Kurt Cobain’s Epiphone ET270

This guitar was used in early 1990, the first time probably on January 20th at Legends, Tacoma, WA – at least based on the photos from LiveNirvana.com. It was then used regularly until Kurt smashed it on April 26, 1990, at Pyramid Club in New York. The guitar was also partially featured in the Sub Pop In Bloom music video (2:20-minute mark).

The ET270 model was manufactured in Japan from 1972 to 1975, so Kurt’s guitar obviously must’ve been bought second-hand, likely sometime in early 1990 around Seattle. The guitar featured a hardwood cherry red body with a bolt-on hardwood neck and rosewood fingerboard, as well as two single-coil pickups.

The Hard Rock Cafe Epiphone ET270

A guitar that looks almost identical to the one that Kurt used himself can be seen on display at one of the Hard Rock Cafes. However, since there is photographic evidence that Kurt destroyed his own Epiphone (Google Nirvana at Pyramid Club in New York, April 26, 1990), this raises a question about the origins of the Hard Rock Cafe guitar.

Epiphone ET-270T with Kurt Cobain’s autograph @ Hard Rock Cafe Pennsylvania. Photo by: Michael Labowicz/Flickr

Since HRC didn’t release any statements on how they got hold of the guitar, and how it has Kurt’s autograph on it, we are left to guess. Perhaps to most logical explanation could be that Kurt purchased more than one Epiphone, the second of which he autographed and gave to somebody, and years later that same person decided to sell it to HRC.

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Thomas Dorman
Thomas Dorman
9 months ago

So, my mother bought one of these Epiphone ET270Ts for me as a Christmas gift in the ’70s. I love my mom and am quite thankful for such a wonderful gift. The guitar was horrible. Basically, what I’m saying is that it had no useable tone. I don’t know what I ultimately did with it. I think I gave it to someone. However, it propelled me to make my first guitar purchase in ’75. I traded a giant bass amplifier for a ’64 Gibson SG. Quite a step up. Still have that SG – oh yeah!

Auak Asor
Auak Asor
3 years ago

OK. you said that kurt used this guitar only on February 12th, and also said that his old SG was used once or twice. If Les paul was broken on January 12, SG was used only on February 17, And the Epiphone appeared only on February 12, which guitar he used between January 12 and February 12 . thanks.

Last edited 3 years ago by Auak Asor
Auak Asor
Auak Asor
3 years ago
Reply to  Dan Kopilovic
Auak Asor
Auak Asor
2 years ago
Reply to  Dan Kopilovic

yea. tks. good job