Smoke Smell

[602a]

A while back someone got a 535 or 555 and it had a bad smoke smell to it. I looked for the post for answers but cannot find it. I just got a 535 type and it reeks. If I can't find something it's gotta go. I won't even bring it inside. Put Bounce Sheets in F hole to see if that helps. Don't have a clue.

[sick1982]

I think it should go after a few weeks, but don't store it in the case, it needs to breathe.

I suggest cleaning the guitar on a regular basis too, a buddy of me managed to get it away.

If it doesn't damage the guitar: you can put the stuff in it you usually stick into a glass bowl on the table (I don't know the name, but it smells like perfume).

[Patrick]

You'll find what you need on this web site

 

 

http://www.nilodor.com/shop/show/category/Commercial_%2526_Janitorial/department/Aerosols/id/258

[602a]

You'll find what you need on this web site

 

 

http://www.nilodor.c...Aerosols/id/258

Thanks I'm gonna see if I can find some

[LK155]

602a,

You can find the original post by searching for 'de-stinkum'.

My problem was the guitar, not the case as I first thought.

Aside from airing out the case, all I've tried is leaving the guitar out as much as possible, either on a stand, or leaning in its case so that air can circulate around it. The smoke seems to have penetrated into the wood.

Over time, the smell is finally getting less noticable.

But still there.

 

Your situation sounds worse than mine, so you may need to resort to chemical assistance.

It really is an annoying problem.

Good luck. Let us know if you get it solved.

Lyle

[FredZepp]

I'd read of people having success with "Odor-Eaters" insoles in the guitar case.

They use charcoal , I believe.

[tbonesullivan]

it just takes time. I have to say though that one reason I dislike smoking more than anything else is the huge amount of stanky guitars and amps that have resulted from it. I also do some work with customer returns where I work, and some of the stuff we get back just REEKS. We have had several returns so bad we sent them back to the customers and said that we could not accept returns as they were in "unsellable" condition. No one is going to want a back pack that stinks. Heck one guy was such a heavy smoker that his fingers left nicotine stains on the invoice. Another actually had some butts mixed in with the packing material.

 

Anyway, I don't know if it's safe for guitars, but I know for cars, they ozonate them, which pretty much destroys any kind of odors. I know of a guy who used that method to destink trombone cases. And trust me, guitar cases ain't got crap on trombone cases. Trombones, if uncleaned, become leaky, stinky, instruments of funkiness.

[lifewithasong]

I've had some luck with just leaving a micro-fibre cloth in there for a few days--lots of surface area to absorb some of the smell. I also used a little Febreeze in another guitar once and it did the trick. I also picked up an old Framus classical from the sixties at a flea market and it reeked of smoke. I was burning incense more back then, and after a few weeks, lo-and-behold the thing had the greatest incense smell after sitting out on a stand that whole time in the dining room. In fact, it still smells great. . . .

[Connor]

You might try baking soda. Remember, baking soda is an abrasive. I don't think you should rub it on the guitar.

 

You could try putting a dish of it in the guitar case for a few days, then take the dish out before you move the case so it doesn't spill in there.

 

Another idea - put the guitar on a stand and drape a dry cleaning, or lawn bag over it with a bowl of baking soda for a few day. I guess you could put it in a closet and get the same result.

[NoNameBand]

Ionizer. Borrow, rent or buy one. This will cancel all odors even smoke from a fire. This is what Ins companies use to restore items that have been exposed to a fire. It does not touch any part of the guitar and is completely harmless. I have 2 in my house and one in the office. Nothing like breathing clean air.

[guitarnut1]

I think this smoke smell will get less and less over time. It just needs time. My Heritage smelled really strong of some perfume, the previous owner was using. I have allergies and didn't like this, but it's really getting less and less... I don't really notice it anymore.

 

Has anyone of you had problems with guitars, cases preowned by people who had pets? Any flea issues? I know it sounds funny, but I've had problems like that before and had to sell the guitar. The damn thing was really infestinated with fleas and I had no solution...so it had to go.

[LK155]

My 1996 H535, when I got it last November, smelled badly of cigarette smoke.

Very glad to say that, after doing not much of anything, it's now resolved.

I left the (open) case in my sub-zero garage for a couple of days and nights, and steadfastly put the guitar either on a stand or leaning up in the case (so the air could get at it) for a good long time. It took about three months of being left out, but the guitar now has no objectionable smell at all.

 

Except when I play it, of course. Then it's a real stinker.

Don't think there's a cure for that.

 

Might as well take the opportunity to post this picture of it (again).......you will notice there is no smell whatsoever to this image.

 

[Guest HRB853370]

A while back someone got a 535 or 555 and it had a bad smoke smell to it. I looked for the post for answers but cannot find it. I just got a 535 type and it reeks. If I can't find something it's gotta go. I won't even bring it inside. Put Bounce Sheets in F hole to see if that helps. Don't have a clue.

