Kurt Cobain's Iconic Guitar At Auction. Could Beat All Records
The guitar that belonged to Nirvana's vocalist, Kurt Kobain, was taken out of the Seattle Museum of Pop Culture for the first time since Kurt's death and will be auctioned.
The guitar used by Kurt Cobain in the music video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit," the band’s biggest hit, could sell for as much as 800,000 dollars.
The auction is set to take place from May 20 to May 22 at Hard Rock Cafe in New York, which coincides with Mental Health Awareness Month, and a portion of the proceeds from the guitar and sales of other Cobain memorabilia will be donated to a charity that raises awareness for mental health chosen by the singer’s family.
Kurt Cobain's Famous Guitar At Auction
"This is one of the most iconic guitars ever to come to the auction block, this is the blue Mustang Fender guitar, one of Kurt Cobain's favorite guitars of all time," said Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien's Auctions.
"The guitar comes with its original case and, also, the guitar strap, so that's ... really important to collectors when they come to the auction to know the originality," said Nolan, who noted that the guitar has stayed with the family since Cobain's death in 1994.
Regardless of the sale price, Kicking The Stigma, a mental health charity, will benefit from some of the proceeds.
"The guitar comes with its original case and, also, the guitar strap, so that's ... really important to collectors when they come to the auction to know the originality," said Nolan, who noted that the guitar has stayed with the family since Cobain's death in 1994.
Regardless of the sale price, Kicking The Stigma, a mental health charity, will benefit from some of the proceeds.
Another Guitar Belonging to Kurt Cobain Set the Previous Record
The world's most expensive guitar also belonged to Kurt Cobain.
Sold a 2020 auction at Julien's Auction for 6 million dollars (approximately $ 5.5 million), Kurt Cobain's Martin D 18E set the record for the world's most expensive guitar.
Kurt Cobain sang with it in 1993 during the famous MTV Unplugged concert in New York. The famous guitar beat out the former record of $3.9 million paid in 2019 for a Black Strat that belonged to Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour.
As about the guitar to be auctioned in May, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (the hit that made this guitar famous) is regarded as one of the greatest rock songs ever and is credited with popularizing the grunge subgenre.
As about the guitar to be auctioned in May, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (the hit that made this guitar famous) is regarded as one of the greatest rock songs ever and is credited with popularizing the grunge subgenre.
Last year, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was ranked by Rolling Stone as fifth on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
