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Kurt Cobain's guitar in 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video to be sold at auction
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Legendary guitar: The blue 1969 Mustang Fender guitar used by rock icon Kurt Cobain in the 1991 Nirvana music video (AFP/Robyn Beck)
T
he iconic blue guitar Kurt Cobain rocked out with in Nirvana’s seminal 90s "Smells Like Teen Spirit" music video is expected to fetch up to US$800,000 when it goes up for auction next month.
With "Smells Like Teen Spirit" racking up more than 1.4 billion views on YouTube, the 1969 blue Fender is arguably one of the most famous in rock, said Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien’s Auctions.
"This is one of the most iconic guitars ever to come to the auction block, this is the blue Mustang Fender guitar, one of Kurt Cobain's favorite guitars of all time," said Nolan, standing beside a display of Kurt Cobain memorabilia at Julien’s Auction’s Beverly Hills showroom.
"The guitar comes with its original case and, also, the guitar strap, so that's [...] really important for collectors when they come to the auction to know the originality," said Nolan, who noted that the guitar has stayed with the family since Cobain's death in 1994.
The Cobain guitar is the star lot in the auction house’s Music Icons auction, taking place in New York, the US, and online from May 20 to 22.
Nolan said the auction house has conservatively estimated a price range for the guitar from $600,000 to $800,000 but noted "that's a very conservative auction estimate”.
The auction house said a portion of the proceeds would go to a mental health charity.
