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Post by washboardchris on Jul 29, 2009 8:04:13 GMT
I have just aquiired a 1937 Epiphone arch top guitar& having changed the strings (they were green)& polished the frets(also green)it plays fine. Here is my problem IT SMELLS!!!!!! smells like it has been played in a smokey bar by a cheap cigar smoking player non stop for the 72 years of its life.can any one help with this bad case of guitar BO.Thinks Chris
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Post by Michael Messer on Jul 29, 2009 8:11:46 GMT
Hi Chris,
It sounds like a lovely guitar and it even has that WONDERFUL SMELL!!!! Just leave it out of its case and in a few weeks time the smell should have gone.
If that doesn't work try soaking it in Jeyes Fluid. (only joking!)
Shine On
Michael.
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Post by washboardchris on Jul 29, 2009 9:24:51 GMT
would that it was a wonderfull smell,this is so bad that it has made the house smell like an old BR smoking carriage& In can see it being banished to the shed .My playing partner asked me to move further away from her during a gig (very embarassing)thought of putting odour eaters down the F holes
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Post by andys on Jul 29, 2009 9:41:56 GMT
I got hold of a Simon and Patrick acoustic with the same problem. Not only had it been played in many smoky pubs, it came from a smoky home as well. I heard that stuffing it with old newspaper worked, so I tried that. Within a week it had mainly gone, and now every now and then I get a faint whiff of its former life, along with the smell of its cedar construction. Which is nice.
Dont know how you would stuff an archtop though. I reckon that if it is in a case, it could be the case more than the guitar. Maybe leave it out of its case, or keep it in a new one, with some old newspaper in?
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Post by Michael Messer on Jul 29, 2009 9:57:01 GMT
Jeyes fluid or Toilet Duck!!!!
...seriously....just leave it out of the case and leave the case open. The more you play it, the more the air inside will circulate and hopefully the smell will go.
I should tell you that I have a Turbo Diddley cigar box guitar made by Kurt Schoen in Washington. The cigar box is a 100 year old Cuban box and if I strum the guitar and put my nose to the F holes.....guess what......it still smells of Cuban cigar tobacco!
Shine On
Michael
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Post by melp on Jul 31, 2009 9:39:05 GMT
Hi,
You could wipe it with a few drops of lemon oil, not only good for the guitar but smells nice. Not sure what it would smell like mixed with the 'original' smell, but may be worth a try. Given that the finish is old you might want to try in a small area just in case. But I usually clean my guitars with lemon oil and have not had any problems.
Cheers
Mel
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Post by percythewonderant on Jul 31, 2009 12:02:15 GMT
The usual methods of getting rid of the smell of tobacco smoke is to use some baking powder / bicarbonate of soda a couple of spoonfuls in a cotton bag should do it. As it's an ancient F hole instrument its probably best to leave it in the case rather than put it inside. I wouldn't want the finish / patina damaged. The other thing to use is charcoal no idea how much you'd need but a lot I guess. The good thing is you don't need to light it.
Perce
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Post by davey on Jul 31, 2009 16:24:05 GMT
HI
my Kalamazoo KG-14 (1937) smelt a bit sour when I got it.
After an hours play I realised that someone had puked over it at some point (vomited)
I vaccuumed it out and rubbed a little essential oil inside the soundhole (Vetiver)
and that did the job remarkably well.
I think that was a matter of luck though, choose the wrong smell and it could easily smell worse !
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