From 1994 to around 1997, John lost nearly all of his instruments in a fire that destroyed his house. The few guitars that survived were likely sold, as John was struggling with drug problems at the time.
In his book Scar Tissue, Anthony Kiedis notes that John had no guitar to his name when he rejoined the band in 1998. However, in a 2003 interview with Guitarist (UK), John mentioned still owning his red Fender Jaguar. It’s likely that John didn’t consider the Jaguar suitable for recording or performing live with the band. He specifically said he needed a Stratocaster to record again, which makes sense given his use of a Strat on Blood Sugar Sex Magik.
That said, the red Jaguar holds significance as it was the only guitar John had during the period from 1997 to 1998, leading up to his return to the Peppers. It became his primary practice instrument during that time, helping him rebuild his skills and prepare to rejoin the band.
The major problem was John didn’t even have a guitar to his name. So we went over to the Guitar Center, and I bought him a great old ’62 Stratocaster. John was thrilled by the idea of being back in the band, but he was also scared because he hadn’t played the guitar for a very long time.
Scar Tissue, Anthony Kiedis
I bought that (the red Fender Jaguar) at a guitar store, I think it was Voltage Guitars on Sunset, in 1997. I didn’t have a guitar and then I got some money and that was my Christmas present to myself. Then when the guys asked me to rejoin the band I said that I really need a Stratocaster. So Anthony lent me some money and we went to Guitar Centre and I got one with the rosewood neck. It’s a ’62 and I used that one on practically every track on By The Way.
Guitarist (UK), June 2003 – Universally Speaking
Usage
In terms of studio and live use, John was featured with the red Jaguar on the cover of the September 1999 issue of Guitar One magazine. In the interview, he mentioned using a 1966 Fender Jaguar to record “Around the World” and parts of “This Velvet Glove.” However, this wasn’t his red Jaguar but another guitar borrowed from the band’s recording engineer, Jim Scott.
The red Jaguar was occasionally used live in the late 1990s, most notably during performances of “Around the World,” including the Woodstock festival on July 25, 1999.
You start to sort of associate certain styles of playing with certain guitars I guess. For me the Jaguar is one of the more colorful guitars that I have because the vibrato bar on it is the best one that I’ve ever felt and you can make string noise from behind the bridge and from behind the nut and there are lots of tonal differences and there’s just something about it that feels a certain way to me.
It’s hard to explain but it feels very purple to me, or something. For me that’s my most fun guitar out of it all of them so I think the reason I play it at the performance shows a lot is because those shows are all about for me having fun and and and that’s the funnest guitar I have
John Frusciante Interview (2004)
He still has it. https://www.guitarworld.com/features/john-frusciante-unlimited-love-tracks-rhcp
Californication recording engineer Jim Scott, who’s Jag John borrowed to record Around the World, stated in a recent interview that he and John went out to buy this guitar because John had wanted to buy Jim’s Jag from him and he declined. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but given that John had other Jags in the late ‘90s I think maybe he bought this one for the Californication tour and it was not the one guitar he owned when he rejoined the RHCP. Hard to say though, because he only used the ‘62 Strat with the band in 1998.
Do you have a link to the interview?
And yeah, very hard to say which Jaguar it was exactly. He had a sunburst Jag and a red Strat in early 1997, so I guess he sold them both before Christmas 1997. Whether it was this red 62 he bought then or not, very hard to say.