The ‘Bizarre’ Story of Dave Navarro’s Les Paul Guitar That Disappeared After He Loaned It to John Frusciante in the 1990s

Back in 1996, Dave Navarro was at the top of his game. He had risen to rock star status with Jane’s Addiction, worked with artists like Janet Jackson and Nine Inch Nails, and was a few years into a new gig with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. So, naturally, Guitar World would want to catch up with him for a cover photo shoot.

This is almost where the “bizarre” story of Navarro’s Les Paul guitar, which he weilds on the cover, begins. It is certainly not where it ends.

Navarro held the Les Paul and a shotgun on the cover of Guitar World’s March 1996 issue

According to Guitar World, the legend of the Les Paul began when Navarro picked it up for a Guns ’N’ Roses audition. The audition never happened, though, and once Guitar World came around, he had already moved on to playing Ibanez, PRS, and F