Two guitars owned, played and partly designed by the late Eddie Van Halen will be going up for auction, Julien’s Auctions has announced.
A 2004 EVH Charvel Art Series electric guitar and a customised electric guitar Van Halen built at his home studio with his guitar tech Matt Bruck and gave to a friend in 1991 will be among the items for sale at the Icons & Idols Trilogy: Rock ‘N’ Roll event starting on December 5.
Both guitars were hand-striped by Van Halen in the familiar style of most of his guitars dating back to the first Van Halen album in 1978.
Each of the guitars is expected to fetch between $60,000 and $80,000 (£46,000 and £61,000).
The guitar great died of cancer on October 6 at the age of 65.
The auction was already being planned at the time.
“As we were preparing for our annual ‘Icons & Idols: Rock and Roll’ auction line-up, we were stunned to hear the sad news of Eddie Van Halen’s passing last week,” Julien’s Auction’s president Darren Julien said in a statement.
“We are honoured to include at this event two of his iconic guitars from his brilliant and blazing career as one of rock’s greatest and most gifted guitar heroes.”
The auction also includes a Fender Stratocaster played, and smashed, by Kurt Cobain on Nirvana’s 1994 In Utero Tour, and a crystal-studded white glove worn by Michael Jackson on the Jackson brothers’ 1984 Victory Tour.