Kurt Cobain's 'MTV Unplugged' guitar sells at auction for record $6m

The Nirvana frontman's acoustic guitar breaks record set by Stratocaster belonging to Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour

Kurt Cobain of Nirvana during the taping of 'MTV Unplugged' at Sony Studios in New York City. Getty Images

Kurt Cobain continues to be a hit at auctions.

One of the late singer's guitars sold for $6 million (Dh22m) at the Music Icons auction in Beverly Hills, making it the most expensive guitar sold.

The previous record was set by a black Stratocaster belonging to Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, which sold for $3.95m last year.

The 1959 Martin D-18E, which Cobain played as part of Nirvana's famous MTV Unplugged concert in 1993 and was immortalised in film and CD, has been sold to Australia's Peter Freedman, owner of Rode Microphones.

The entrepreneur’s goal with the purchase was not purely musical.

Rhodes plans to tour the instrument across Australia in August to raise funds and lobby the Australian government to support struggling musicians suffering in the pandemic, he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“People I know are sleeping on the floor, unable to eat. It’s insane. No services, no support, no mental health issue support, nothing," he said.

"I’d be pretty low if I didn’t recognise that and give some back. I’ve got a great life, I don’t need any more.

"The person who dies really rich dies in disgrace and I sure don’t want to die with a lot of money."

Another historically significant guitar, which belonged to Prince, was sold in the same auction.

The Purple One's blue guitar is shaped in the artist "love" symbol and was used on his 1984 Purple Rain Tour. It went under the hammer for $563,000.

Also sold was a macrame belt worn by Elvis Presley for $298,000 and an ivory gown worn by Madonna in her 1990 Vogue video, for $179,200.