John presumably bought this guitar in the early 2000s and began using it during the 2001 tour as a backup for his main 1962 Stratocaster (see Rock in Rio 2001). However, it was used only briefly, as John apparently didn’t find it practical for regular use.
There’s a cool white early-’60s Strat that was rented to me at one point for some reason, and I just had such fun playing that I bought it. But it ended up not really being able to alternate with my other guitars; it’s the kind of guitar you can have some fun on, but it’s not really practical.
VintageGuitar.com
It’s important to note that this is not the same white Strat John used during the Stadium Arcadium tour. For more about that guitar, check out John Frusciante’s 1961 Fender Stratocaster (White).
What happened to this guitar after 2001 is unknown, but it was photographed for Vintage Guitar magazine’s April 2009 issue (John Frusciante Red Hot On The Empyrean). Clearly, John decided to keep it well past 2001, even if it wasn’t practical for him to use regularly, just as he mentioned in the interview.
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