Eddie Van Halen 1982 Kramer Guitar Expected to Fetch Over $2 Million at Sotheby's Auction

An iconic 1982 Kramer electric guitar, famously played by Eddie Van Halen during his 1982-1983 tours and modeled after his original 'Frankenstein' guitar, is set to be auctioned by Sotheby's during their Grails Week event in September 2025. The guitar features Van Halen’s distinctive black-and-white stripe design and bears a personal inscription to his guitar technician Rudy Leiren, who later sold it to Mötley Crüe's Mick Mars, who used it extensively on the 1989 album Dr. Feelgood. The auction lot includes the guitar, a Kramer hard case, and a letter of authenticity from Mars, with an estimated sale price between $2 million and $3 million. This guitar has significant provenance, having been featured in tours, an iconic Kramer commercial, and having undergone modifications by Van Halen himself at the Kramer factory. The guitar will be displayed publicly in Monterey, California, before the auction takes place in New York. This sale follows previous high-profile auctions of Van Halen's guitars, including one used in the 'Hot for Teacher' video that sold for nearly $4 million in 2023.