Hi All,
A buddy of mine just gave me a '69 Yamaha acoustic that has been sitting in a case in his basement for twenty something years ! It's in really nice shape except that the dampness in his basement has made the guitar and its case quite musty smelling. I polished the outside of the guitar, and wiped as much as I could of the inside with a clean rag (insofar as my hamhock forearm will allow me to reach ) , but it hasn't gotten rid of that odor. The case also has the same musty smell. Any thoughts on dealing with this ? Also, the pickguard needs to be reglued. Any recommendations on a good quality glue ? This is not a museum piece, but I can get my hands on whatever is appropriate ( yellow carpenters glue / cyanoacrylate for wood / white glue / the paste I used to eat in kindergarten, etc. ). Thanks up front.
for a pickguard, use carpenters glue.
For the smell in the case, put the case somewhere where it won't be disturbed, put a plate in the case, fill the plate halfway with white vinegar.
Close the case and leave it overnight. Next day leave the case open to air out.
That will sometimes do the trick.
If not, head down to the local pet store. They sell stuff that removes the odor of pet urine from carpet and furniture. Spray a little of that in the case.
Inside the guitar is tough. See if you can get some vegetable plastic bags. They look like sandwich bags, but they have tiny vents in them. Soak a paper towel in febreze and stick it in the bag. Stick the bag in the soundhole and leave it for as long as necessary.
Another thought for the musty odor in the case........ and I'm totally serious about this!!!........ cut an apple in half, doesn't matter the type of apple, set both halves inside the case on something like a triple thickness of paper towel or a piece of cardboard, with the cut halves facing up, and close the case for a day or so. There's something about the pectin in the apple that absorbs odors. When you open the case it should smell "appley fresh"! (DO NOT USE ANY SORT OF CITRUS FRUIT!!!!!)
And, since you mentioned the damp basement, mold may be a contributing factor to the odor, and, IMHO, the best thing to do in that case is get another case!!!!!
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-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´ -:¦:- Elecktrablue -:¦:-
"Don't wanna ride no shootin' star. Just wanna play on the rhythm guitar." Emmylou Harris, "Rhythm Guitar" from "The Ballad of Sally Rose"
Excellent ! For the case I'll try the apple trick first and if that doesn't get it done I'll give the vinegar a shot. I have a small bottle of febreeze AND the stuff for pet urine, since I've got a big ol' dog in the house, so thanks to your help it looks like I'm on the way to curing that prob !
Thanx
If all else fails, you can play "While My Guitar Gently Reeks" on it.
Now look at them yo-yo's that's the way you do it you play the guitar on the MTV
LMAO !
My guitar playing definitly reeks so I guess I have a guitar that matches
On another note I found a supplier of guitar parts and supplies on the web.
They sell some sort of two sided adhesive sheets for fastening pickguards, so I thought I'd give that a whirl - $1.50 for the sheet of stuff and $4.00 for shipping.
make sure its completely dry, i.e let it dry out with an open lid for a couple of days. that will help a bit, then try the apple, vinegar and febreeze(in that order:D)
would be my suggestion, but, what do i know? works for the pillows in my boat anyways:D
Never call a shovel "an ingenious hole-digging instrument"
