Cobain guitar goes on auction

A black-and-white Fender Stratocaster guitar used by Kurt Cobain for the end-of-concert, instrument-destroying jams during Nirvana's final tour – specifically at the band's February 16th, 1994 gig in Rennes, France – has hit the auction block. The seller has posted the instrument on auction house Cooper Owen with a minimum required bid of $48,500). The Strat is projected to sell for upwards of $140,000.

“This is what I can say about the guitar Kurt Cobain gave me at the end of the 16th February 1994 show at Palais Omnisport, Rennes, France,” the seller writes in his description of the item. “According to James 'Jim' Vincent, Kurt's guitar tech from Dec. 93 onwards, Kurt had five of these lefty black and white Strats, shipped by Fender specifically for the end-of-set jamming and destruction, as they were cheap and they were scared he would otherwise smash his new Mustangs.”

The seller admits that the Stratocasters weren't used as actual instruments during the European tour – his research found that Cobain last used that type of guitar during the band's “In Utero” US tour. They were the guitars subjected to the band's onstage annihilation at concert's end. 

Source: Rolling Stone