Guitar smashed by Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain sells for nearly US$600,000
- The busted black Fender Stratocaster, signed by all three members of the Seattle grunge outfit, has been put back together, but is no longer playable
- The auction house said it had expected the instrument to sell for US$60,000 at the event in front of a live audience at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City
A guitar smashed on stage by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain sold for nearly US$600,000, several times its original estimate, an auction house said on Saturday.
The busted black Fender Stratocaster has been put back together, but is no longer playable, Kody Frederick of Julien’s Auctions said.
It was signed by all three members of the Seattle grunge outfit as they rocketed to global fame.
The auction house said it had expected the instrument to sell for US$60,000 at the event in front of a live audience at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City.
Instead, it went for US$595,000, Julien’s said in a statement, calling the total “astounding.”
“You can see here the break that took place as he slammed down the guitar, where the neck here kind of connects, as well as down here on the bottom where he slammed the guitar down,” Frederick said.