Kurt Cobain’s battered Boss DS-1 distortion pedal sells for $9,000

Kurt Cobain’s 1959 Martin D-18E acoustic guitar may have sold at Julien’s Auctions for an astonishing $6,010,000, but it’s not the only piece of gear from the Nirvana front man to hit the block recently.

Julien’s has just confirmed the sale of Cobain’s Boss DS-1 distortion pedal for a cool $9,000.

According to the auction house, the pedal was used by Cobain onstage with Nirvana at Club Babyhead in Providence, Rhode Island, on September 25, 1991 – during a stop on the band’s Nevermind tour, and one day after the album was released to the public.

The DS-1 has red tape on the bottom, used to secure it to the stage, and is accompanied by a signed letter of authenticity from Jeff Toste, an audience member, who states that Cobain was having technical problems during the show and smashed the pedal onstage, then threw it into the crowd. Toste was the recipient of the discarded pedal.

You can check out more info on the pedal at Julien's Auctions, and for more on Cobain’s gear, head over to Guitar World’s definitive Kurt Cobain gear guide.