“He goes, ‘There’s one condition. You have to come to my house, and I’ll stripe it for you personally’”: That time Eddie Van Halen promised Dimebag Darrell a collectible EVH inspired by his beloved Bumblebee – which he vowed to paint himself

Tim Mosenfelder / Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music via Getty Images
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Heavy metal veteran Nick Bowcott of Grim Reaper fame has reflected on his friendship with Dimebag Darrell, and recalled the time Eddie Van Halen promised to personally paint a Charvel EVH Art Series electric guitar for the Pantera titan.

Dimebag’s respect and affection for Eddie Van Halen is well-documented. Not only did he and his brother, Vinnie, recite the words “Van Halen” before shows together, Dimebag also routinely listened to Eddie’s playing before heading out on stage.

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Matt Owen
Senior Staff Writer, GuitarWorld.com

Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.