An Australian entrepreneur has shattered the record for the most expensive guitar in history after dropping close to $9 million on the acoustic guitar Kurt Cobain used in Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance.
Peter Freedman, founder of RØDE Microphones, paid well over the expected US$1 - 2 million price tag, eventually outbidding everyone else at the "Music Icons" sale at Julien's Auctions with US$6.01 million (AU$8.78 million).
But Freedman won't be taking the 1959 Martin D-18E straight to the pool room; instead, he's pledged to use the piece of music memorabilia as a way to bring attention to the lack of support given to the arts community during coronavirus.
"It's a big deal. I didn't even buy it for me," Freedman told PA Media. "I paid for it, but I'm going to use it to highlight the plight of artists worldwide by touring it around and then I'm going to sell it and use the dough for that as well, later."
Freedman doubled down on his plans when speaking to Fairfax, saying that he'd be starting his worldwide tour in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in mid-August to raise money to lobby the Australian government.
"Writing a letter, it's not going to work," he said. "But I can make it work.
"If you do this sort of move... I've got the attention of the entire world now, probably a few hundred million people."
Prior to Freedman's winning bid over the weekend, the record for the most expensive guitar was held by a black Stratocaster which belonged to Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and sold last year for US$3.95 million.
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