The guitar that Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain played in the band's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" music video will be going up for auction and is expected to sell for as much as $800,000, Forbes has reported.
The 1969 left-handed Fender Mustang guitar with a blue finish and matching headstock will go under the hammer at Julien’s Auctions in May, which coincides with Mental Health awareness month, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to a charity chosen by the rock icon's family, one that is dedicated to spreading awareness on mental health.
The "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video, which featured on Nirvana's "Nevermind" album, was released on MTV on Sept. 29, 1991. The popularity of the video helped push "Nevermind" to be certified gold.
Three years later Cobain took his own life. The guitar has remained in the family ever since, but over the last 12 years has been lent out and on display at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, which is Nirvana’s hometown.
In an interview with Guitar World that was initially conducted shortly after the release of "Nevermind," Cobain spoke enthusiastically about the guitar's design.
"I’m left-handed, and it’s not very easy to find reasonably priced, high-quality left-handed guitars," he told the outlet. "But out of all the guitars in the whole world, the Fender Mustang is my favorite. I’ve only owned two of them."
The title of most expensive guitar ever sold at an auction belongs to another one of Cobain's guitars — a Martin D-28E that was featured during Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged set. That guitar sold in 2020 for $6,010,000.
In addition to the Fender Mustang, various other Cobain-related memorabilia will also go on auction, including a personally owned all access tour pass from Nirvana’s 1992 Nevermind tour as well as a 1965 Dodge Dart, which could sell for as much as $600,000. Additionally, examples of some of his original framed artwork and a custom painted skateboard will also be on auction.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.