Stella Harmony H912 12 String 1966 Sunburst Kurt Cobain Nirvana Acoustic Guitar + Original Case

Here for sale is a Stella Harmony 12 String Sunburst Acoustic Guitar from the 1960's complete with the original case. This is the same exact model as played by Kurt Cobain, who had one for songwriting and it even featured on the groundbreaking Nevermind album on the iconic songs 'Polly' and Something in the Way' as well as the acoustic parts on the follow up 'In Utero' album and was one of Kurt's favourite acoustic guitars. Please note the first photo of Kurt Cobain looks like it has been recoloured from black and white, but the sunburst finish is the same as his favourite Stella Harmony acoustic.

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This Stella Harmony H912 12 string guitar was made by Harmony in Chicago in circa 1966. Harmony was one of the first manufacturers of 12 string guitars post WWII. Harmony had previously purchased the Oscar Schmidt factory and the Stella name in the 1930's. The Stella Harmony 12 string was a recreation of the classic early 20th century blues guitar favoured by players such as Leadbelly, who of Kurt Cobain's favourite singers who famously covered his version of the classic folk song which originated in the 1870's and the songs true authorship is unknown. Leadbelly himself also played a Stella Harmony 12 string and perhaps inspired Kurt's choice of purchasing this guitar. The Stella Harmony H912 reissue was produced just in time for the 1960's folk boom and was an affordable alternative to the Martin's and Gibson's of the day and still is.

This guitar has a birch body, with a poplar neck and is in good condition for its age, and is still very playable and has been set up nylon 6 string play the same way that Kurt Cobain had his. It has an amazing sound and is really fun to play and recreates that early blues 12 string sound perfectly. This was the model Kurt Cobain used to record 'Nevermind'  a rare photo of which can be seen with Kurt sat on the sofa with the Stella Harmony leaning against a wall next to its case at Soundcity Los Angeles in 1991.  This guitar even has the exact same original case that Kurt had for his famous Stella. He also used it for the acoustic guitar parts on 'In Utero' as well as countless demo versions of famous songs on the 'With the Lights Out' box set such as 'Sliver', 'Lithium' 'Been a Son' and more.

Kurt purchased his Harmony 12 String from Edgewater Pawn Shop and Sheridan Jewellery on the 12th October 1989, when Kurt was living in Olympia, and was a key instrument in the bands history. The guitar has some play wear as you would expect from such a great sounding vintage instrument, the neck is holding up well, and the tuners are all functional but one cog from the first tuner is missing but could easily be replaced in order to play 12 string guitar. The original truss rod cover is missing. The pick guard is intact and the bridge is fixed in position but does move, this could be glued down if required. Kurt Cobain just put duct tape on his as this is how these guitars came. and the bridge tailpiece is in good condition. This guitar is in the best condition for for one of these we have come across. There is some buzzing in places on the fretboard which could be remedied in places with a professional set up if desired. The action is not bad, it gets a bit higher as you go up the neck, but it is comfortable to play. It could be adjusted, but it is ok as is. There are some light scratches and a scuff on one shoulder but this all adds character.

The approximate measurements of the guitar neck are as follows. The nut is 51.23mm / 2.017" wide, the depth of the neck at the first fret is 24.08mm / 0.948" and 28.31mm / 1.1145" at the 9th fret. Even though the guitar has 18 frets, because of the size of the frets and the neck joint connecting to the body its mostly playable up 12th fret but you could go beyond with some finger gymnastics. It has a D shape neck profile with a 20" fretboard radius. The width of the frets is 1.96mm / 0.0775" and they are 1.22mm / 0.048" deep. The approximate weight of the guitar is 2.050KG.

Kurt Cobain was such a fan of his he deemed it indispensable, and perhaps his secret weapon in songwriting, perhaps it brought him luck as so many famous songs were written on one. Well known photos of him playing his on his bed at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle from 1st January 1993 can be seen when he was between houses. He even had some new tuners installed and the floating bridge glued down. It is an iconic acoustic whose tone has been heard down through the ages whether you play it with 12 strings or Nylon, the sound is unmistakable.

Please note all guitars are sold as seen. Attention international buyers, if the guitar was made in your country and you purchase it from us in Europe, it means the item is considered “Returning to Origin” and you do not need to pay import tax. We try our best to show the guitar’s condition in the photos but this is not always possible for every detail. Each guitar is set up to the shop standard playing style and as we all know; each player is different. If it is not set up to your liking this is not a cause for complaint, as is finding some kind of imperfection that we may or may not have mentioned. We sell used guitars not museum pieces and we do not accept returns unless they have been damaged in transit. If you are looking for a perfect guitar that you will worry about damaging and hang on the wall we advise you to buy new! So be rock n roll! lml