During Saturday’s auction (5.20) at New York’s Hard Rock Cafe, a black Fender Stratocaster that was once smashed by Kurt Cobain sold for $596,900.00
Sold for significantly more than the estimated price of $60,000-$80,000, the lead guitar was destroyed by the now deceased Nirvana front man while the grunge band was working on their Nevermind LP in the early 1990s.
Though the stringed instrument has been reconstructed, it is no longer playable but has been signed by all three band members – Kurt, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl – in a silver marker, with Cobain’s signature reading “Kurdt Kobain”.
The autographed instrument also featured an inscription from Kurt to his musical collaborator Mark Lanegan, who died last year. According to the auction house, Cobain gave the guitar to Mark during the North American leg of Nirvana’s Nevermind tour in 1992.
Kody Frederick of Julien’s Auctions stated “The man was angry, and you could feel that on stage. And you would feel that by the way he would treat his instruments.”
The singer died by suicide in 1994 and the identity of the guitar buyer was not revealed.
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada