Jason Becker is selling the guitar Eddie Van Halen gave him in 1996 to raise money for ALS care

Back in August 1996, Eddie Van Halen paid a visit to guitarist Jason Becker, who was diagnosed with ALS – a rare neurological disease that affects motor neurons – some years prior. The visit – which thereafter yielded a lasting friendship between the pair – saw Van Halen gift Becker a Peavey EVH Wolfgang electric guitar.

Now, it’s been revealed that Becker is selling the guitar in order to pay for his care, which reportedly costs upwards of $100,000 per year.

YouTuber The Neurotic Guitarist – whose real name is Benny Goodman – is brokering the sale to ensure Becker gets the best price and avoids fees often associated with auctions.

In a video promoting the sale on his YouTube channel, Goodman shares some footage of pair’s meeting recorded by Becker’s family. Watch it below:

In the footage, Van Halen can be seen talking Becker through the guitar. He explains, “This is the 69th one. The first 100 I personally checked. I named it after my son, Wolfgang”.

He then demos his D-Tuna and plays the guitar, before signing it. He wrote, “Jason. We will play guitar together in the future. Love – from heart to your soul. Eddie Van Halen, ’96”.

The guitar only began production in the second half of 1996, so Becker would have been one of the first owners of the Eddie Van Halen’s signature Wolfgang guitar. Jim DeCola, the chief designer at Peavey at the time, has confirmed that the guitar up for sale was one of the first 100 produced.

Developed by both DeCola and Van Halen, the guitar features a basswood body, quilted maple neck, Floyd Rose vibrato with D-Tuna, and two EVH/Peavey-designed humbuckers. Not only is the guitar signed by Van Halen, but it also has Becker’s thumbprint on the back of its neck, so it’s an ideal buy for any guitar aficionado with more disposable income than most.

“Eddie was such a beautiful person,” Becker said in 2020 following Eddie Van Halen’s death. “He was incredibly kind to me and my family. Not only was he my biggest influence, he had such a huge heart. He honestly saved my life.”

If you’re interested, you can contact Benny Goodman via his YouTube channel.