Kurt Cobain’s MTV Unplugged Martin Breaks Record For Most Expensive Guitar Ever Sold
When the green cardigan that Kurt Cobain wore during Nirvana’s 1993 MTV Unplugged concert was sold last year, it went for $334,000, making it the most expensive sweater ever sold at auction. And today, the guitar from MTV Unplugged sold for a record $6 million, making it the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction.
The guitar, a 1959 Martin D-18E with the original hard-shell case decorated by Cobain, was expected to sell for $1-2 million. Bidding reached $1 million before the auction even officially opened, and the winning bid, out of seven total, was $6,010,000. The buyer was RØDE Microphones founder Peter Freedman. The previous record for most expensive guitar a Black Stratocaster owned by Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, which went for $3.95 million.
For the past few years, the Unplugged guitar has been subject of an extended legal battle between Kurt Cobain’s daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, and her ex-husband Isaiah Silva. Silva refused to give it back after their divorce, claiming that she gave it to him as a gift, while she insisted otherwise. It’s unclear if Silva was behind the auction, as the seller was anonymous.