Cobain's guitar from “Smells Like Teen Spirit” sells for $4.5 million

Late last week, the guitar that Kurt Cobain used in the video for Nirvana's "Smells like teen spirit" went to the auction block. The 1969 Fender Mustang Competition Lake Placid blue finish electric guitar was estimated to sell between $600,000-$800,000. It ended up bringining in $4.5 million!

According to Julien’s Auctions, “The guitar was acquired by The Jim Irsay Collection in Indianapolis in a bidding war among collectors and bidders all across the globe who participated live at the Hard Rock Cafe® New York, online at juliensauctions.com and on the phone…In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Cobain family is donating a portion of the proceeds of the legendary guitar and select Kurt Cobain items to Kicking The Stigma, the Irsays’ initiative to raise awareness about mental health disorders and remove the stigma associated with these illnesses.”Previously, in June 2020, Cobain’s 1959 Martin D-18E Acoustic-Electric guitar from the band's MTV Unplugged appearance sold for $6,010,000 million, setting new world records for World’s Most Expensive Guitar. That one was estimated to go for one million.