Kurt Cobain’s electric guitar, which he used in Nirvana’s music video “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” sold for over $5 million at auction.
The Fender Mustang electric guitar was sold to the Jim Irsay Collection of Indianapolis on May 22 at Julien’s Auctions, according to Variety.
The guitar fetched $4.5 million at auction, well above its original estimate of $600,000.
The 1969 left-handed guitar was one of Cobain’s favorites, according to his farewell interview with Guitar World.
“I’m left-handed, and finding fairly priced, high-quality left-handed guitars is difficult. But, of all the guitars in the world, my favorite is the Fender Mustang. He answered, “I’ve only owned two of them.”
Apart from performing live, the late singer-songwriter utilized the guitar in the studio during the recordings of “Nevermind” and “In Utero.”
The guitar was originally on exhibit at the Experience Music Project in Seattle, which is now known as the MoPOP Museum of Pop Culture.
The Cobain family will donate a percentage of the auction earnings to Kicking The Stigma, the Irsays’ campaign to raise awareness about mental health conditions and eliminate the stigma associated with them.
