Guitarist Jerry Cantrell got a treasure trove of gear from Eddie Van Halen after they became friends during Van Halen’s For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Tour in the early 1990s. The two bands hit the road together in 1991, and Cantrell met the legendary guitarist just before going onstage for the first show.
“The first time I met Ed Van Halen, I was getting ready to open for his band,” Cantrell recalled. “He was in my pit with his wife Valerie and their son Wolfie. He had his guitar on and was running scales, saying, ‘Hey, dude, what’s up?’ I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’” The encounter left him starstruck. “I think it was probably the worst show I ever played because I couldn’t stop thinking, ‘He’s right there!’ I couldn’t focus,” he admitted.
As the tour continued, Cantrell and Van Halen grew close. They jammed backstage and shared stories about their gear. Cantrell was particularly impressed with the Peavey 5150 amps and Ernie Ball Music Man EVH signature guitars that Van Halen used. When Cantrell asked if he could buy one at a discount, Van Halen replied, “F* that dude, I’ll just give you a guitar! Nobody gave me anything when I couldn’t afford it, so let me do that for you.”
When the tour ended in mid-1992, Cantrell was staying with Alice in Chains manager Kelly Curtis. Upon returning, Curtis had some news. “Hey man, welcome home. You had a good tour? Now you can relax. But can you clear your stuff out of my garage? I need to put my car in there,” he said. Curtis then revealed that Eddie Van Halen had filled the garage with guitars, amp heads, and cabinets. “I haven’t been able to park my car in my garage for months,” he joked. It was an incredible gift from Eddie.
