Eddie Van Halen’s long-lost Canadian flag 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 .
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 – 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 , and .
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 Fortunately, it's resurfaced complete with a black hardshell case, a ticket for the concert (no longer valid, sorry) and photos of the night.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 .
