Kurt Cobain's acoustic guitar sells for $6 million
June 21, 2020
An acoustic guitar played by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain has been sold at auction for a record $6 million (€5.4 million) in Beverly Hills, California.
The guitar was famous for having been played on Nirvana's 1993 "MTV Unplugged" performance. The subsequent live album is one of the grunge rock band's only acoustic recordings.
The guitar, a 1959 Martin D-18E, was sold to Australian Peter Freedman, owner of Rode Microphones.
Bids opened at $1 million for the record-breaking sale.
Breaking Pink Floyd's record
The guitar was played on November 18, 1993, less than five months before Cobain committed suicide at the age of 27.
Other items sold at the auction on Saturday, as part of the Music Icons event by Julien's Auctions, included a guitar owned by Prince, a belt worn by Elvis Presley and a gown worn by Madonna. While all of these items fetched several hundred thousand dollars, none competed with Cobain's guitar.
The previous record for the most expensive guitar was set in 2019, when Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmor's instrument was sold for around $4 million.
Souvenirs of Cobain's life regularly fetch high figures, but the acoustic guitar marks a new record.
ed/dr (AP, AFP)
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