3 Eddie Van Halen-signed Charvel EVH Art Series guitars – and a Masterbuilt Bumblebee replica – hit the auction block

Over the past two years, there have been a number of Eddie Van Halen-signed electric guitars sold at auction, and now Heritage Auctions has thrown four more into the mix: three Van Halen-signed and stage-played Charvel EVH Art Series guitars, and a Masterbuilt Bumblebee replica.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen the Charvel Art Series represented at auction, after Julien’s Auctions sold five signed pieces in May last year and Iconic Auctions sold a stage-played version that same month.

These new three are different beasts, though come from the same range of limited-edition Art Series guitars that were established by Charvel and originally sold on the auction circuit. When they were produced, loose reproductions of the Frankenstrat, Mark II Frankenstrat and Bumblebee guitars were issued and crafted to Van Halen’s exacting specifications.

As such, each Art Series model has the same foundations: a Stratocaster-style body, maple neck and fretboard, Floyd Rose tremolo system, single bridge humbucker and volume control labeled “Tone”.

Each guitar was also hand-striped in production, with the trio of Art Series six-strings on offer serving up three separate, classic Van Halen looks: a red-white-and-black, white-and-black, and yellow-and-black. 

Of course, the provenance of each has been verified via certificates of authenticity, with the guitars arriving in hard cases that come loaded with an abundance of case candy, such as pictures of Van Halen playing them on stage.

The first guitar, the red-white-and-black model, was played on October 18, 2007, in Chicago, Illinois, and was signed to confirm the fact. Later, Van Halen played the white-and-black guitar in Washington DC on November 1, 2007 – again, the signature confirms this – then wielded the final guitar in Washington on December 3.

Notably, the reverse Bumblebee guitar is a particularly rare Art Series piece – the last one sold for $46,717 – with the guitar also arriving with setlists from the night, and a fact sheet on the origins and history of the Charvel EVH Art Series.

Joining the three signed and stage-played axes is a Masterbuilt Bumblebee replica crafted by Chip Ellis in 2019. Said to be in an unplayed condition, the guitar arrives with a Van Halen Live Tour In Japan 1978 and 1979 book, a Van Halen-signed album and a '79 Bumblebee booklet that delves into the history of both Van Halen’s original guitar and the Masterbuilt replica.

All four models have an opening bid of $10,000, and carry a Buyer’s Premium of $12,500. At the time of writing, there are 24 days left of the auction.

To find out more about the EVH guitars, head over to Heritage Auctions.

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