In an auction held recently, a guitar previously owned by Kurt Cobain was sold for an astonishing $596,900. The guitar had been smashed onstage by Cobain during Nirvana’s Nevermind tour in 1991. The “Music Icons” auction, organized by Julien’s Auctions, took place at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City from May 19th to 21st. Bids were accepted in person, over the phone, and online.
Initially, experts had estimated that the guitar would sell for a range of $60,000 to $80,000. However, the bidding far exceeded those expectations. The identity of the guitar’s new owner remains unknown at this time.
The guitar is a left-handed black Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, features the signatures of all three members of Nirvana—Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl. It comes with a black hard case featuring the words “Abort Christ” painted in white on the top.
What sets this guitar apart are the personalized messages and engravings it bears. Cobain left a note for his close friend, Mark Lanegan, a local music legend in his own right. The inscription reads, “Hell-o Mark! Love, Your Pal, Kurdt Kobain / Washed up rockstar.” He frequently misspelled his name when signing items.
In 1992, Cobain gifted the guitar to Mark Lanegan during the North American leg of the Nevermind tour. Lanegan, unfortunately, passed away in February 2022 due to complications from COVID-19. The two musicians shared a close friendship and collaborated on several songs. They had aspirations to create an album together under the name “The Jury,” but Cobain’s untimely death prevented that dream from becoming a reality. Lanegan held onto the guitar until 2006, at which point he sold it to a private collector.
The guitar still bears the “Made in Japan” sticker on the neck and features unique attributes preferred by Cobain for his live performances. It includes a white pickguard, Gotoh tuners, and a Hot Rails humbucker pickup in the bridge position. Cobain scratched the words “Boddah Lives” into the neck plate, referring to his childhood imaginary friend. Despite being smashed, the guitar’s pickups and electronics are still in working order.
Throughout his time with Nirvana, Cobain often played and then smashed black Fender Stratocasters. Another notable guitar of his has a black pickguard adorned with a white bumper sticker reading, “Vandalism: Beautiful as a Rock / in a Cop’s Face.” This particular guitar, along with a black Fender that Cobain destroyed in the studio while recording the hidden track “Endless, Nameless” for the Nevermind album, has been displayed at the Museum of Pop Culture.
In addition to the sale of Kurt Cobain’s guitar, the “Music Icons” auction featured an impressive array of over 1,200 items owned and used by some of the greatest music artists in history. From legendary acts like The Beatles, Guns N’ Roses, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson, to icons such as Madonna, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Elvis Presley, the auction offered a treasure trove of memorabilia. Exclusive collections from artists like David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, Eddie Van Halen, U2, Tupac Shakur, Judas Priest, Motley Crüe, and Bob Dylan were also up for grabs. Additionally, there were special collections from Amy Winehouse, Bill Wyman, Julian Lennon, Bette Midler, and Phil Spector. The grand finale of the three-day auction event was the sale of property from the special collection of global icon Janet Jackson. This extraordinary event showcased the enduring legacy and impact of these music legends.
The catalog for the “Music Icons” auction, which also includes the winning bids, is still available for browsing online. You can view it at https://www.julienslive.com/auctions/catalog/id/454.
