Kurt was spotted playing a red Fender Stratocaster during two shows in November 1993: once on November 4th at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, and again on November 12th at the George Wallace Civic Center in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. On both occasions, he used the guitar exclusively for the final song, which means that this was just a disposable guitar, meant to be destroyed.
At the end of the Toronto show, Kurt engaged in his typical antics, smashing the guitar first against his small red Marshall stack, then against one of the mannequins the band had on stage for the “In Utero” tour. Despite the damage, the guitar survived that night. However, during the Fitchburg show on November 12th, as noted on the LiveNirvana website, Kurt hurled the guitar at a disco ball above the stage, shattering pieces of glass and ultimately destroying the disco ball. It’s likely that the guitar was ruined at that point, as it was not seen in any subsequent Nirvana performances.
Specs
The exact specs and origin of this guitar remain unknown, but it’s likely one of Kurt’s many MIJ (Made in Japan) or MIM (Made in Mexico) Stratocasters, which he often used for destruction during the “In Utero” tour.
Some suggest it might have been a ’57 Reissue model from Japan (ST57), but this seems less likely since the ’57 Reissue typically features a maple fretboard, while Kurt’s guitar had a rosewood one. A more plausible guess is that it was a ’62 Reissue (ST62), which would have come with a rosewood neck and could explain the appearance. Both models were available in the candy apple red finish that Kurt’s guitar displayed.
It’s also possible that the neck wasn’t original to the guitar and may have been swapped out, taken from one of Kurt’s many other Stratocasters. Given his habit of modifying and mixing parts, this wouldn’t be unusual, and it could explain the presence of the rosewood fretboard on what might otherwise be a ’57 Reissue body.
Additionally, the guitar had a modified bridge pickup, which was likely a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails based on photo evidence.
It’s a 80’s MIJ ’57 reissue body with a 90s MIJ ’62 Reissue Neck. Bridge pickup is a Seymour Duncan hot stack. Earnie bought it for him and re-necked it.