At the time of Kurt Cobain’s death, the majority of his guitars belonged to his widow, Courtney Love Cobain. In 2019, his 1968 sunburst Fender Mustang, famously associated with Nirvana and known as the MTV Unplugged guitar, was sold at a Julien’s Auctions event for $6 million, making it the most expensive guitar sold at auction to date.
The Mustang guitar was purchased by Peter Freedman—the owner of RØDE Microphones—who plans to tour the guitar around the world and use it to inspire young musicians.
Did Frances get Kurt’s guitar back?
Yes, Frances was eventually able to get Kurt’s guitar back. After Frances’s parents sent her to the police station to file a stolen property report, she and her family were able to track the guitar down.
With the police’s help, the guitar was located at a pawn shop. Though the pawn shop owner refused to return the guitar without being compensated for it, Frances and her family were able to negotiate and eventually got Kurt’s guitar back.
How much did Jim Irsay pay for Kurt Cobain’s guitar?
Jim Irsay, the owner of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, paid a whopping $6,010,000 for Kurt Cobain’s 1959 Martin D-18E guitar in a Christie’s auction in November 2019. This price set a world record for the most expensive guitar ever sold, shattering the previously-held record of $1.8 million, which had stood since June 2019.
Cobain was the singer and guitarist of Nirvana, a band that came to define the equally turbulent and inspiring ‘90s grunge era. The 1959 Martin D-18E was famously used during the 2001 “MTV Unplugged” performance, the band’s last live performance before Cobain’s tragic suicide.
The sale of this guitar was especially meaningful for fans of Cobain, as it represented a valuable piece of his legacy that was now a part of history. Irsay’s daughter noted on social media that her father was a “big fan of Nirvana and Cobain”, and his tremendous admiration for Cobain’s music likely drove the success of this auction.
What is the most expensive Kurt Cobain guitar?
The most expensive Kurt Cobain guitar is the Fender Mustang, which was auctioned off at Julien’s Auctions for a record-breaking $6 million in 2020. The historic piece was used by Cobain during Nirvana’s legendary “MTV Unplugged” performance in 1993 and featured in his 1993 “Heart-Shaped Box” video.
In addition to the unique history of the guitar, the instrument is also rumored to have been adorned with Cobain’s art and further customized with a tune-o-matic bridge, toggle switch, and Seymour Duncan JB Jr. pickup.
The Fender Mustang has become an iconic piece of rockand roll history and is the most expensive Kurt Cobain guitar ever auctioned off.
How much did Kurt Cobain smashed guitar sell for?
Kurt Cobain’s smashed guitar was sold for a staggering $6,010,000 at Julien’s Auctions, during an Iconic Entertainment memorabilia sale that was held in November of 2020. The instrument had been smashed to bits in 1989 during a performance at the UK’s Wolverhampton Civic Hall, and eventually became one of Cobain’s most iconic guitars as a result.
This smashed guitar was a 1965 Fender Stratocaster, and very relevant to Nirvana’s history. It was announced that the guitar, pitted against a range of other items from Cobain’s personal collection, would be the main attraction at the auction before it was sold.
The guitar was bought by collector Peter Freedman, the founder of RØDE Microphones; Additionally, the very same guitar is set to go on tour around the world next year in a traveling exhibition dedicated to Cobain’s work.
What happened to Kurt’s guitar?
Kurt’s guitar was taken away from him shortly after his suicide in 1994. According to Rolling Stone magazine, the instrument was “unceremoniously hauled off to the extra storage area at Seattle’s EMP Museum and rarely displayed.”
The reason for this remained unclear for many years, until the fall of 2017 when the instrument was put on long-term loan from Cobain’s family to the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle (MoPOP).
The final resting place of Kurt Cobain’s iconic guitar couldn’t be more fitting. Not only is it likely the same ’59 Martin D-18E acoustic-electric used to record Nirvana’s breakthrough album, Nevermind, it is also the same guitar he famously smashed at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards.
It was donated by Cobain’s widow, Courtney Love, who was also instrumental in loaning it to MoPOP for long-term display. As Courtney commented on the loan, “Kurt touched so many lives, and I know how much his music meant to so many.
By bringing his guitar back to permanent display at MoPOP, people will be able to see and experience it up close and possibly gain a greater appreciation of his artistry.”
Who owned a blue 1969 Fender guitar?
The famous guitarist and singer/songwriter, John Mayer, owned a blue 1969 Fender guitar. Mayer purchased the guitar in 1999, when he was just starting his musical journey. The guitar ended up being one of his main instruments on his first album, “Room For Squares”.
Mayer has gone on to use his trusty blue 1969 Fender on all of his subsequent recordings and during his live performances. He has even said before in an interview, “My 1969 Fender Strat went out on the road with me from the second I bought it until today, and it truly is my favorite guitar.”
How many guitars Kurt Cobain smashed?
Kurt Cobain smashed a total of 41 guitars throughout the course of his career. The majority of Kurt Cobain’s smashed guitars occurred during live performances. At the end of each set, Cobain would inevitably smash his guitar onstage, leading to the creation of an iconic image.
Cobain’s guitar smashing was an act of artistic expression and a way for him to express his emotions. He had stated that he felt empowered when smashing his guitars and many fans considered it a form of raw, impassioned performance art.
In addition to smashing his guitars onstage, Cobain is also known to have smashed several of his own guitars while in the studio. He once famously smashed his guitar at Pachyderm Studios while recording Nirvana’s third album, In Utero.
According to engineer Steve Albini, Cobain kept smashing his guitar until he was satisfied with the sound of the smashed remains.
What guitar did Kurt Cobain use for bleach?
Kurt Cobain used a 1968 Fender Mustang for most of the recording of Nirvana’s 1989 debut album Bleach. It was his primary instrument on tracks like “About a Girl,” “Blew,” and “School.” The Fender Mustang is an iconic instrument, iconic for its versatile sound and was a favorite of Cobain’s for its combination of classic rock ‘n’ roll and punk aesthetics.
He had modified the guitar with a homemade neck plate and a caulk-filled control cavity to reduce feedback from the pickups and increase sustain. By 1993, Cobain had added Seymour Duncan JB and ’59 pickups, which were more in line with the heavier sound Nirvana would later become known for.
He used the modified Mustang for shows through 1991 and sometimes after, but gradually phased it out in favor of other models, such as the Fender Jaguar, when Nirvana’s sound changed.
