Eddie Van Halen’s 1982 Kramer Electric Guitar Headed to Auction, Expected to Fetch Over $2 Million

Another of Eddie Van Halen‘s famous guitars is headed to auction, and it’s expected to fetch big bucks.

Southeby’s will be auctioning off Eddie’s iconic 1982 Kramer electric, played by the late shredder on Van Halen’s tours in 1982 and 1983. The auction house is projecting the axe to sell for between $2-3 million during Sotheby’s inaugural Grails Week (October 21st to the 28th).

Based on Eddie’s original “Frankenstein” guitar, the Kramer was modified by EVH himself during a trip to the Kramer factory in Neptune, New Jersey. Photos depict him working on the guitar with an electrical drill at one point, and he adorned it with his trademark black-white-and-red striped design.

Eddie would later inscribe the guitar to his tech, Rudy Leiren: “Its Been a Great Ten Years – Lets Do Another Ten. Eddie Van Halen.” Leiren then later sold the guitar to Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars, who used it extensively during the recording of the Dr. Feelgood album.

The auction lot includes the guitar, a Kramer hard case, and a letter of authenticity from Mick Mars himself, stating: “… Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Also it’s a great piece of history.”

The Kramer is the latest EVH axe to hit the auction block. Previously, the guitar used in the “Hot for Teacher” music video fetched nearly $4 million in 2023, and in 2020, some of Eddie’s guitars were sold at auction shortly after his death, to the dismay of Wolfgang Van Halen.