Kurt Cobain’s acoustic guitar from Nirvana’s iconic 1993 ‘MTV Unplugged in New York’ performance has sold for a record-breaking $6 million (£4.85 million) at auction.
The 1959 Martin D-18E – which was often out of tune – was expected to fetch between $1million (£810,835) and $2 million (£1.62 million) at the online ‘Music Icons’ sale hosted by Julien’s Auctions over the weekend, but it ended up breaking the record for the most expensive guitar.
The priceless instrument – which was bought by an Australian businessman – has now succeeded the black Stratocaster owned by Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, which sold for $3.95 million in 2019, as the most expensive guitar.
The lot came with the guitar case the ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ group’s late frontman Kurt used, which has a poster of Poison Idea’s album ‘Feel the Darkness’ on it, whilst inside is a bunch of guitar strings, picks and a "stash" bag.
Julien’s Auctions’ CEO, Darren Julien, had said: "This important guitar has earned its rightful place in rock & roll history as the instrument played by one of rock’s most influential musicians and icons in one of the greatest and most memorable live performances of all time."
A number of other items belonging to the grunge legends’ late vocalist – who died in April 1994 – were also be up for grabs, including the shirt he wore in Nirvana’s music video for 1993’s ‘Heart-Shaped Box’ from their final album, ‘In Utero’, a smashed Fender Stratocaster used by Kurt on the 1994 tour in support of the record, and the ‘MTV Unplugged’ setlist.
Last year, the cardigan Kurt wore at the ‘MTV Unplugged’ performance was sold at auction for $334,000 (£260,000).
The item – which had been left with stains intact – went under the hammer in New York in October, and is said to be the most expensive sweater ever sold at auction.
According to Darren, the cigarette-burned cardigan is "the holy grail of any article of clothing that he ever wore".
Kurt was found dead at his home in Seattle at the age of 27.
The police ultimately concluded that the rocker died on April 5 from a self-inflicted shotgun wound.