Eddie Van Halen’s long-lost Canadian flag electric guitar is to be sold at auction. It takes a headline slot as part of Julien’s bi-annual 'Played, Worn & Torn: Rock N’ Roll Iconic Guitars' auction, having recently re-emerged after some 30 years away from the spotlight.
Julien's says the return of the guitar – a 1993 Ernie Ball Music Man model – has ignited “a wave of nostalgia and curiosity”. The instrument was built during the period when Van Halen pivoted from Kramer to Music Man, and was notably played during a Canada Day concert in 1993 at Molson Park in Barrie, Ontario.
Around 1990, Van Halen and Kramer ended their guitar-building double act, and a host of companies tried seducing the shred maestro into working with them. Music Man won the battle, and, until about ‘95, EVH enjoyed a fruitful relationship with the luthier, producing his first official signature guitar.
This particular guitar was built in March 1993, and was originally listed as boasting a Purple Translucent finish. Its body – which is fitted with a pair of signature DiMarzio humbuckers – was later given the Canadian treatment ahead of the Canada Day extravaganza.
Footage from the concert shows Eddie rocking the basswood-bodied guitar for the band's encore, churning out the riffs and leads of Jump, You Really Got Me, and Rockin' in the Free World.
Intriguingly, where the guitar has been for the last 30 years is a complete mystery. Fortunately, it's resurfaced complete with a black hardshell case, a ticket for the concert (no longer valid, sorry) and photos of the night. The guitar was also signed by the band.
This particular Music Man, says Julien’s, is “one piece of rock and roll history that has remained absent from the world for three decades”, and stands as “a testament to Eddie Van Halen's meticulous style and eye for craftsmanship”.
Proceeds from the auction, which will take place in November, will benefit the City Of Hope – a leading research and treatment center for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Head to Julien’s for more information.
Other Van Halen Music Man builds have made their way to auction in recent years. The guitar that Eddie played during a studio session with Black Sabbath was sold in 2022.
