Kurt Cobain: Guitar smashed by Nirvana frontman sells for nearly $600,000

A guitar smashed by Kurt Cobain, the precocious frontman of US stone set Nirvana, has sold astatine auction for astir $600,000 (£480,000).

The busted achromatic Fender Stratocaster had been expected to merchantability for a tenth of that magnitude astatine Saturday's auction astatine the Hard Rock Cafe successful New York.

Cobain, who took his ain beingness successful 1994, was known for his aggravated performances.

The guitar was destroyed arsenic Nirvana was moving connected their break-out medium Nevermind successful the aboriginal 1990s.

It has been enactment backmost unneurotic but is nary longer playable.

The instrumentality is signed by each 3 set members successful a metallic marker. It besides features an affectionate inscription by Cobain to his person and philharmonic collaborator Mark Lanegan - who died past year.

Cobain, who often misspelt his ain name, signed the instrumentality "Kurdt Kobain".

The grunge pioneer is known to person smashed a fig of Fender Stratocasters during his career.

"The antheral was angry, and you could consciousness that connected stage. And you would consciousness that by the mode helium would dainty his instruments," Kody Frederick of Julien's Auctions told AFP quality agency.

The Fender Stratocaster went connected merchantability with an estimated terms of $60,000-$80,000. Julien's called the closing bid of $596,900 "astounding".

According to the auction house, Cobain gave the guitar to Lanegan during the North American limb of Nirvana's Nevermind circuit successful 1992.

The individuality of the purchaser is not known. The auctioneers sanction the erstwhile proprietor arsenic Tony Palmer.

Two years ago, the acoustic guitar Cobain's utilized for his legendary MTV Unplugged show successful precocious 1993 sold for $6m.

Julien's ongoing three-day merchantability besides includes memorabilia from different euphony legends including Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Janet Jackson, and Dolly Parton. It concludes connected Sunday.