Kurt Cobain 'Unplugged' Guitar Up for Auction at $1m

[CaaC (John) 2,573]

Decades after grunge's reluctant poster boy took his own life, Kurt Cobain's guitar played during his legendary MTV Unplugged performance is hitting the auction block at a starting estimate of $1 million.

The retro acoustic-electric 1959 Martin D-18E Cobain strummed for Nirvana's career-defining performance in New York -- just five months before his shock death at age 27 -- will be open to the highest bidder the weekend of June 19th in Beverly Hills and online via Julien's Auction's.

Considering the starting estimate of $1 million for Cobain's guitar, it will likely go for more than double that of a guitar that played a key role in Bob Dylan's artistic evolution from folk to rock, which in 2018 fetched just under half a million.

Nirvana's acoustic performance during the taping for the popular MTV Unplugged series on November 18th, 1993 became what is considered one of history's greatest live albums.

It included renditions of Nirvana's hits "About A Girl" and "Come As You Are" along with covers including David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World."

The guitar will be on display in the front window of London's Piccadilly Circus Hard Rock Cafe starting May 15 until May 31.

Other Cobain memorabilia going up for sale includes a black custom-made and smashed Fender Stratocaster guitar played during 1994's In Utero Tour -- starting at $60,000 -- and a metallic silver lame long-sleeve button-down shirt the artist wore in the 1993 "Heart-shaped Box" music video, starting at $10,000.

In October 2019 Cobain's iconic cigarette-singed cardigan worn during the "Unplugged" performance sold for $334,000.

And a paper plate Cobain had eaten pizza off of -- and then written a Nirvana setlist on for a performance at Washington's intimate 9:30 club -- that same year went for $22,400.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/cobain-unplugged-guitar-up-for-auction-starting-at-dollar1-million/ar-BB13YV8t

[Machado 1,245]

 David Gilmour's black Stratocaster sold for $3.9 million at auction in New York which is a record for a guitar.

 

I was wondering who put it for auction and it looks like Frances Cobain's ex-husband owns the guitar. She had given it to him and he kept it as part of the divorce settlement. Nasty way to get wealthy.

[Mel81x 2,175]

"Other Cobain memorabilia going up for sale includes a black custom-made and smashed Fender Stratocaster guitar played during 1994's In Utero Tour -- starting at $60,000 "

WTF 

[Dr. Gonzo 4,481]

How much for a Jag-Stang?

[CaaC (John) 2,573]

34 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

How much for a Jag-Stang?

LINK

[Dr. Gonzo 4,481]

1 hour ago, CaaC (John) said:

LINK

I meant one owned by Kurt 

[CaaC (John) 2,573]

22 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

I meant one owned by Kurt 

More than likely one of his family has a few hidden away somewhere.

[Machado 1,245]

Sold for $6 million which is a record for any guitar.

[Mel81x 2,175]

Phew 6 mil is no joke and those guitars are pretty expensive to start out with. Wonder why they have two pickups in the most oddest of positions and why the hole of the guitar is left completely wide open for more jarring noises as I cant remember anything on the unplugged album sounding that way.

And now I know after reading this

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?100666-kurt-cobain-MTV-acoustic-pickups

For your reading @Dr. Gonzo considering you were looking at pups a while ago. 

[Dr. Gonzo 4,481]

Clapton’s Slowhand strat is for sale!

Quick, everyone give me some money.

[CaaC (John) 2,573]

1 hour ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Clapton’s Slowhand strat is for sale!

Quick, everyone give me some money.

Doing the lottery tomorrow night so I will bid for you when I get my millions.  

 

Eric Clapton's 1954 Fender Stratocaster has been put up for auction. With the opening bid set at an eye-watering $1 million, it is expected to be one of the world's most expensive electric guitars.

Nicknamed Slowhand, the Strat is a rare non-tremolo model that Clapton tuned to open G and used extensively in the studio an on stage for slide parts, notably opening his 1979 sets with the toe-tapping Tusla Time and Early In The Morning. It was on regular rotation until circa 1985.

The serial number reads 7431. Under the neck-butt, it reads "T-G-54" in pencil, "TG" standing for Tadeo Gomez, the Fender employee who shaped the neck.

Spec-wise, there are a trio of Strat single-coils, which if they are original '54 models – the year the Strat was launched – they should have Alnico magnets, staggered hand-bevelled pole pieces, heavy-gauge Formvar magnet wire and magnificent dynamics. 

https://www.musicradar.com/news/bidding-starts-at-dollar1-million-as-eric-claptons-1954-fender-stratocaster-slowhand-is-up-for-auction

[JoshBRFC 646]

Imagine having that much money to pay 6 mill for a guitar ffs. 

So many better things i could spend 6 million on... like crisps.... and alcohol.

[Mel81x 2,175]

There's something non-qualifiable money-wise when you play a good Strat. I used to think it was the way Fender took care of the way they made their necks or the attention to creating such nice palm-space on the bodies but as I got older I can't really pin-point what it is. I hope that guitar sells for around 4mil as well. 

[6666 848]

On 26/11/2020 at 15:19, Dr. Gonzo said:

Clapton’s Slowhand strat is for sale!

Quick, everyone give me some money.

Clapton's popularity seems to be going downhill today...

[Dr. Gonzo 4,481]

1 hour ago, 6666 said:

Clapton's popularity seems to be going downhill today...

Clapton’s got a long history of saying/doing stupid things. I probably wouldn’t like him if I met him and sat down to talk with him about anything other than guitar tbh.

Absolute legend on guitar though. And those 50s Strats are “holy grail” guitars.

[Mel81x 2,175]

On 28/11/2020 at 03:14, Dr. Gonzo said:

Absolute legend on guitar though. And those 50s Strats are “holy grail” guitars.

Put aside the fact that this was played by a famous artist. If you try and get any of the production line ones you can see prices as high as 250K for them. Of course no one is selling them because most of the owners are actual people who play them but that is some serious money for a first-of-a-kind which then went on to become almost a standard in the industry. 

[Dr. Gonzo 4,481]

Lol it failed to receive a single bid.

[Mel81x 2,175]

9 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Lol it failed to receive a single bid.

Just wait till he passes away (I know thats a horrible thing to say). They'll all come crawling out of the woodwork because its price will certainly go up.