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Nirvana's Smashed 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' Bass Up for Auction

1960s Japanese instrument was destroyed in music video

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October 31, 2012 1:25 PM ET
nirvana bass auction Click to Enlarge
Courtesy of Christie's

The bass that Krist Novoselic played and Kurt Cobain smashed in the video for Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" will be up for auction by Christie's in London on November 29th. The seller of the 1960s Japanese Zen-On bass was a teenager at the time of the video's shoot; he had applied to be an extra, and grabbed the bass from the set. Knowing the bass would be destroyed, Novoselic sought an inexpensive piece of gear, and purchased the bass at a local pawn shop. The instrument is expected to fetch between $24,000 and more than $40,000.

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Courtesy of Christie's
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