Guitar Techs Explore Kurt Cobain's 'In Utero'-Era Fender Mustangs

Prior to releasing the Kurt Cobain Signature Mustang guitars a few years ago, Fender's Justin Norvell and Master Builder Alex Perez were allowed supervised access to Cobain's guitar collection.

The video above features photos that document the rare opportunity Norvell and Perez had to dismantle the original guitars, dubbed "Blue-Mustank" and "Oranj-Stang," to ascertain wiring schemes and pickup configurations.

"On the In Utero tour that followed the album, Kurt favored a quiver of modified Fender Mustang guitars as main instruments for his sonic attack," writes Fender on its website.

"A few years ago, Fender took on the challenge of authentically replicating the specifications of these historic instruments for the Kurt Cobain Signature Mustang guitars. It meant unearthing a music history time capsule that for years had been out of the public eye."

It's a shame the video isn't longer and doesn't show more of the insides of the guitars.

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Damian Fanelli
Editor-in-Chief, Guitar World

Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.