar is a rare piece of that legacy,” Ian Ferreyra de Bone, Sotheby’s managing director, luxury division, said in a statement. “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.”

The Kramer is based on the famous “Frankenstrat” Van Halen built from different guitar parts in 1975. He modified many guitars throughout his career, tailoring the instrument to his needs and tweaking everything from neck lengths to fret heights to improve performance. Photographs included in the sale show Van Halen working on this particular guitar at the Kramer factory in Neptune, New Jersey. (It was also featured in a Kramer ad.)

The fact that Van Halen customized his guitars set him apart from his contemporaries, allowing him to create a sound and look that was unequivocally unique. The red Kramer is spray-painted with his signature black and white stripes, giving the guitar a very punk rock feel. To add to that, the instrument shows extensive wear from a lifetime of shredding.

“With its custom build and incredible backstory, it’s a true grail—exactly the kind of piece we had in mind for Sotheby’s first-ever ‘Grails Week,’ which shines a spotlight on the most sought-after treasures from music, film, TV, and comics and puts Sotheby’s right at the center of pop culture,” adds Ferreyra de Bone.

The guitar will be on display in Monterey, California, from August 13 to 16, marking the first time it has appeared publicly since Van Halen played it in concert over 40 years ago. It will then star in Sotheby’s Rock & Pop auction on October 24. The axe is poised to fetch a pretty penny, too: Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” guitar sold for $3.9 million in 2023, proving that rockers really will jump on his instruments.