Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Discussion of vintage Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Bass VIs, Electric XIIs and any other offset-waist instruments.
Post Reply
User avatar
jthomas
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1205
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2013 12:44 pm
Location: Downeast Maine

Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Post by jthomas » Tue Apr 12, 2022 2:44 pm

https://www.nydailynews.com/snyde/ny-ku ... story.html

Kurt Cobain’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ guitar up for auction, benefiting mental health
By Karu F. Daniels
New York Daily News |
Apr 12, 2022 at 5:06 PM

The guitar Kurt Cobain played in Nirvana’s iconic “Smells Like Teen Spirit” music video over 30 years ago is headed to the auction block.

Julien’s Auction will put the 1969 left-handed Fender Mustang guitar up for bidding during its “Music Icons” event, commencing both online and live at New York City’s Hard Rock Cafe from May 20 to 22.

Image

The blue 1969 Mustang Fender guitar used by rock icon Kurt Cobain in the 1991 Nirvana music video "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is displayed at the media preview of the "Music Icons" auction, at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, California, on April 11, 2022.

“I’m left-handed, and it’s not very easy to find reasonably priced, high-quality left-handed guitars,” Cobain had said during final interview with Guitar World in 1991. “But out of all the guitars in the whole world, the Fender Mustang is my favorite. I’ve only owned two of them.”

For the past 12 years, the guitar was displayed at Seattle’s Experience Music Project, now named MoPOP Museum of Pop Culture.

The Beverly Hills based auction house is hoping the Competition Lake Placid blue-colored string instrument could fetch $800,000.

The auction of Cobain’s guitar will also include an NFT (Non Fungible Token) of his longtime guitar tech Earnie Bailey discussing its importance. Cobain’s 1964 Dodge Dart automobile, his painting of Michael Jackson, a personally drawn 1985 Iron Maiden “Killers” skateboard and his United Airlines boarding pass are also up for grabs.

And it’s all for a good cause.

A portion of the proceeds for the three-day event will be donated to the Indianapolis Colts and the Jim Irsay family’s national mental health charity’s “Kicking the Stigma” campaign in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month in May.

Irsay, owner & CEO of the Indianapolis Colts, owns an eponymous collection of artifacts from music, pop culture and American history.

User avatar
Highnumbers
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 603
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2009 1:21 am
Location: Orange County, CA

Re: Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Post by Highnumbers » Tue Apr 12, 2022 3:53 pm

The auction estimate is hilarious.

$800K? When the last Cobain guitar sold for $6 million and this one is far more iconic?

This will blow past $2M, especially given that it's a charity auction, maybe even far more. Despite the Jaguar having perhaps more significance to hardcore Nirvana fans, the comp Mustang is THE most iconic Cobain guitar, due to the Teen Spirit video.

I wonder if Jim Irsay himself would bid on it, or is he too Boomer to realize the significance of Nirvana? Most of his collection is firmly in the Classic Rock genre, with maybe Prince being the "newest" artist in there.

User avatar
s_mcsleazy
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 18410
Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:30 am
Location: glasgow

Re: Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Post by s_mcsleazy » Wed Apr 13, 2022 3:16 am

some 90's tech bro is going to buy this. i know it.
offset guitars resident bass player.
'Are you trying to seduce me Mrs Robinson? Or do you just want me to solder a couple of resistors into your Muff?'

User avatar
windmill
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 4398
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:31 am
Location: South Eastern Australia

Re: Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Post by windmill » Wed Apr 13, 2022 4:24 am

We are finding out the answer to to an old OSG question.-, which has been asked on the forum in various ways down the years.

Are guitars solely an artifact of the babyboom generation and when they pass so will the market for guitars or will the Nirvana generation value their idol's guitars as highly as the boomer generation ?

User avatar
FenderBob
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2074
Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:26 am
Location: Milwaukee
Contact:

Re: Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Post by FenderBob » Wed Apr 13, 2022 4:43 am

Fully believe the next generations will support the guitar market and continue placing high values on idol guitars.

Shall we play guess the final bid price? Winner is closest without going over?

I feel like this will go between $10 and $15M. However will place my guess at $12M

Although I never got the chance to see Kurt’s comp stang at the EMP exhibit in Seattle, I am grateful knowing it was there for so many years, allowing so many people access to see it up close. :) Thanks Earnie! Thanks EMP! Thanks Courtney!
Last edited by FenderBob on Wed Apr 13, 2022 4:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
MechaBulletBill
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2808
Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2013 8:16 am
Location: UK

Re: Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Post by MechaBulletBill » Wed Apr 13, 2022 5:22 am

The auction of Cobain’s guitar will also include an NFT (Non Fungible Token) of his longtime guitar tech Earnie Bailey discussing its importance.
:fp: :fp: :k

User avatar
Unicorn Warrior
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3488
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 5:58 pm
Location: Kentucky, USA

Re: Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Wed Apr 13, 2022 5:39 am

Yeah, this is the one. Pretty cool. Hopefully whoever gets it will finally upgrade the bridge to a mastery :D

User avatar
Highnumbers
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 603
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2009 1:21 am
Location: Orange County, CA

Re: Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Post by Highnumbers » Wed Apr 13, 2022 6:22 am

windmill wrote:
Wed Apr 13, 2022 4:24 am
We are finding out the answer to to an old OSG question.-, which has been asked on the forum in various ways down the years.

Are guitars solely an artifact of the babyboom generation and when they pass so will the market for guitars or will the Nirvana generation value their idol's guitars as highly as the boomer generation ?
The most expensive celebrity guitar ever sold was one of Cobain's two years ago for $6 million USD and it wasn't purchased by a boomer.

So if that doesn't answer your question clearly, nothing will.

User avatar
JSett
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 8761
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: Old Hampshire, Old England

Re: Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Post by JSett » Wed Apr 13, 2022 11:55 am

I'm gonna go with $9.4m
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?

User avatar
JVG
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1399
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2015 9:54 pm
Location: Sydney, Straya

Re: Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Post by JVG » Wed Apr 13, 2022 3:02 pm

I’ll submit my guess at US $8.5m.

User avatar
jthomas
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1205
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2013 12:44 pm
Location: Downeast Maine

Re: Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Post by jthomas » Wed Apr 13, 2022 3:36 pm

$9.5 million.

User avatar
smjenkins
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1547
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2010 5:45 am
Location: The Emerald Fucking City

Re: Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Post by smjenkins » Wed Apr 13, 2022 4:08 pm

So the guy who owns Rode bought Kurt's acoustic for $6M. He's 64 and I think that still makes him a boomer.

In any case, I'm going for $10.5M for the comp stang auction price.

User avatar
DeathJag
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2297
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 11:44 am

Re: Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Post by DeathJag » Wed Apr 13, 2022 4:09 pm

$16M

User avatar
FenderBob
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2074
Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:26 am
Location: Milwaukee
Contact:

Re: Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Post by FenderBob » Wed Apr 13, 2022 4:15 pm

Keep them guesses coming! I will see if I can drum up a small prize for the winner.

User avatar
smjenkins
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1547
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2010 5:45 am
Location: The Emerald Fucking City

Re: Cobain's Mustang up for auction

Post by smjenkins » Wed Apr 13, 2022 4:29 pm

FenderBob wrote:
Wed Apr 13, 2022 4:15 pm
Keep them guesses coming! I will see if I can drum up a small prize for the winner.
How about an NFT of this thread? 😂

Post Reply