17 November 2025
Newsdesk
The left-handed 1969 Fender Competition Mustang played by Kurt Cobain in the generation-defining music video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is set to be offered at Christie’s New York in March 2026. This legendary instrument, described by the Nirvana frontman as his favourite guitar, was central to the band's most influential work.
The teal guitar was used during the recording sessions for both the seminal albums Nevermind and In Utero, and featured prominently in the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video, which has garnered over 1.4 billion views on YouTube and was hailed by MTV as one of the “100 Greatest Music Videos Ever Made.”
The instrument is being offered as part of The Jim Irsay Collection, a world-renowned selection of historic artifacts compiled by the owner and CEO of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. The collection, which Guitar World magazine once dubbed “The Greatest Guitar Collection on Earth,” features instruments owned and played by dozens of music legends, including John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, and David Gilmour.
Cobain’s Mustang, purchased circa 1990–1991, is one of the collection's stars and is expected to fetch between $2.5 million and $5 million at the March 2026 sale. The auction marks the beginning of a series of sales next year from Irsay's vast collection.
The guitar will be publicly exhibited in Christie’s free and open-to-the-public galleries at 20 Rockefeller Center prior to the sale, giving fans and collectors a chance to view one of the most culturally significant instruments in rock history.
