Kurt Cobain’s Fender Stratocaster (White)

This was one of Kurt’s ‘disposable’ guitars, often used at the end of the shows, in case the band felt like smashing their equipment (which they often did). The guitar was first used during Nirvana’s second European Nevermind tour, which started in early November 1991 (see photos from Astoria, November 5, 1991), and it was at that time used alongside Kurt’s 1965 Fender Jaguar.

Based on photos, this white Stratocaster was destroyed just a few weeks later, on the night of November 23rd, 1991, in Ghent, Belgium. Kurt and Krist battled with their guitars at the end of the show, at which point the neck snapped of Kurt’s Strat, and the body was handed to the audience. It is unknown whether the body is now accounted for or not.

However, after that, it seems that the body was retrieved by the guitar tech, who carried it off from the stage. It is possible that the guitar was then reassembled and used at a later date, but that part of the story is just an assumption at this point.