Nirvana’s 1991 live radio session in Hilversum, Netherlands, led to a unique collaboration with a rented Takamine acoustic guitar. This left-handed instrument, featuring a solid spruce top and rosewood back and sides, is now up for auction with Julien’s Live, offering a rare piece of grunge history.
A 1989 Takamine FP360SC (LH) acoustic electric guitar, serial #89010543, in natural gloss finish. This Takamine acoustic guitar was played by Kurt Cobain of Nirvana during a recording session which took place on November 25th, 1991 in Hilversum, North Holland, Netherlands prior to the band’s performance at Paradiso that same evening. The guitar’s unique wood grain has been matched to photographs taken at the studio by Michel Linssen which can be seen here.
The session, which was a joint effort between Dutch radio stations VPRO and VARA, was held at Hilversum Studios. The band meandered through three songs including Leadbelly’s “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” and a cover of “Here She Comes Now” by The Velvet Underground; the unnamed third song would come to be known as “Horrified.” Accounts of how long the session lasted seem to vary, however only around 20 minutes of recorded material seems to have surfaced, which can be heard here.
Because the band’s equipment was already being set up for that evening’s concert, all of the gear used for the session was backline rental equipment including the drums, bass and bass amp, and this Takamine acoustic guitar, which still has its H.V.K. Music (Herman Van Keeken) sticker affixed to the back of the headstock.
The Takamine FP360SC was made in Japan and is built in left-handed orientation. It features a 25.5” scale length mahogany neck with a bound 20 fret rosewood fretboard with dot inlays, six chrome plated Takamine branded tuners, and a mother of pearl Takamine logo inlay on the headstock. The body wears a solid spruce top, rosewood back and sides, multi-ply binding, a black plastic pickguard, and a rosewood bridge with a bone saddle, dot inlays, and white bridge pins. The guitar is finished in natural gloss and equipped with Takamine electronics. Includes hardshell case. Also included is a copy of Heavier than Heaven: The Biography of Kurt Cobain by Charles R. Cross, a copy of the paperback book Serving The Servant, Remembering Kurt Cobain, by Danny Goldberg, and a CD copy of Maximum Kurt Cobain: The Unauthorized Biography of Kurt Cobain.
See images from Hilversum session here.
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