New Guitar Day stinker

[valentsgrif]

Won a beautiful Fender Stratosonic on ebay from an indie guitar store. Arrives today, open the box and I'm floored by the stank coming from the case and guitar. Odor of smoke. Not cigarette smelling, I mean house fire with a hint of electrical thrown in. Guitar so far is a nice player, but jeez what a stink.

I know I should send it back, but, the deal was sweet. Any chance that the smoke funk can be removed or reduced from the guitar? (I'll sacrifice the hard case). Any ideas how?

[RUExp?]

The guitar probably just needs to be kept out.

People put an open box of baking soda in their fridge to absorb order. Maybe throw a couple of Dr. Scholl's odor absorbing foot pads in there.

[Ashtray77]

look on the bright side. at least it doesnt smell like decomp.

[rog951]

Definitely leave the guitar out for a few days. In the meantime, vaccum out the case incredibly thoroughly. If you can, leave the case, open, outside (or maybe in a garage?) for a few days, or even weeks if possible. If it still stinks after that, trash the case. Hopefully the stank won't stick to the guitar.

[Ashtray77]

febreeze?

[mito352003]

I have used this with antiques with fairly good luck. First clean well with a vinager water solution 1/4 cup per gallon of water. Wipe down guitar and outside of case with this, dry. on a daily basis crinkle up and wad up fresh newspapers and put in the case either with or without the guitar. Change at least daily if not more.
What the newspapers will do is absorb the smells and then you dispose of them and put in fresh. Depending how bad it is, should work. Good luck.

[valentsgrif]

Thanks I'll give it all a try. The next question is how should I handle this with the ebay seller? Is smoke stank valid reason to reject a guitar that was described as in good condition??

[dcindc]

Thanks I'll give it all a try. The next question is how should I handle this with the ebay seller? Is smoke stank valid reason to reject a guitar that was described as in good condition??

 

 

As a smoker, and buyer of used things, I'd say no.

 

The smell will clean right off of the guitar with anything that cleans. I use 409 when it's needed. For the case there have already been good suggestions.

[rog951]

 

Thanks I'll give it all a try. The next question is how should I handle this with the ebay seller? Is smoke stank valid reason to reject a guitar that was described as in good condition??

 

 

Unless he said it was kept in a smoke-free home or something like that, I don't consider cigarette smell to be a valid gripe. It probably spent a considerable amount of time being sweated upon and otherwise desecrated. That's a good thing...it'll clean up fine.

[Brewski]

I say my cases still stink like smoke - dudes feel free to stop smoking - it's reall annoying!

[SciFiGuy]

Try fabric softener dryer sheets in the case. They work well in gym lockers.

[axegrinder]

I bought an acoustic that smelled like a damned ashtray when I took it out. Once aired out it faded away...even the cheap bag it shipped with doesn't stink anymore.

[NoirAbattoir]

I once bought an amp from a quirky little CD shop that sometimes carried gear. Anyhow, they sell tons of incense sticks and {censored}. It basically smelled like primrose incense. It took about a year, but it finally went away.

[dcindc]

I'll tell you a little story. Bought some Dial bar soap for my shower. It was the blue/purple streaky one. I guess its menat to copy irish spring a little bit. I bought it at walmart so of course i have to buy 8 bars at once. Smelled it in the store, couldn;t smell thru the plastic wrapper. A few days later I rip opne the package to get a bar. peee-yew! But I figure it's ll go away. well this "flavor", stunk up my house for almost 3 days, and the smell that lingered the longest was that of rotten banana peels. That's what this soap smells like. Why they perfume it at all is beyond me.

Gimme a stinky cig smell over that rot, anyday.

Moral: don't buy the new blue Dial bar soap.

[valentsgrif]

I gotta stop buying off of ebay. Last month I bought a Toronado that had an undisclosed ground short hum. Seller was no trouble with the return, but I'm tired of bummers after waiting on a guitar you've hunted months for and it arrives defective.

[mischultz]

A couple other tricks: coffee grounds in an open cup and/or an apple cut in half. Both probably more effective at treating the fabric in the case, but they work on a similar principle to other methods described here: both have a strong absorptive tendency which you can use to your advantage.

Michael

[harold heckuba]

My friend owns a dry cleaners. Here is what he told me to use for getting smells out of guitar cases. Start with Febreeze and let it air out. If that doesnt work use Bounce Fabric Softener sheets and close the case. If that fails put charcoal briquets into the case and close it. The Bounce and the charcoal absorb odors.

[Kat73]

Look on the bright side, at least the guitar was in good shape. Cases get real stinky after gigging in smoke filled bars. As far as smelling like an electrical fire, that should come out with the above suggestions.

[Tweedledee]

Can we see pictures of the guitar? I LOVE Stratosonics!!!

[Ged LST]

Cleanse with fire. Rinse. Repeat.

 

- Ged

[HCadvisor]

I will never buy another guitar off of ebay. The last one I got had dowels in the neck so now Im ever so shy'd away from it.

[valentsgrif]

24 hrs update: The guitar itself is starting to air out and lose its smoke funk.
The case is likely hopeless.
I'm gonna try and send the HSC back to the seller w/o the Stratosonic and have em give me a fresh case.

[BlackHatHunter]

Unless he said it was kept in a smoke-free home or something like that, I don't consider cigarette smell to be a valid gripe. It probably spent a considerable amount of time being sweated upon and otherwise desecrated. That's a good thing...it'll clean up fine.

 

 

I am not sure I agree with that. I think that a stink of that nature should be a part of the description. Cig smoke smell should ALWAYS be noted imho. Failure to do so is a deal breaker for me, and requires either a full refund or a partial one...

[valentsgrif]

I am not sure I agree with that. I think that a stink of that nature should be a part of the description. Cig smoke smell should ALWAYS be noted imho. Failure to do so is a deal breaker for me, and requires either a full refund or a partial one...

 

 

Yeah, this is where my heads at now. Cig smoke is forseeable, kinda like the smell of your clothes after a night in the club, but this guitar is clearly a survivor of a house fire of some sort- a condition that should of been disclosed when I asked about ANY defects.