Eddie Van Halen donates a 1999 Wolfgang guitar to charity

Need a last-minute, extra-cool holiday gift? One that will stun and amaze and do a whole lot of good in the world? Well, it won't arrive before Christmas, but if you've got some extra big bucks, you can't go wrong with a 1999 Peavey Wolfgang model guitar - this one from Eddie Van Halen's personal collection.

The legendary guitarist has donated the Cherry Sunburst 5A flame top for auction on Charity Buzz to raise money for the Drop in the Bucket charity. The bidding opened for Van Halen's Wolfgang guitar on Monday, 19 December 2011 and is set to end on Thursday, 19 January 2012.

The instrument was one of the first Wolfgang guitars ever produced and was owned and played by Van Halen from 1999 to 2011. The guitar comes complete with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Eddie Van Halen, and the guitarist will take his Sharpee to the guitar with a personalized message to the winning bidder.

Funds raised from this auction will be used to benefit the charity Drop in the Bucket who provide clean water to schools and villages in Africa by building wells. Eddie Van Halen's donation will aid Drop in the Bucket in expanding their vital programs into the northern region of Bahr el Ghazal region of South Sudan. This area is on the verge of a major humanitarian crisis due to the sudden influx of returnees coming from North Sudan following South Sudan's recent independence.

For more information on the bidding lot on Charity Buzz, click here.

Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar WorldGuitar PlayerMusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.