This 1961 Fender Stratocaster was purchased by John shortly before the release of Stadium Arcadium, likely as a backup for his 1962 Stratocaster.
Specs, Usage
This Stratocaster was made in 1961 and features a fiesta red finish with a rosewood fretboard. The pickups are most likely original, although there’s a possibility John replaced them with Seymour Duncans, as he did in his two main Strats, though it’s worth noting that only his ’54 Strat had Seymour Duncans installed.
John used this guitar extensively during the Stadium Arcadium tour and referred to it as his third favorite guitar as of around 2009. He continued using it on the recent tours as well, after he rejoined the band in 2019.
My main Strat is a sunburst ’62, my second favorite is a sunburst ’57, and my third is a red ’61.
John Frusciante – Red Hot On The Empyrean
In recent years, the guitar has reportedly been kept tuned to E-flat standard and used for live performances of “Black Summer” – including on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and at the FireAid benefit concert in 2025.
Reader corrections
Fixes readers spotted and helped us make to this page.
- Added a note that the Fiesta Red '61 Strat has recently been used live in E-flat standard tuning for performances of "Black Summer".
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