mold or mildew on the guitar finish and in the case

[leo debacker]

Hi Folks, I'm a new member, just found this site, thanks for all the great info!

I recently purchased a 1945 Epiphone Blackstone, blonde finish is in great shape, no shrinking or rotting of the binding. It is missing the neck binding on the bass side.

The prob is a very strong smell of mildew in the case when it arrived, a close look at the guitar finish shows a spotting on the lacquer finish in places and a white looking "snow flake" like pattern spotting the Rosewood fret board that also looks like a mold of some kind.

Also, an unrelated prob ?? of the orange colored case fuzz is sticking to and staining the lacquer finish of the rib at the tail block area. Funny, the seller avoided that camera angle, Hmmm....

Looking for info on how to kill the mold and mold smell without hurting the lacquer finish and or bindings,

also need to find a source for the proper neck binding material for the neck.

Not sure what can be done about the case, too bad, it looks to be original to the guitar and is in very good shape if not for the strong mold smell.

Thanks for any help with this!!

[Robbie Collins]

Blackstone is an archtop, right? Do you have a usb endoscope to look inside for mildew?  Vinegar and diluted bleach will kill mildew but vinegar is gentler. Charcoal and baking soda absorb odor. Test for color stability on your case. The guitar may be "wet" and need to be brought down to the proper humidity.

[Dave Richard]

You can buy celluloid binding from Axiom.com, or plastic from Stewmac . But you will have to size it, most likely, to match in thickness and width.

I don't know what to say about the mildew smell, I haven't (yet!) had to deal with it!

Can you post a picture of the guitar and case? I love those old Epis, I have two of them.

Dave

[Andrew]

Yes id definitely be looking inside the guitar, if that stuff is inside it then it will alway smell til you get it out of there. The finish and fingerboard can be dealt with with simple gentle but thorough cleaning. Mold only comes back if you dont remove all the spores and the area stays damp and dark, usually. Changing the environment from what the mold likes is half the battle.

As for the case, Im not sure how to guarantee complete removal of the mold with any measures that wont risk it in some way, since youve got fabric and other soft material where the mold/mildew can hide, but you could try Robbies vinegar solution or have it steam cleaned and thoroughly dried. Also I think baking soda has fungicidal properties. I guess if it comes to it and you're intent on using the case, you could change the lining, which will allow you to clean the inside thoroughly, then all thats left is any space between the outer covering and the shell, but hopefully its not that extreme. Its hard to say without seeing it first hand, so start with the gentlest approaches first and escalate if need be. But if theres actual visible fungus on the surfaces of the guitar, its probably somewhat extensive. Hopefully the guitar and/or case havent been affected by 'dry' rot.

[leo debacker]

 I snagged it on Reverb, here's the original listing with a bunch of pics.

If you click on the pic for full size, look at pic # 3 note the spots on fret board and the body. Hard to see but that's the mold/ mildew that's most noticeable.

https://reverb.com/item/410457-epiphone-blackstone-archtop-acoustic...

[George Roberts]

I have a 1921 Martin mandolin that came in a Gibson A case.  They both had a terrible mildew stink.  The mandolin no longer smells of mildew, after several years out of the case.  The case, however, is still horrible.  It has been well vacuumed, and had a prolonged trial of a product recommended by Paul Hostetter called Nature's Miracle.  This is sold in pet stores, and is usually used for pet odors.  It had no effect on the case.  Tried a bunch of activated charcoal canisters.  They are supposed to get rid of the bad odors in your refrigerator.  No effect.  Finally, I put the open case out on the back deck, in direct sunlight, almost every sunny day, for two summers.  It still stinks, and I have given up on it.

[Paul Verticchio]

Hi leo :)

re: the case

For the sake of your long term health, replace it.  As George stated, sometimes they're simply ruined for life.

Just for info: I reject molded & mildewed instruments for repairs or set ups. It's not worth my health to deal with an instrument someone neglected so badly.  A mold related respiratory condition is NO FUN and difficult to treat.

Best of luck with the guitar repairs. She's a looker :)

[Dave Richard]

In an earlier reply, I stated that celluloid binding could be obtained from Axiom.com. I got the web address wrong. It should be axinc.net( or Google ' celluloid axiom').

Dave

[Mark Fogleman]

You'll need to strip the fabric from the interior of the case back to the wood and clean it w/a strong detergent like TSP.  Then wipe down with a 1 part bleach + 4 parts water mixture and use a toothbrush to get into the corners.  After it dries, coat liberally w/Kilz Original Primer http://www.kilz.com/MCContent/MC_Product/KILZ/KILZ_TDS/Original_TDS... and re-upholster.  You can probably get by with just coating the wood w/Kilz but it only seals the surface and does not kill/remove the mold.  If the outside of the case is not cloth covered you'll need to do the same.  Scrub with the same detergent on the outside of the case and wipe down with the bleach mixture. (test a small section first)

As far as the interior of the guitar I don't have any experience there. I do have experience dealing with a case of Cavern Tavern subterranean bar stink from moldy air, tobacco and other smoke, petrified beer, urine and probably other human products that had accumulated over the span of 30 years or so.  Your situation is complicated even more by it not having a soundhole. If it was mine, I would look at Boric acid powder.http://www.amazon.com/Orthoboric-Control-Cockroaches-Roaches-Insect... It is a very good fungicide.  Pour ~half pound of it and equal amounts of baking soda in the guitar, seal the openings with masking tape and shake vigorously in all positions daily for a few weeks. Take the tape off and empty it downwind outside with a dust mask and goggles.  Carefully blast the remnants out with an air gun. It probably will still smell moldy. Go to your nearest pet store and pick up some activated charcoal granules in the aquarium section. Fill up some fine mesh bags (feet from nylon stockings work) and keep them closed up with the guitar when not in use. 

[leo debacker]

Hey All, Thanks for all the great response, really good info, I'm inclined to get rid of the case, not sure I have the energy needed to combat the problem, half measures will surely be a fail.

The guitar will clean, my concern is having the process affect the lacquer finish. Will the bleach and water solution cause it to cloud or yellow?

Boric acid, Borax etc., seems like a less toxic approach, wonder if dusting the finish with the Boric acid powder would do the job, avoiding water and the possibility of clouding the clear coat? Would still need to wipe it down to remover any traces of the mold.

Seems most everything is going to have a cause and effect, Paul may be right, this job may not be worth the trouble, waiting for the weather to improve, will be doing this one outside, don't need the spores getting on other stuff ....:)

On the plus side this will be a killer player when finished, the top is thin and very resonate, keeping the glass half full!

Thanks Again for all the input.

[Andrew]

Bleach or borax etc. should -not- be necessary on finish, so dont do that. I would dampen a cloth with water and dish soap and wipe it away from finished areas, followed by your normal polish. You're not trying to get the guitar wet, just wiping it off, so ther e should be no problem. For unfinished areas, Id give good old naphtha a go. Orange glo or a lemon oil on the fingerboard will help cut the smell. Bear in mind that fungus on non living matter can be rid of with simple thorough mechanical cleaning followed by storage conditions different from those that propagated it in the first place, so you DONT need extreme chemical solutions to get rid of it, just patience and common sense.

For the inside I would just try baking soda with the shaking etc. that Mark detailed. The highish PH of baking soda is enough to kill most common fungi, or at least substantially suppress it. Youll need a mini brush vacuum attachment and some patience to get it all out though. Compressed air would help.