Eddie Van Halen's iconic 1982 Kramer guitar is set to go up for auction for the first time ever at Sotheby's.
The electric guitar was custom made by Kramer and is set to be auctioned by Sotheby's New York during the house’s inaugural ‘Grails Week’ from October 21.
The guitar is estimated to fetch between $2 million and $3 million.
Van Halen had visited Kramer's New Jersey factory and custom designed the instrument based off of his ‘Frakenstrat’ axe.
Photos show the rock musician with a drill as he worked on the black and white striped design.
The guitar’s first live outing was during the ‘Hide Your Sheep Tour’, in 1982.
But that wasn't it’s only appearance as the famous instrument also featured in a famous print ad where Van Halen can be seen clutching it, with text reading “It’s very simply the best guitar you can buy today.”
Later the guitar made another iconic appearance in the band’s ‘Hot for Teacher’ music video.
The legendary instrument passed a few hands before eventually ending up for auction. Van Halen had given it as a gift to a close friend and guitar technician Robin “Rudy” Leiren, writing a message for him on the instrument that read: “Rude – Its Been a Great Ten Years – Lets Do Another Ten. Eddie Van Halen.”
Leiren then later sold it to Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars, who actually used the guitar throughout the recording of his 1984 ‘Dr. Feelgood’ album
The guitar comes with a letter of authenticity signed by Mars who included a small message: “Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Also it’s a great piece of history.”
The ‘Panama’ singer sadly passed away at the age of 65 in 2020 after a long battle with cancer. He was entered into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
In an interview with THR, Sotheby’s managing director of its luxury division Ian Ferreyra de Bone said: “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.”
