Kurt Cobain’s Guitar Sells For Almost $600,000
Written by Monty Sewell on May 22, 2023
Cash Was Flowing At The Hard Rock Cafe
In New York City a black, left-handed Fender Stratocaster went for $595,000 in an auction that would cement itself in the legends of over zealous buys of memorabilia. Kurt Cobain’s guitar – which he smashed during the recording of the final track of the Nevermind album, ‘Endless, Nameless’ – was the hot topic of the three day auction at the Hard Rock Cafe, going for ten times the originally estimated amount. Though now unplayable, the instrument carries signatures of all three bandmates, including Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic. On the neck of the guitar are the written words ‘Boddah Lives’ which refer to Cobains childhood imaginary friend. Whilst Cobain also penned a message to his friend, the late Mark Lanegan of Screaming Trees which says ‘Hell- Mark! Love, Your Pal, Kurdt Kobain. Washed up Rock Star’. Lanegan died last year, with an unreleased album of him and Cobain covering Lead Belly songs remaining somewhere unknown, lost in the vaults of of the industry. A handwritten setlist from Nirvana’s debut performance of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ on 17th April 1991 also went for a huge $50,800.
Cobain’s Fender Stratocaster
It’s not the first time an extortionate amount of money has been exchanged for an Cobain artefact. Exactly a year ago, what was once described by Cobain himself as his ‘favourite guitar’ went for $4.5 million dollars in auctoin. Having featured on both ‘Nevermind’ and ‘In Utero’ the 1969 Fender Mustang with a sleek, Lake Placed Blue finish was sold to the Jim Irsay Collection with a duel intention of exhibition alongside funding mental health awareness. The Fender Mustang was also use in Nirvana’s breakout single music video of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’.
Hear the iconic ‘Endless, Nameless’ guitar smash album finish below.
