Kurt Cobain's Guitars Now: Fender Stratocaster

Showing posts with label Fender Stratocaster. Show all posts

5.20.2011

White Fender Stratocaster

One of two white Fender Stratocasters mentioned at http://www.kurtsequipment.com/ It is currently on display at the EMP's dedicated Nirvana exhibit. Long time friend of the band Rob took the photo above and hooked us up with this info:

"The story on the white Fender Stratocaster is that it shows up in Kurt's arsenal late 1991. It is first destroyed in Ghent, Belgium 11/23/91. It is repaired (new neck, pickguard, etc.) Then it sees it's final destruction 9/11/92 at the Seattle Center Coliseum show."

Videos

1. MTV Music Awards performance

2. Kurt smashing white Strat in 1991 Ghent, Belgium

Source

Rob

http://www.kurtsequipment.com/

5.13.2009

Vandalism Stratocaster

Vandalism Fender Stratocaster

The most famous use of this guitar was at the 1991 Reading Festival.

The second famous use of this guitar was at The Paramount Theatre in Seattle 10/31/91.

This guitar is being lent to the Experience Music Project for a dedicated Nirvana exhibit. After Kurt's death the guitar was still in pieces. It was put back together by Earnie Bailey, Nirvana's guitar tech. It is currently on display at Seattle's Experience Music Project.

The sticker came from an Arizona band called The Feederz.

The guitar had at least one neck replacement, possibly more.

The necks ranged from Fender Japan, Kramer, and at one point a Fernandez Strat neck.

The gentleman in the photo holding the guitar is famed guitar builder Kevin Burkett of Electrical Guitar Company.

The complete photos can be seen by clicking on the links below.

This guitar was also used on one of Kurt Cobain's favorite moments on stage, playing Molly's Lips with Eugene Kelly. See video here. Kurt was quoted saying; "that was one of the greatest moments in my life".

2.05.2009

Fernandes Stratocaster

Smashed by Dave Grohl at the 1992 Reading Festival. Currently owned by The Hard Rock Cafe. Over the years this guitar has made it's rounds across different Hard Rock Cafes across the globe. It was also lent to be displayed at the Reading Museum during the 2004 Reading Festival. At one point the frame and placement within the frame were changed. The photo above is it's former frame. I personally like this old frame arrangement better because you can see ghostly remains of the guitar's structure. See links below to see it in it's current frame.

The smashed Fernandes Stratocaster has been on display at the Hard Rock in Orlando, FL, London, UK, and as of 2007 Boston, MA.

2.01.2009

Sunburst Fender Stratocaster

On display in Seattle at the Experience Music Project. Alongside Kurt's Stratocaster (one of many that he owned) are drums, cymbals and Krist's 1970's Ibanez Black Eagle bass. The photo is from 2004 so I'm not sure if it's still on display.

This may or may not be the presumed sunburst Stratocaster from the 1992 Reading Festival. At the end of the show Kurt does not smash the sunburst Stratocaster. After contemplating throwing it up in the air, Kurt walks into the crowd and hands the guitar to an audience member. See video below (@ 10:02).

My best guess is that this was one of the In Utero end of set guitars. It has a different humbucker in the bridge than the Strat seeing in the Reading footage and the body has a massive crack through the center (typical of Kurt's smash patterns).

Additional photos

here

great close up

Source

Buzznet

Black Fender Stratocaster

Kurt had several of these imported cheaper Stratocasters that he would smash at the end of the set. These were Japanese imported Fender Stratocasters.

Based on the wear patterns of the broken body it matches that of the photograph above from 1991. The body shown above is (as of December 2008) on display at The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, CA.

Here is a video clip of Kurt splitting the body in two and distributing it to the audience. I have no idea how the two pieces were able to reunite after such a journey! (body splitting at 2:39) (update: video removed by YouTube copyright police. Trying to locate another)

Update: This body is currently on display at the EMP's Nirvana exhibit. According to a video on mtv.com with Jacob McMurray, this Stratocaster was smashed during the recording of Endless, Nameless for Nevermind. Here is a photo of the black Stratocaster smashed during that session. Note: body is not split in two.