One of the most celebrated instruments ever wielded by the late guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen—a 1982 Kramer—will soon cross the auction block, with estimates placing its sale price in the multimillion-dollar range.
New York’s Sotheby’s will present the guitar during its inaugural Grails Week, running October 21–28 this fall. Bidding opens online and in New York City as part of the specialized Rock & Pop sale.
This striking electric guitar, emblazoned with the black-and-white stripes that echo Van Halen’s famed 1975 “Frankenstrat,” was a tour staple between 1982 and 1983, delivering the blistering solos that helped define his signature sound.
According to Sotheby’s, Van Halen himself visited Kramer’s New Jersey workshop to personalize the instrument—reportedly even wielding an electric drill to reconfigure its hardware. The guitar later starred in a classic Kramer advertisement, with Van Halen declaring, “It’s simply the best guitar you can buy today.”
After the tour, Van Halen gifted the guitar to his tech, Robin “Rudy” Leiren, inscribing it: “Rude – It’s Been a Great Ten Years – Let’s Do Another Ten. Eddie Van Halen.” Leiren subsequently sold the instrument to Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars, who tracked portions of the band’s first No. 1 album, 1989’s Dr. Feelgood, with it.
Exhibiting clear signs of extensive playwear, the guitar is accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Mars: “Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Also, it’s a great piece of history.”
Sotheby’s estimates its final hammer price at $2–3 million, consistent with the trajectory of past Van Halen auctions. In 2020, a trio of his guitars fetched $422,000 collectively, while in 2023, a similar striped model from the “Hot for Teacher” video commanded $3.93 million.
Co-founder and lead guitarist of Van Halen since 1972, Eddie Van Halen remained at the band’s helm until his passing in October 2020 after a prolonged battle with cancer.
