In the May 2022 issue of Total Guitar magazine, John Frusciante revealed that he had installed an Ilitch Hum-Canceling System in his 1962 Fender Stratocaster.
The modification was likely prompted by his decision to revert to the guitar’s original pickups, which he may have found noisier compared to the modern Fender pickups that were previously installed. You can read more about the pickups in his ’62 Strat here: John Frusciante’s 1962 Fender Stratocaster.
Model
ILITCH offers several versions of its hum-canceling system (see ILITCH hum-canceling systems for single-coil pickups). Given that John’s Strat now features a backplate, which it lacked previously, it’s most likely that he opted for the ILITCH BPNCS (Backplate Noise Canceling System). This version integrates seamlessly with single-coil pickups to reduce hum without altering the guitar’s tone.
Yes, the ILITCH backplate is bigger than a standard Fender backplate so the hum-cancelling system in his ’62 is on full display in Guitar Player magazine photoshoot.