The 1973 Fender Mustang guitar owned by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, which was played, smashed and signed during two US shows in 1989. During the second show at the Sonic Temple in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania on July 9, Cobain smashed the guitar to pieces onstage during the final performance of the song Blew.
“This rare and sensational artifact is emblematic of the early years of the Grunge icon,” said Julien’s Auctions.
“It makes this one of the quintessential and important Kurt Cobain guitars in rock history.”
The instrument was previously displayed at the Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington between 2007 and 2008 and is estimated at between $200 and $400,000.
More than 1,500 instruments and artifacts that belonged to some of the world’s most famous artists will be auctioned in November 2022. The items, expected to total nearly $500,000, will be part of the Icons & Idols: Rock’ N’Roll from Julien’s Auctions.
They include elements of other deceased musicians, such as Kurt Cobain, John Lennon, Amy Winehouse, Tupac Shakur, Prince, Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley.
