Kurt Cobain's Guitars Now

2.02.2009

Two Mustangs @ Hard Rock - NOT KURTS

Two Lake Placid Blue (LPB) Competition Mustangs

Melbourne, Australia - Hard Rock Cafe

Oslo, Norway - Hard Rock Cafe

These are not the more well-known Smells Like Teen Spirit (SLTS) video Mustang but sure look similar. Furthermore the Oslo HR Mustang is right handed and autographed. Kurt was left handed and did not autograph his own guitars (at least not with his own name).

Perhaps these were fan submitted guitars or another Courtney Love - Hard Rock transaction.

Earnie Bailey, the most qualified expert on Nirvana's gear, has confirmed that neither of these guitars were ever played or owned by Kurt.

Kurt's REAL SLTS Competition Mustang is owned by a private owner and it is currently on loan to the Seattle Experience Music Project. My guess is that it's owned by a friend of the Cobain family (Mark Arm, King Buzzo, someone like that).

From kurtsequipment.com;

"The Australian Hard Rock Cafe claims they have this guitar, but Earnie Bailey says he saw a photo of the guitar they had and it was right-handed. "The photo said that it had come from Courtney. Either she or Eric had a right-handed one exactly like Kurt's, I'm not sure whose it was, but this is mostly likely that guitar." He goes on to say, "The Hard Rock Cafe does not own Kurt's competition blue Mustang. I recently worked on the real one and its present owner allowed me to photograph it in detail. Courtney gave it to him a month after Kurt's death, and it is eaxctly as I remember it, ever nick, ding, and solder joint".

I'd really like to get a copy of the photographs Earnie is talking about!

- UPDATE - GOT EM!!

I'm working on a post regarding Courtney Love's transactions with the Hard Rock. It appears that she sold the Hard Rock curators a boat load of guitars and possessions of both Hole and Nirvana. Some legit and some not. Any leads appreciated. Thanks !

Special thanks to Mike J for the Melbourne HR photo above.

Kurt's Marshall Amp

Marshall JMP-50 guitar amp.

Sold to private buyer by rockstarsguitars.com

From rockstarsguitars.com;

"This Marshall JMP 50 was used by Kurt Cobain on Nirvana's last recording session, January 28-30 1994 while recording "You Know You're Right". This amp is very well documented in interviews and comes with a letter from Robert Lang Studios where this session was recorded. Also included is a letter from Earnie Bailey, Kurt's guitar tech, detailing the complete history of the amp during the recording session and has signed photos of this amp ensuring its authenticity."

1993 Fender Telecaster Custom

Kurt's last favorite guitar was sold to a private buyer by rockstarsguitars.com

Note that on the photographs of Kurt playing the guitar the pickups are different. This is because Earnie had modified the guitar. See quotes below.

From rockstarsguitars.com

"This is the guitar that Kurt wrote his music on and carried with him for months from bus to hotel room to airline toward the end of his career. This guitar was not exclusively used for live performance but more for writing and never left his side. It was used from late 1993 until his death in 1994. It is featured on the cover of the book "Nirvana" and on pages 116-123. There are distinguishable markings on the body that can be matched up perfectly with these photos. It also comes with original prints of Kurt playing this guitar and a notarized detailed letter from a crew member. The pickups, bridge, and tuners were changed at one point, as this was a common practice with Kurt's guitars. This was done by Earnie Bailey, Kurt's guitar tech. This comes with a letter from Earnie detailing the complete modifications done to this guitar. Earnie also supplied the original receipt for the bridge pickup and a letter from Gibson for the neck pickup that he installed, and has signed photos of this guitar ensuring the authenticity of the instrument. And it still has four of the original strings on the guitar."

From kurtsequiptment.com

"Sent to Kurt by Fender in early 1994 . Japanese made. "Fender sent this out for the In Utero tour to replace the blue one. Stock pickups were very shrill. After Kurt's coma in Rome, I thought modifying this guitar would make it a workhorse and get him away from the Mustang-Jaguar image. Hopefully get him perked up. I put on new tuners (Gotoh's - his favorite). A Tele bridge from Stew-Mac with a humbucker cut-out and individual saddles for each string. In the bridge, I put a Duncan JB - black, and in the neck, a new Gibson PAF, potted with a Chrome cover. He got this back 2 weeks before he died, and said it was his new favorite. He used it for the home recordings he was making with Pat and Eric Erlanderson in March 1994 in Kurt's basement. "

Smashed Univox Hi Flier

Smashed October 30th 1988 @ Evergreen State College (WA)

Photo of event here.

This Univox body was displayed at Seattle's Experience Music Project April 2003 to October 2004. Here is a blurry photo of the display from 2004. Looks like the neck was displayed alongside the guitar. If anyone has a better photo of the display please contact me.

Current whereabouts are unknown.

Sources:

Come As You Are by Michael Azzerad

Experience Music Project

2.01.2009

1961 Epiphone Texan Acoustic "Nixon Now"

This guitar was featured in Charles Cross's book "Cobain Unseen".

Photographed by Geoff Moore.

It has been in storage in a private secured lot in Los Angeles (along with the other goodies that were photographed for the book).

For a large color print I recommend you check out the book.

From Rolling Stone;

"The Epiphone acoustic with the "Nixon Now" sticker is a model called the Texan. Kurt purchased this from a Los Angeles guitar shop after he became famous. Kurt's guitar tech, Earnie Bailey, installed the Bartolini 3 AV pickup."

From kurtsequiptment.com;

"Prior to the In Utero tour Kurt's main acoustic was an Epiphone Texan purchased after completing "In Utero" as a replacement for the Stella acoustic. The guitar's adjustable bridge was changed to a lefty flat-top bridge and a standard saddle. Earnie says this was one of the best-sounding acoustics he's heard, and Kurt's best. Despite this he wouldn't use it on Unplugged. Used during the "In Utero" tour on occasion as a backup to his Martin.

Epiphone ET270

There is an Epiphone ET270 on display at a Hard Rock.

It probably wasn't Kurt's but it does have have his autograph on the body. Kurt used an ET270 in the Sub Pop era In Bloom video and on the recording of Bleach. Also used for shows in the 1989 and 1990.

Update:

Kurt smashed his ET-270 at the Pyramid Club in New York.

Photographs depicting the event can be found here.

Thanks you Brian from livenirvana.com for the clarification.

Source

http://www.kurtsequipment.com/

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