Kurt Cobain 'In Utero' Tour Guitar Goes Up for Auction

Published Apr 18, 2016

It may not be as instantly iconic as his pale blue Fender Mustang, but Nirvana fans are being given the chance to bid on one of Kurt Cobain's guitars. A black and white, left-handed Stratocaster used during the band's last North American tour is selling in an online auction. listing for the item notes that Cobain had given it to the seller, Guillaume Enault, at the band's concert at Rennes, France's Palais Omnisport in February 1994. While the six-string made it over to Europe, it's believed that the instrument had not been brought onstage during the trip.Enault was later told by Cobain's guitar tech, James Vincent, that the guitars had been shipped over by Fender "specifically for the end of set jamming and destruction, as they were cheap and they were scared he would otherwise smash his new Mustangs."The Stratocaster was one of five similar guitars that were used throughout the fall 1993 leg of thetour. The guitars were said to have generally been smashed during performances of "Blew" and "Endless Nameless." While some of these were smashed beyond repair, this one survived after Vincent glued the neck back together.You can see Cobain playing one of the Strats below in a clip from the band's 1993 Live and Loud concert for MTV.The guitar is currently valued as high as £100,000 (roughly $183,000 CDN), but bidding on the item begins at £34,000 ($62,000 CDN). You can find out more about the item over here