Before the Red Hot Chili Peppers show at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois on May 28th 2012, RHCP Guitarist Josh Klinghoffer stopped by The Chicago Music Exchange Music Store looking for a ’59 Fender Stratocaster with a rosewood fret board and a different neck than the ’58 he’s currently touring with. Chicago Music Exchange’s Dan Wean showed him their early pre-CBS Strat collection. As soon as he had the 1959 Sunburst Stratocaster in his hands he knew it was the one. He went into one of their amp rooms and returned saying it was the “best guitar I’ve ever played”.
In the end Josh ended up buying a 1959 Sunburst Stratocaster, a 1973 Blue Ice Metallic Fender Coronado and a Semie Moseley signed ’65 Mosrite bass!
Josh invited the staff at the store to the Chili Peppers Allstate show where they witnessed him play the ’59 on almost all of the band’s hits. His immediate attachment to this guitar comes as no surprise to the staff at CME; this particular ’59 was rescued from a burning house by its original owner. CME shared this history with Josh and after the show he told them that when he was playing he “felt the mojo” that the ’59 possesses.
Read more about the Guitars Josh bought on the Chicago Music Exchange’s Blog
Thanks to Doooug for the article.






…i’m really, really impressed by his choice to use vintage/classic guitars!! it proves [again] that he knows music as a historical art.
….hmmm, what’s he gonna do with his old one?
<3