For the first time in history, Kurt Cobain’s 1969 Fender Competition Mustang electric guitar will be auctioned off next week in New York and online, with a “very conservative auction estimate” of $600,000 to $800,000, according to Julien’s Auctions.
Nirvana fans may recognize this iconic placid blue finish guitar will be auctioned off from May 20-22 in the 1991 music video, Smell Like Teen Spirit. The auction runs during Mental Health Awareness Month, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale, which includes other items of Cobain, to support the mental health charity, “Kicking the Stigma”.
In Cobain’s final interview with Guitar World, he spoke about the guitar.
“I’m left-handed, and it’s not very easy to find reasonably priced high-quality left-handed guitars. But out of all the guitars in the whole world, the Fender Mustang is my favorite. I’ve only owned two of them."
The guitar has been on display at Seattle’s Experience Music Project, now named MoPOP Museum of Pop Culture, for the past 12 years. It was also photographed and selected for the, The Guitar Collection, a limited collector’s edition photography hardcover book featuring 150 of the most elite guitars of all time including guitars played and used by legends John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Emmylou Harris, and more.
Additionally, on offer will be an exclusive Non-Fungible Token (NFT) with a narration by Cobain’s long-time guitar tech, Earnie Bailey discussing the historical significance of the guitar. The 360-degree digital representation of the axe will be a 1-of-1 edition and will be stored on the blockchain.
For more information, visit Julen’s auctions.
