5 Eddie Van Halen signed and stage-played Charvel Art Series guitars hit the auction block

Not one, not two, but five Eddie Van Halen Charvel Art Series six-strings, signed and stage-played by the late electric guitar legend himself, are set to hit the auction block next month.

Online auction house Julien’s Auctions has listed the five guitars as part of its ‘Music Icons’ lot, which also features guitars signed by Prince, Tom Petty and Stevie Ray Vaughan, with bidding scheduled to take place on June 11, 12 and 13.

The five EVH models up for grabs, which boast the instantly recognizable striped aesthetic, all come with photographic evidence of Van Halen wielding them on stage during various events.

Universal features include a maple neck and fretboard, Stratocaster-style body, Floyd Rose tremolo system, volume control labelled “Tone”, single humbucker pickup and locking nut.

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As is the nature of the Art Series guitars, which were all hand-striped by EVH during production, the six-strings sport unique colorways that pay homage to some of Van Halen’s most iconic instruments.

A red, white and black-striped axe, taking inspiration from the Frankenstein Mark II guitar, is available, and boasts the one-of-a-kind number of "5150" – the name of EVH’s recording studio – painted on the body. 

Two Bumblebee-inspired black-and-yellow striped guitars are up for auction, which were played and signed during shows in Las Vegas in 2004 and 2007. Another Bumblebee guitar boasting a unique reverse colorway, which was wielded during an ‘08 show in Des Moines, Iowa, is also up for grabs.

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The lot’s final offering is a black-and-silver striped axe. Possibly designed in a nod to his own EVH Wolfgang guitar, Van Halen’s Stealth six-string was originally added to the Charvel Art Series lineup in 2012, with the model in question making an appearance during a show in Kansas City that same year.

As well as dating and signing the axe, Van Halen also wrote, “Last one!” which is said to indicate this as being one of the last Art Series guitars he played on stage.

Appearing alongside the comprehensive catalog of Charvel Art Series guitars is a blue Cloud Prince guitar, which was commissioned by the pop icon and built by Andy Beech in 1994.

For more information, head over to Julien's Auctions.

The five guitars in question are the latest Charvel Art Series axes to crop up for auction in recent weeks, after another EVH-signed and stage-played reverse-Bumblebee model was sold by Iconic Auctions for $46,717.