Kurt Cobain’s Skystang I guitar, which he used during the last Nirvana concert before his 1994 death, was auctioned off in Nashville for $1,587,500, equivalent to £1,271,730.
The late frontman played his blue Fender Mustang electric guitar throughout Nirvana’s tour from 1993 to 1994, including their last concert with him at Terminal Einz in Munich in March 1994, just a little over a month before his passing.
The New Owner With A Vision For Rock’s Future
Mitsuru Sato, a businessman from Japan, purchased the guitar through a phone bid at the auction hosted by the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville. Sato intends to establish a cafe featuring museum-style exhibits, where he will show the Skystang I and other renowned musical instruments, making them accessible for public interaction and viewing. He said in a statement:
“I want to pass on rock to the next generation in a real way. We would like to use this guitar to support the next generation aiming to pursue music.”
The Significance Of Cobain’s Skystang I
Executive Director of Julien’s Auctions, Martin Nolan, also commented on the auction, saying:
“This is a really incredible historic guitar. Of course, it’s Kurt Cobain. It’s his Fender Mustang. It’s his SkyStang 1 guitar, his workhorse, his most played guitar of all time.”
Charity Aspect And Previous Auction Success
A part of the proceeds from the Skystang I guitar auction will be donated to Kicking The Stigma, a mental health awareness campaign initiated by The Indianapolis Colts and the Irsay Family. This blue left-handed Fender Mustang electric guitar, which was once owned by Cobain’s older brother, Chad, is accompanied by its original guitar strap and strings.
Last year, Kurt’s famous 1969 Fender Mustang electric guitar, used in Nirvana’s 1991 ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ music video, was also sold for almost $5 million at Julien’s Auctions. The Jim Irsay Collection in Indianapolis won the guitar in a global auction, with bidders participating online and by phone. It fetched around $4.5 million, greatly exceeding its initial estimate of $600,000.
