What's that smell?

[kazoou]

I got a Martin D-28 a couple months ago and love the smell of the wood (Rosewood) which is intoxicating. I've noticed that other guitar manufacturers rosewood does not have that delightful odor. Why does the Martin rosewood have that smell while most others don't?

[kwakatak]

What does your Martin smell like? Is it kind of peppery?

 

OT: So I guess I'm not the only one who huffs on their guitars, then? I thought my guitar had just soaked up all the incense that I used to burn in college!

 

One thing I don't like about Martins are the micarta fretboards and smell has something to do with it. When I first came across a Larrivee (an OM-03) it had an African ebony fretboard that was just the most exotic thing I'd ever smelled outside beside pachouli!

[guitarcapo]

Don't kid yourself. You're smelling the glue.

[kazoou]

No, it's not peppery. It's kind of sweet smelling, no incense burning here. If you pick up a new Martin at a shop and give it a whiff by the soundhole you'll know what I'm talking about.

[kwakatak]

Originally posted by guitarcapo Don't kid yourself. You're smelling the glue.

 

mmmmm gloooooooooo!

[kazoou]

Hmm, no wonder I've been feeling so lightheaded lately...It's more of a woody smell and not glue. On the Martin site it reports that it is indeed from the wood.

[Andrewrg]

 

Originally posted by kazoou Hmm, no wonder I've been feeling so lightheaded lately...It's more of a woody smell and not glue. On the Martin site it reports that it is indeed from the wood.

 

Yep,its the rosewood and cedar kerfing inside the guitar together.

Lovely smell!

[bjorn-fjord]

I bet you're smelling the lacquer. The local authorized Martin repair dude told me that Martin uses a post-catalyzed nitrocellulose lacquer. Most manufacturer's use synthetic finishes like polyester. Nitro finishes smell very "sweet" and continue to vapor-off for years whereas synthetic finishes smell more like plastic and tend to stabilize quite quickly.

 

This is the only explanation I can suggest because there is no reason that Martin's rosewood should have a more pronounced odor than other rosewood.

I don't know for sure if Martin actually does use nitro. There seems to be no mention of what they use on their site.

[Andrewrg]

If thats the case Bjorn then I dont understand how inside of the soundhole smells so much stronger:confused:

New Fenders smell pretty good too!

[knockwood]

That's Martin's patented "New Guitar" air freshener. It comes in Rosewood, Mahogany, Maple and Raspberry.

[LDF]

My new Martin om-21 has a very strong rosewood smell. I love it to no end. Whenever I pick it up I stick my nose as far as possible into the soundhole and inhale big deep breaths. The smell IS a little peppery. I don't know if it's all the rosewood or some other chemicals but either way I love it!

 

The smell is starting to fade now. In another year or so I imagine it will be mostly gone, leaving only trace hints that it ever smelled so lovely:(

[psalt_phallow]

It's a combonation of wood, glue and lacquer although mostly the wood. I've experienced this first had with a D-28 a friend of mine owns. It will eventually fade. Only explination I can see is that they use newer wood or a type that keeps it's smell longer.

[F-holes]

I don't think it is the lacquer. I had the factory tour and the whole factory has that overwheming aroma. Spraying is done in booths and the smell doesn't escape.

[kwakatak]

Originally posted by LDF My new Martin om-21 has a very strong rosewood smell. I love it to no end. Whenever I pick it up I stick my nose as far as possible into the soundhole and inhale big deep breaths. The smell IS a little peppery. I don't know if it's all the rosewood or some other chemicals but either way I love it! The smell is starting to fade now. In another year or so I imagine it will be mostly gone, leaving only trace hints that it ever smelled so lovely:(

 

I'd bet it's not really fading - you're just getting accustomed to it. The same thing happened to me when my mother had cedar paneling installed in her living room. FOr the first few months it smelled like heaven but after awhile nothing.

 

Back onto the smell fading, trust me it will not happen. My Takamine is over 30 years old and when sealed up in its case for a few days without me checking on it the aroma is still present.