Kurt Cobain’s Memphis (Matsumoku) Stratocaster

This guitar was seen only on one occasion, at the “No More Wars” benefit concert in Olympia, WA on January 18, 1991. Kurt played most of the concert on the white Stratocaster with a black humbucker in the lead position but switched to this guitar prior to the last song. 

At the end of the show, Cobain picked up a hammer and completely smashed the Memphis Strat – which explains the broken pickguard seen on some of the photos online.

Although the majority of the footage from this gig appears to be black and white, there is at least one color film (thanks Beany), which shows the guitar finished in a darker shade of red. Nothing on this guitar seems customized or special, so it is most likely that Kurt picked it up for the sole purpose of destroying it.

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Ejay
Ejay
9 months ago

Also had a red candy strat he used at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1993 identical to this one but it had a rosewood fret board instead of maple heres a photo

IMG_0112.png
Fernando
Fernando
5 months ago
Reply to  Ejay

Do you have more informations about it?

Beany
Beany
3 years ago

It also appears from this footage that it is not the white ‘K’ Strat. This one has what looks like a single coil black pickup on the bridge

Van
Van
3 years ago
Reply to  Dan Kopilovic

Actually there is a “K” sticker

snapshot_LI (2).jpg
Beany
Beany
3 years ago

Colour footage of the gig including the hammering of the guitar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCKfpMqSYkY