John Frusciante’s Fender Blackface Showman

This Fender Showman amp was possibly used during the studio recording of Scar Tissue and Otherside, as photos show it positioned alongside John’s usual setup. However, it seems this amp was used exclusively in the studio, as John opted for a Silverface Dual Showman during the Californication tour instead.

(talking about Otherside: ) That was a ’55 Gretsch White Falcon through the Showman and a Marshall 4×12 cabinet. For the breakdown section, I used a ’61 Gibson SG Custom into a cranked Marshall JCM 800. I think that’s the best kind of distortion – a humbucker into a Marshall, like Eddie Van Halen.

(talking about Scar Tissue: ) That was my ’55 Strat with the maple neck – most of the basic tracks were recorded with that guitar. I think I ran it through the Showman because the Marshall wasn’t clean enough.

Guitar Player (UK), September 1999

From the second quote, it’s reasonable to conclude that the Showman was likely John’s main amp for clean tones during the recording of the album.