As previously reported two of Eddie Van Halen’s custom made guitars went on the block at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills for their annual Icons & Idols Trilogy: Rock ‘n’ Roll Auction.
According to Rolling Stone, the trio of guitars sold for more than $422,000.
Variants of the late rock legend’s Frankenstrat were among the instruments fetching the highest bids of the two-day event. His customized Kramer electric guitar, which he built with his guitar tech Matt Bruck at Van Halen’s home studio sold for $231,250. The winning bid for his 2004 EVH Charvel Art Series electric guitar came in at $140,800. A non-playing prop guitar used by child actor Bryan Hitchcock, who played a young Eddie Van Halen in the band’s Hot for Teacher video, sold for $50,000.
The auction, which sold nearly 900 items, included instruments and memorabilia from a wide array of music icons. Two Fender guitars smashed by Kurt Cobain sold for a combined $281,600, Bob Marley’s first guitar ever to come to auction sold for $153,600 and a mid-1960s Hammond B-3 organ played by Greg Allman garnered $102,400.
Other notable items from the event included Jimi Hendrix’s Octavia pedal used on live album Band of Gypsys ($70,400), a Paul McCartney Texan FT-79 acoustic guitar played and signed by the artist ($54,400) and Pete Townshend’s owned and played first guitar, a 1936 Radiotone cello guitar ($41,600).
Picture of Eddie Van Halen courtesy of Julian’s
2 Responses
Wolfie VH wasn’t happy about this auction, and I agree with his feelings. Regardless of the reasoning of the sellers to auction off these EVH items, in the end it simply smells like capitalizing on the passing of EVH.
Agreed, but sadly this happens all the time.