Used guitar, cigarette smoke smell - need your input

  • Thread starter Thread starter The Hoff
  • Start date Start date
gbsmusic":1z1tab6u said:
Put the case outside in the sun for a couple days and Ive also put bounce sheets in the case at night. The smells take a while but it will go away.

+1

as for the guitar keep it out of the case and in the room. Eventually it will air out, just forget about it for a while - eventually it will come around.
 
I can't stand ciggg smoke and dislike it as much as the next guy but I think it's being a little to anal or should I say tgp for a guitarist to complain about it or make a big deal anyway. Give the guitar a good wipedown and let it sit out of its case, leave case open and maybe vacuum it with the powder carpet cleaner. It will go away in under a month. Smokers don't even notice that smell as its just normal to them so he prob wont understand. As long as otherwise u r happy I wouldn't care too much bout it.
 
I bought an ADA MP1 years ago that was cig smoke city. My entire jam room smelled like a bar. I had to sell it.
 
I don't smoke and cigarette smoke smells like shit. I have never Jammed with anybody that at least one person or everybody did not smoke. ( usually everybody simultaneously)
Go rent a Ozone generator and lock it down for 36 hours.
Or it will diminish, if you can stand the torture of third hand smoke for a few months.
I see it now;
Gear Classifieds/Smoking
Gear Classifieds/Non Smoking

Cedric,
"Hard. You can't even smoke cigarettes on Earth no more, can you?
You got to leave Earth to have a square now"
 
idk if it will help but theres a instructional vid from suhr where they talk about cleaning your guitar and he said use pledge, on everything..i use pledge around the house ,i think that would take care of the smoke smell
 
I think people around here put a bowl of vinegar in the car over night to rid it of most smells. Something like that.
 
The relic'd Eric Clapton Black Strat was infused with Marlboro smoke to get the most realistic effect of the original. :lol: :LOL:

Sucks, I do not like cig smell either… don't mind the other, I just don't smoke :lol: :LOL:
 
Take it to a fire restoration guy and pay them to put in in their ozone room several times. Offer this option to the seller with him covering the cost. This also opens the door for an easier refund without a fight. Last I did it, it wasn't very expensive. Maybe 30 bucks or so. It worked pretty well also. Wasn't a guitar though.
 
Just think of it as a bar flavored air freshener. When you are near it take in a deep breath and smile while thinking about the good old days.
It will only last for a month or two, air fresheners don't keep their smell forever.
 
I wouldn't take too kindly for someone "demanding" anything from me especially if the question is the guitar in condition as advertised ;)

I would spray the case with frabreeze a couple times a day and leave it open, replace the strings and thoroughly clean the guitar in and leave it out of the case to air out. On a good weather day put the case outside and open it up. The guitar won't reek of smoke forever. I also hate the smell of smoke and can sniff a cig from a 1/4 mile away. I used to smoke too but quit once I became a father, about 17 years ago. I bought a couple guitars that smelled like an ashtray before and the smell goes away. The case is the real culprit. Cases of gigging musicians used to always reek of smoke whether the player was a smoker or not...dunno about these days with all the smoke free clubs.
 
Ionizer is the best solution here thus far - case and guitar - locked down and left to the radicals that are ions. Good call.

I love cigarettes... My only complaint with cigarettes is they're not water proof :lol: :LOL:

Mo
 
Leave outside for a couple of days once a week and the smell will go away. Try flip the case with another one, cause it's easier to get rid of it in guitars than cases.
 
Believe it or not, clean it with Windex, fretboard and all. I know many luthiers that use windex as their secret weapon. Apparently it has just the right ammonia and won't dry your fretboard out enough to make a difference. It will help to kill that cigarette smell. I'm not saying use windex for the rest of your days on it, but for the first couple weeks to get this guitar up to par should be sufficient. Wipe er down real good, let it sit somewhere it can breath. Natural outdoor air preferably.

Febreeze the case as well like others are recommending. Or, if you're willing to take a bit of a hit, get rid of the case. That case will continue to be a culprit.

Fire restoration service is also an option.
 
The Hoff":gjxlgfch said:
I purchased a used guitar off of TGP. I opened up the box and you could instantly smell the cigarette smoke. Of course the fretboard, body, everything reeks of it. I am thinking about sending this e-mail to the seller:

Overall I am happy with the Dano. I mean it looks and sounds fantastic. I can't really play it much though, it smells of smoke pretty bad. It's on my fingers now, can't really get it off. I'm going to be leaving it out with fabric softener wrapped around it. I hope that works. I really wish you would have said something about the smokey environment. I am one of those people who just can't handle the smell, it literally makes me gag. If the smell doesn't subside I will have to demand a refund which I would hope and assume you'd understand. Sorry to be so emotional about this but it is something that is unbearable to me. I'll send you an update in a couple days.

Am I being unreasonable here? I feel like I might be a little bit here...? Just wanted some input before I send it out. Don't want to come off as unreasonable. Seems like this kind of thing should be mentioned in an ad...?
Did you ask if it had a smell? If the ad doesn't state "smoke-free" I usually ask.
 
It's completely irresponsible for a seller not to mention that the guitar was kept in a smokey environment. You should state all defects and damages when selling something online, and smoke odor in definitely damage. I had the same experience on another website, but kept the guitar. It smelled awful for months, even after cleaning it and letting it get some air. I still have the guitar and can get some odor if I'm really trying, but after three years of playing it regular and mostly hanging it on the wall instead of in the case, it's almost unnoticeable while playing. The original case on the other hand was donated to a friend because I could stand opening it anymore. I figured the hassle of getting a refund and sending back the guitar was more headache than the smell, myself.
 
Im gonna go smell my guitars to see if they smell like pot or smoke and demand a refund or their weed for collateral :)
 
Consider it a badge of honor. Everyone knows all of the best guitar players smoke or used to smoke :D

Seriously, I would take it apart, clean everything and oil anything that needs oil. The smell will eventually go away. Or you could just sell it to a smoker...
 
I am not a smoker but if it were me I would probably just try and air it out with all the methods listed in the thread so far and call it good.

I bought an amp from someone on this board and it reeeeeeeeeeeked of cat pee. The smell of cat pee never comes out of anything. The amp actually smelled up the room it was in. I would have killed to have it smell like smoke instead! :lol: :LOL:

I don't think the cat peed in the amp, just that the guy I bought it from probably had a bunch of cats. Those type of people have no idea that their house smells like a pissbox because they are around it all of the time. It is fucking gross.
 
killertone":z055lrzu said:
I am not a smoker but if it were me I would probably just try and air it out with all the methods listed in the thread so far and call it good.

I bought an amp from someone on this board and it reeeeeeeeeeeked of cat pee. The smell of cat pee never comes out of anything. The amp actually smelled up the room it was in. I would have killed to have it smell like smoke instead! :lol: :LOL:

I don't think the cat peed in the amp, just that the guy I bought it from probably had a bunch of cats. Those type of people have no idea that their house smells like a pissbox because they are around it all of the time. It is fucking gross.

:hys: :hys: :hys: :hys:
 
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