Jerry Cantrell on His Friendship with Eddie Van Halen and the Ultra-Rare Guitar That Vanished for 18 Years

The story of how Jerry Cantrell received — and eventually recovered — an extremely rare Music Man guitar is a journey that stretched across nearly two decades.

There’s a long-standing belief that some guitarists are better off never meeting their heroes. Mark Knopfler learned that the hard way while working with Bob Dylan on Infidels in 1983. Eddie Van Halen himself experienced a similar disappointment when he formed a friendship with his own idol, Eric Clapton.

But things turned out very differently for Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell. When he and Eddie Van Halen became friends in the 1990s, the connection was genuine and lasting. Still, that friendship was framed by two painful moments: the worst performance of Cantrell’s career and the mysterious disappearance of a priceless guitar Eddie had gifted him.

Playing in Front of a Legend

In the early ’90s, Van Halen were preparing to tour in support of For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. Sammy Hagar personally chose Alice in Chains as the opening act after becoming captivated by their MTV hit Man in the Box.

The tour began in August 1991 and lasted nearly ten months. At the very start of that run, Cantrell experienced what he still considers the most nerve-wracking show he’s ever played — simply because Eddie Van Halen was watching.

“The first time I met Ed, I was about to go onstage. He was standing right in my pit with Valerie beside him and Wolfie in her arms. Ed had his guitar on and was casually running scales, saying, ‘Hey man, what’s up?’ And I’m thinking, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’”

The pressure was overwhelming.

“It was probably the worst show I’ve ever played. I couldn’t get the thought out of my head that he was right there. I couldn’t focus and just wanted it to be over.”

From Nerves to Friendship

After that show, everything changed. The anxiety faded, and a genuine friendship began.

“After that night, it was fine, and we became really close. Whenever Ed came to Seattle, he’d pick me up. We’d go shoot pool, check out bands, or end up in his hotel room playing ‘Name That Riff’ all night.”

A Garage Full of Gear

Once the tour ended, Cantrell witnessed Eddie’s legendary generosity firsthand.

“I came home and was living with our manager Kelly Curtis and his wife, Peggy. Kelly said, ‘Welcome home — great tour. Oh, by the way, can you clear your stuff out of the garage? I haven’t been able to park my car in there for months.’”

The reason? Eddie Van Halen had filled the garage with equipment for Cantrell — including two 5150 amp heads, four cabinets, and two signature Music Man guitars. One of them was finished in Translucent Blue, a color reserved exclusively for Eddie’s inner circle.

“I was standing there trying to process it all, thinking, ‘Eddie Van Halen just filled my garage with gear.’”

The Guitar That Disappeared

Nearly a decade later, in 2000, Cantrell brought that Trans Blue Music Man to A&M Studios in Hollywood while recording his solo album Degradation Trip. That’s when the guitar vanished.

“I never found out what happened to it. I searched for years but couldn’t track it down.”

Found After 18 Years

In 2018, during Alice in Chains’ Rainier Fog tour, a breakthrough finally came. Amp designer Dave Friedman, who had worked with Cantrell on the JJ-100 amp, delivered surprising news.

“He told me there was a collector in Florida who specialized in Eddie’s Music Man guitars and believed he had mine.”

Cantrell reached out and learned the guitar had surfaced online — 18 years after it went missing.

“Only 23 of those guitars were made, and mine had a specific Floyd Rose routing. When he showed it to me, I knew instantly — it was my guitar.”

The situation took another turn when the collector disappeared and attempted to sell the instrument.

A Collector’s Act of Honor

Another collector, Greg from San Diego, stepped in.

“He called and said, ‘This guy is trying to sell me your guitar for about seven grand. He told me his dad worked at A&M Studios.’”

Greg bought the guitar, drove it up from San Diego, and returned it to Cantrell without asking for anything in return.

“He didn’t want a dime. He just said, ‘It’s your guitar, man.’”

Eddie’s Reaction

Overwhelmed with relief and excitement, Cantrell called Eddie Van Halen to share the news.

Eddie laughed and replied:

“I’m really happy for you — but why does that never happen to me? I never get my stuff back.”

Cantrell’s response summed it up perfectly:

“That’s because you’re Eddie Van Halen, man. I wouldn’t give it back either.”