Kurt Cobain’s Fender Mustang from Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Video Is Up for Auction
It appears that Nirvana fans are also pretty hardcore collectors. Anything Kurt Cobain has ever touched has become a historical item the likes of which you and I will never be able to afford. In 2019, a pizza plate that Kurt ate off of and wrote a Nirvana setlist on went for $22,400 at auction. And now, Kurt’s Fender Mustang from the band’s infamous “Smells Like Teen Spirit” music video is up for auction, and while a price hasn’t been listed yet (that we know of), you can bet it’s going to be obscene.
As reported by Guitar World, Julien’s Auctions will include Kurt’s Lake Placid Blue six-string Fender Mustang as in their three-day Music Icons event, which goes down May 20, 21 and 22 as part of Mental Health Awareness Month. A portion of the proceeds from the auction, along with those from the auction of several other pieces of Cobain ephemera, will go to benefit the mental health charity Kicking The Stigma.
The guitar is famous for being the one that Kurt plays during the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video, which has been streamed over 1.4 billion times on YouTube. Not only that, but Guitar World points out that in his last interview with the magazine, he lists the Mustang as his personal favorite guitar for left-handed players like himself:
“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.”
So how much do we think this guitar will go for? Do we think it’ll break a million? That sounds kind of outlandish, but it’s impossible to remember just how massive the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video was for MTV, Nirvana, and music at large. This guitar isn’t about playing or sound, it’s about image and iconic status. And few instruments are as iconic as this one.
Anyway, we’ll let you know how much some poor sap pays for it. Check out the “Teen Spirit” video below:
