The Kurt Cobain guitar sold for a world record amount was bought for political reasons, its proud new Australian owner revealed.
The guitar was made famous by it’s appearance in Nirvana’s classic MTV Unplugged set in 1993. It sold at auction on Sunday for a staggering US$6.01 million, making it the world’s most expensive guitar.
The buyer was Australian Peter Freedman, CEO of RODE Microphones. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the purchase was to draw attention to the struggling music and arts industry.
Freedman says he intends to take the Kurt Cobain guitar around Australia to raise money and lobby the government over financial assistance for musicians.
The purchase comes just days after Prime Minister Scott Morrison met with Australian entertainment industry groups to discuss international mobility in relation to tours by performers in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Writing a letter, it’s not going to work. But I can make it work,” Freedman said.
“If you do this sort of move — I’ve got the attention of the entire world now, probably a few hundred million people.”
He’s got the world’s attention, and he’s going to use it
The Australian millionaire says he will also then take the iconic instrument to the USA, UK and Europe to lobby governments there.
“It’s funny, I remember when I had no dough, I’d look at people who had money and I’d think, ‘wow, what must that be like’, and then you talk about an 8 or 9 million guitar — it’s like Monopoly money,” he said.
“People I know are sleeping on the floor, unable to eat. It’s insane. No services, no support, no mental health issue support, nothing.”
“I’d be pretty low if I didn’t recognise that and give some back. I’ve got a great life, I don’t need any more.
“The person who dies really rich dies in disgrace and I sure as shit don’t want to die with a lot of money.”
Kurt Cobain guitar used in legendary MTV Unplugged performance
Kurt Cobain’s guitar played during Nirvana’s iconic MTV Unplugged is a custom 1959 Martin D-18E. The recording was made in November 1993 just five months before his suicide death in April 1994 at the age of 27.
Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York was released on record after Cobain’s death. It debuted at number one in the US and won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.
The USD$6 million paid at auction for it this month makes it the world’s most expensive guitar.
The purchase of Kurt Cobain’s guitar smashed the previous record for a guitar: a Fender Stratocaster which had belonged to Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour fetched US$3.95 million in 2019.