 

I guess that lends a new meaning to owning a "smokin" guitar. I used to open my drum cases weeks after a gig at a smokey club and I swear I would see a little cloud come out of them, not to mention the reek of cigarette smoke. I would never take one of my Heritages to play a club that allowed smoking. It would have to be a POS guitar that I really did not care much about!

[Guest HRB853370]

I think this smoke smell will get less and less over time. It just needs time. My Heritage smelled really strong of some perfume, the previous owner was using. I have allergies and didn't like this, but it's really getting less and less... I don't really notice it anymore.

 

Has anyone of you had problems with guitars, cases preowned by people who had pets? Any flea issues? I know it sounds funny, but I've had problems like that before and had to sell the guitar. The damn thing was really infestinated with fleas and I had no solution...so it had to go.

 

People should not let their pets play their guitars!!!!

[sheetsofsound]

i disagree that the smell gets less and less. I've had smoke guitars and after 6 months they still reeked. The smoke actually bonds into the lacquer.

[yoslate]

 

 

 

 

...nice amp...!

[guitarnut1]

People should not let their pets play their guitars!!!!

 

When the fleas are in the household, there isn't much people can do against it, they just spread everywhere. The guitars are inevitably affected.

[111518]

Speaking of animals ... we made the mistake of taking in a male cat that started coming in through our cat door. My wife really bonded with the cat, and she'd never been a cat person before, so what could I do? Even though we immediately got him neutered, Ernie ended up spraying every damn thing in the house, including my cases, my cabs, my covers, the walls. Fortunately, since I don't leave guitars out, and because he wasn't a completely stupid cat, he never actually sprayed a guitar or inside a case, but, nearly three years after Ernie died (he didn't stop fighting either, but almost always lost, and I think the constant stream of absesses etc. shortened his life --vet bills made him the most expensive animal I ever owned), I can still see and sometimes smell where he pissed on my stuff, despite scubbing with every animal-smell/stain removal product know to man. (suggestions welcome). Some of this gear I'll never be able to sell in good conscience; for example, he pissed through the grill of one bass combo onto the cone of the speaker, so, I either recone the speaker or live with the stain. I think I'll just have myself cremated on a pile of burning cat-pissed-on cabs and cases.

 

Compared to this, a tobacco-smelling guitar is a pleasure. I smoked for years, so that smell sort of brings back pleasant memories.

[DaveW]

I was intrigued by this thread, 'cause a used guitar I bought last year reeked of cigarette smoke, and I did a little research online to sort through various approaches to rid the instrument of odor. Several websites discuss air-purifying ion and ozone generators, most notably:

 

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airclean.html

 

where the EPA's conclusion on air cleaning devices in general was: "While air cleaning devices may help to control the levels of airborne allergens, particles, or, in some cases, gaseous pollutants in a home, they may not decrease adverse health effects from indoor air pollutants."

 

The most effective seemed to be ozonators (ozone generators), see:

 

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html

 

where the conclusion was:

 

"Ozone has been extensively used for water purification, but ozone chemistry in water is not the same as ozone chemistry in air. High concentrations of ozone in air, when people are not present, are sometimes used to help decontaminate an unoccupied space from certain chemical or biological contaminants or odors (e.g., fire restoration). However, little is known about the chemical by-products left behind by these processes (Dunston and Spivak, 1997). While high concentrations of ozone in air may sometimes be appropriate in these circumstances, conditions should be sufficiently controlled to insure that no person or pet becomes exposed. Ozone can adversely affect indoor plants, and damage materials such as rubber, electrical wire coatings, and fabrics and art work containing susceptible dyes and pigments (U.S. EPA, 1996a)."

 

BTW, automobile tire cracking is caused primarily by atmospheric ozone, not UV exposure.

 

I found that leaving the instrument out of the case for extended periods to "air out" effectively eliminated the odor in about 6 months or so. The case also reeked, so I would leave it open exposed to sunlight and open air outdoors, which eliminated the odor more rapidly. I would not, of course, endorse leaving an instrument in direct sun. I did not purchase any air cleaning devices to remove the odor based on my perception that these devices were questionable as to their potential effectiveness at removing odor from the instrument. I do believe that ozone will react with odor molecules in air, but that does not get to root of the problem. I believe the 'damage' is done when the instrument is exposed to relative high concentrations of smoke odor chemicals that absorb into the wood. Odor chemicals are rather small molecules that diffuse into the empty wood cells in the instrument, and it simply takes time for diffusion to remove the offending gases. Ions or ozone may end up causing more damage, since they are reactive chemicals that can attack the wood cellulose, nitrocellulose finish and finish colors. Ozone is also poisonous in high concentrations.

 

I hope this helps.

[High Flying Bird]

......you will notice there is no smell whatsoever to this image.

 

But what if you scratch the photo before sniffing?

