JERRY CANTRELL’S MISSING “MAN IN THE BOX” GUITAR HAS BEEN FOUND

Alice in Chains legend apologizes for “crying wolf”

photograph by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images

UPDATE: Jerry Cantrell’s missing guitar has been found! Hear all about it from the man himself:

ORIGINAL STORY: Jerry Cantrell’s most iconic Alice in Chains guitar went missing over the weekend, and the grunge god is now offering a reward for the instrument’s safe return.

Cantrell shared the news on Instagram, explaining that his classic, 1984 “Blue Dress” G&L Rampage — the one he’s played on nearly every Alice in Chains recording — might’ve been boosted from his car in Los Angeles or San Bernardino/Highland. It was being kept inside a black G&L-branded gig bag, and has the serial number G016467.

The iconic axe had been a mainstay of Cantrell’s since he purchased it in 1985. In addition to being one of his live guitars, it was introduced to the world at large in AIC’s breakout “Man in the Box” video. While he’d eventually retire the guitar from the road — G&L would create a reproduction for him in the late ’00s — the original Rampage nevertheless left an impact on studio recordings.

As he explained in an interview in 2020, as the guitar was hanging in Seattle’s MoPop Musuem, “That guitar has been on everything I’ve ever recorded, pretty much – 98.9 percent of every song, that guitar’s on there somewhere.”

The guitar features some unique markings, like a pair of stickers on the front advertising Seattle’s KISW radio station, who championed the band early on by playing their demo tape, as well as a big ol’ Soundgarden Louder Than Love bumper sticker on its back. The inspirational quote “This is your life” on the headstock was taped there by Cantrell, to motivate him to keep at his music.

“We’re offering a reward to anyone who can help us locate the guitar,” the post added. “We sincerely appreciate your help.”