It is now the most expensive guitar in the world. The instrument used by Kurt Cobain during the recording of the famous concert "Unplugged" by Nirvana, in 1993, was sold on Saturday, during auctions organized by the house of Julien's. Its price: $ 6 million.
The buyer, who was physically present at the sale organized in Beverly Hills (California), is the Australian entrepreneur Peter Freedman, founder of the company Røde Microphones, which designs microphones, said Julien's in a press release. The head of the company immediately indicated that he intended to present the instrument in several cities around the world, the proceeds from exhibitions going to charities supporting the world of entertainment.
Peter Freedman, Founder of RØDE Microphones, won at auction today for $ 6,000,010 the Martin D-18E guitar used by Kurt Cobain in Nirvana's legendary MTV Unplugged performance! #RODE #JuliensAuctions #KurtCobain #Nirvana #Guitar #Auction #MTV #WorldRecord pic.twitter.com/kBCpXwbpdc
- Juliens Auctions (@JuliensAuctions) June 20, 2020The price, of $ 5 million - raised to 6.01 by adding fees and commission -, greatly exceeded the initial estimate of the auction house, which had set the starting point of the sale at a million .
Cobain dethrones Gilmour
So far, the most expensive guitar in history has been a Fender Stratocaster, dubbed "Black Strat," used by British guitarist Pink Floyd, David Gilmour.
It had been sold by the musician for 3.975 million dollars, during a sale organized in June 2019 by Christie's, for the benefit of charitable works.
The semi-acoustic guitar of Kurt Cobain sold on Saturday is a rare model, the D-18E manufactured by the American luthier Martin in only 302 copies, this one in 1959.
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It complied with the rules of the program “Unplugged” (unplugged) from the American chain MTV, which wanted guest artists to use only acoustic or semi-acoustic instruments.
A legendary concert, six months before his suicide
The concert, recorded in New York on November 18, 1993, corresponds to the peak of Nirvana, the most striking rock group of the 90s, which crystallized around it a musical movement, grunge. The stage performance took place less than six months before the suicide, on April 5, 1994, of Kurt Cobain, depressed and addicted to heroin.
SOLD for $ 6,010,000! A new world record for a guitar! Kurt Cobain's guitar used with Nirvana's MTV Unplugged!
Sold in our “Music Icons” auction taking in Beverly Hills and live at https://t.co/TiME89uOXn!
#Auction #JuliensAuctions #RockNRoll #KurtCobain #Nirvana #WorldRecord pic.twitter.com/ZbNg13yUHu
The guitarist and singer will not have known the publication of "Unplugged", which was going to rise to the first rank of the sales of discs as of its exit, in November 1994. According to the specialized magazine Billboard, it passed more than five million copies in the United States alone.
The guitar was sold with its case, personalized by Kurt Cobain, as well as three luggage deposit tickets.
At the end of October, the legendary olive green cardigan worn by Kurt Cobain during the recording of the same "Unplugged" had been sold for 334,000 dollars, during auctions also organized by Julien's Auctions.
VIDEO. A legendary Kurt Cobain guitar at auction