Cobain, that green cardigan, and his 1959 Martin D-18E. Thirty years on, Nirvana’s 1993 MTV Unplugged concert remains one of the most memorable sets in music history. As proof, the acoustic-electric axe that Cobain wielded during the gig just sold for a record-breaking $6 million at auction.
The sale, which took place in Beverly Hills on Saturday, garnered a ton of interest from musos and collectors alike. Julien’s Auctions opened bidding at a million dollars, but that was quickly eclipsed, and the winning bid came in at $6.01 million after fees. According to the auction house, the iconic instrument set no less than five world records and is now the most expensive guitar ever sold. The previous record was set in 2019 when a black Stratocaster owned by Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour sold for early $3.95 million
The top bid came from the Australian entrepreneur and founder of Rode Microphones Peter Freedman. The die-hard Nirvana fan intends to take the legendary guitar on a worldwide tour, with all proceeds going toward the struggling performing arts sector.