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A guitar played by late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain on the iconic grunge anthem “Smells Like Teen Spirit” will be auctioned next month as part of a major sale of historic music memorabilia, Christie’s has announced.
The instrument, a 1966 Fender Mustang, forms part of the renowned Jim Irsay Collection, assembled by the former owner of the Indianapolis Colts NFL team. Auction experts estimate the guitar could sell for as much as $5 million, making it one of the most valuable rock instruments ever offered at auction.
Alongside Cobain’s guitar, the auction will feature a significant selection of Beatles memorabilia, including handwritten lyrics to “Hey Jude” and guitars played by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. The collection also includes Ringo Starr’s first Ludwig drum kit and the drum skin displayed during The Beatles’ historic appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964.
Christie’s estimates the drum kit could sell for around $2 million, while the guitars are expected to fetch approximately $1 million each.
The Jim Irsay Collection also contains instruments associated with influential musicians such as Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, Eric Clapton, John Coltrane and Johnny Cash.
Amelia Walker, Christie’s head of private and iconic collections, described the Beatles instruments as the most important privately assembled collection of its kind outside the band itself. She added that Cobain’s guitar remains a powerful symbol of the grunge era and its lasting cultural impact.
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