As far as smell how bad is bad for a guitar......

[Von Luhmann]

I have a guitar in a case and I used to use humidifiers in it and the first time I noticed mold on the humidifier I tossed it in the trash......it does seem that it has a funky smell more so than usual...i know when i get it out my wife looks at me like I have some funky body odor or something...I know when I was in band in highschool that the instrument room was funky but this guitar case stinks...is that the wood or something else....?
WHAT IS BAD AS FAR AS GUITAR SMELL?

[Bob Webster]

If the wife leaves the room when you take the guitar out, no big deal. If the dog leaves, be suspicious. If the cat leaves, burn it.

Bob

[Von Luhmann]

HA !

[Matt Haugen]

I had a really nice Martin case with the crushed velvet interior and it got a smell. The smell was something like wet clothes left in the corner of a room for about 2 weeks. {Writer's note. I only know that from my days in college living with several piggish roommates, I may have also been partly to blame}. Anyways, there seem to be 2 options to salvage the case. Option #1 would be to put the case out in the sun on a dry/hot summer day and cook it dry. The problem with this option is that any humidity will bring the smell right back home. #2. Remove all of the foam/padding from the inside of the case and replace it. This is the option I went with and it really wasn't too hard to do. Hot glue works great for this sort of application, and you can find so many different fabrics to choose from that it will be a fun project to do. I am sure there are several options that may be better, but all I can pass along is from my own experience, which isn't much. You miught also try just pouring a bunch of baking powder into the case and giving it a few days and then giving it a good cleaning with a shop vac.... Hope I was at least slightly helpful. _Matt

[Ron Frazier]

The case in the sun open for a day should do it. Even if it dosent it will surley dry it out and the carpet beadles will die. I would put some cedar chips or pieces in and leave forever. That is a good smell at any time. Maybe some of your wifes dryed flowers leaves. They could be put in a bag and leave inside the guitar. You could spray the case with laquer thinner and let it dry open for a day in the sun. People stick there nose to the hole of good guitars to get the laquer smell and that seems to turn them on. IT is kind of like putting on your grill some onions and every one gets hungry for hambugers.

Ron

[Von Luhmann]

I have not heard of the Laquer in the sound hole sniffing....but nothing surprises me...LOL....

[Jim Bancroft]

Could you email the smell to me and I'll check it out?
What's bad for one could smell like roses to another.

To clean the case interior sprinkle some baking soda inside, let it set for a few days then vacuum it out. Leave it open, outside and in the sunlight, will also help. For the guitar interior, take the strings off, and wipe the inside of the guitar down with a little water with a touch of bleach, use a damp sponge to wipe it down, not ringing wet. Personally I've never smelled a bad interior smell.

Jim

Jim

[Ned Knepp]

I've smelled a few I didn't really care for but, sniffing the interior of an instrument has, for some reason I can't explain, become an automatic part of my evaluation process. I suppose it could be a subliminal thing of some sort.

I have an old Gibson Mandolin that smells wonderful. No one that sniffs it seems to smell the same thing but most of them like it.... what ever it is. Maybe some hide glue, finish, wood sap combination that seems to appeal. Who knows.

Ned

[Nick Anthony]

i always smell the soundhole too....it's like a ritual. almost as good as waking up to the smell of bacon...mmmmmmm bacon

[Bob Gaddis]

I am a guitar-sniffer, too. Nothing smells as good as an old Martin, unless it's been played in bars or is in a smoker's house. I like to sniff to see if it's been played in a smoky environment, because if they are, the finish is usually dingy from the tar residue in the air. Sunlight and fresh air seem to help, as does a sock filled with baking soda. An apple cut in half and placed in the case for a few days may help freshen it, or sometimes freshly-ground coffee inside an old sock can help/