A posting on Stadium-Arcadium.com confirms that the 30-year-old will replace long-serving guitarist John Frusciante, who announced his departure last month.

An editor of the site wrote: “I've managed to establish contact with Josh through the previous owner of Josh-Klinghoffer.net, Katrina, who has personal contact with him, and was able to get him to reply to an e-mail asking if he was in the band. He confirmed that he is in the band earlier today! Stadium-Arcadium.com now has direct contact with Josh and will be able to bring you updates from him personally in the future!”

It's expected that Klinghoffer will make his live debut with the band on January 29 at a MusiCares show in honour of Neil Young.

Kilnghoffer, who toured with the Chili Peppers in 2007, has worked as a studio musician with an array of acts including Beck, The Butthole Surfers, Neon Neon, Sparks, Gnarls Barkley and PJ Harvey.

He also formed the band Ataxia in 2004 with John Frusicante and Fugazi's Joe Lally and performed with The Bicycle Thief at the turn of the millennium.

Thanks for the report to Gigwise.com.

Though it’s shrouded in mystery, news of yet another "supergroup" project is brewing — this one involving some of rock’s greatest guitar royalty.

Writing Monday (Nov. 23) in his online diary, engineer Kevin Shirley says he’s been recording with Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford and "many other" guitarists for some "high profile projects" about which he’s "sworn to secrecy."

Shirley, who engineered Led Zeppelin’s How The West Was Won, goes on to say that in January he’ll be "producing what has the promise to be one of the most exciting ‘supergroups’ to come around in a long time."

"[However], theory is just that," Shirley writes, "until we see how the dynamics play out in the studio between these superb musicians. And of course the songs will make the real difference."

Shirley also says he’ll soon be "remixing one of Classic Rock’s seriously classic albums." Given that next year marks the 40th anniversary of such landmark discs as Santana’s Abraxas, Led Zeppelin III, and Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs, the range of possibilities is wide.

In yet another teasing nondisclosure, the veteran engineer said he’s set "to record one of guitar’s great legends" in December.

Thanks for the report to Gibson.com.