[guitarnut1]

I was intrigued by this thread, 'cause a used guitar I bought last year reeked of cigarette smoke, and I did a little research online to sort through various approaches to rid the instrument of odor. Several websites discuss air-purifying ion and ozone generators, most notably:

 

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airclean.html

 

where the EPA's conclusion on air cleaning devices in general was: "While air cleaning devices may help to control the levels of airborne allergens, particles, or, in some cases, gaseous pollutants in a home, they may not decrease adverse health effects from indoor air pollutants."

 

The most effective seemed to be ozonators (ozone generators), see:

 

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html

 

where the conclusion was:

 

"Ozone has been extensively used for water purification, but ozone chemistry in water is not the same as ozone chemistry in air. High concentrations of ozone in air, when people are not present, are sometimes used to help decontaminate an unoccupied space from certain chemical or biological contaminants or odors (e.g., fire restoration). However, little is known about the chemical by-products left behind by these processes (Dunston and Spivak, 1997). While high concentrations of ozone in air may sometimes be appropriate in these circumstances, conditions should be sufficiently controlled to insure that no person or pet becomes exposed. Ozone can adversely affect indoor plants, and damage materials such as rubber, electrical wire coatings, and fabrics and art work containing susceptible dyes and pigments (U.S. EPA, 1996a)."

 

BTW, automobile tire cracking is caused primarily by atmospheric ozone, not UV exposure.

 

I found that leaving the instrument out of the case for extended periods to "air out" effectively eliminated the odor in about 6 months or so. The case also reeked, so I would leave it open exposed to sunlight and open air outdoors, which eliminated the odor more rapidly. I would not, of course, endorse leaving an instrument in direct sun. I did not purchase any air cleaning devices to remove the odor based on my perception that these devices were questionable as to their potential effectiveness at removing odor from the instrument. I do believe that ozone will react with odor molecules in air, but that does not get to root of the problem. I believe the 'damage' is done when the instrument is exposed to relative high concentrations of smoke odor chemicals that absorb into the wood. Odor chemicals are rather small molecules that diffuse into the empty wood cells in the instrument, and it simply takes time for diffusion to remove the offending gases. Ions or ozone may end up causing more damage, since they are reactive chemicals that can attack the wood cellulose, nitrocellulose finish and finish colors. Ozone is also poisonous in high concentrations.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Good post, thanks for sharing your experience.

 

I think that really any smell goes in 6 months up to a year. One just shouldn't give up. I was about to give up my Heritage because of this perfume smell, I was really getting allergy problems from it, but it's now nearly gone (2 months later). Even by keeping the guitar in the case it deminishes. You just need to play the guitar for at least 1 hour EVERY day. The guitar seems to "breathe" in the case as well.

 

Some people say, putting a pack of coffee beans inside the case also helps prevent bad smells. But I haven't tryed this. Anyway it would do no harm.

[mooonpi]

If I remember correctly, Danny Gatton supposedly made a mixture of beer and cig ash to 'break in' new tele's

[TalismanRich]

I've had some luck with just leaving a micro-fibre cloth in there for a few days--lots of surface area to absorb some of the smell. I also used a little Febreeze in another guitar once and it did the trick. I also picked up an old Framus classical from the sixties at a flea market and it reeked of smoke. I was burning incense more back then, and after a few weeks, lo-and-behold the thing had the greatest incense smell after sitting out on a stand that whole time in the dining room. In fact, it still smells great. . . .

 

My 535 had a pretty strong incense smell when I got it, but a few months out in the air and it's now disappeared. The case took a few shots of febreeze and some airing out.

 

On the other hand, my Legacy case had an incense smell, and it persists faintly to this day.

[tbonesullivan]

thinking back on this, the first thing I would do would be pull the strings, bridge, hardware, and clean as much of the guitar surface as possible. Tar residue gets EVERYWHERE. Even on the bridge, tuners, knobs, etc. Giving the finish a nice cleaning and polish, and then polishing and cleaning the hardware, possibly with some WD40 or 3 in 1, would probably go really far to getting the stink off the guitar. With semi-hollow body guitars, well that gets to be more complicated, as the tar/smoke/etc gets into the sound holes. With that there's really nothing to do but give it time.

 

for the case, I'd leave it out closed in the sun, and then open it once it's gotten nice and hot inside. Vacuum it. heck maybe even use a carpet shampooer. Get some of that pet odor remover and then maybe spray some water on top of it, and then use the carpet thing to suck the water off.

[Hfan]

My 535 had a pretty strong incense smell when I got it, but a few months out in the air and it's now disappeared. The case took a few shots of febreeze and some airing out.

 

On the other hand, my Legacy case had an incense smell, and it persists faintly to this day.

A ha, another smelly Legacy case? Mine bought new from Wolfe in 2008 still reeks like a solvent or glue.It is the black plastic case with G&L molded into the side. I should have brought it up to Wolfe back then, figured it would fade. Wonder if G L or wolfe would cut me a deal on a new case? Like the tweed one they offer. Most importantly, no issues with the guitar.