Behind the Glass Episode 13: Kurt Cobain 1953 D-18

Before Nirvana hit it big, Kurt Cobain was a struggling musician who befriended Mary Lou Lord, a Salem, Massachusetts, indie-folk artist. Seeing that Kurt didn’t have much money and that he needed an acoustic guitar for Nirvana’s upcoming tour to support their album Nevermind, Mary Lou let Kurt have her 1953 D-18 that they both affectionately referred to as "Grandpa." She knew Kurt loved the guitar as much as she did, and, at the time, he needed it more than she did. Eventually Grandpa was returned to Mary Lou, but Kurt’s love of Martin D-18s didn’t end there. He went on to purchase a 1959 D-18E that was used on Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged special.