Smelly Paul

[Chuck H]

Well you still have the option of using copious dry deodorant as I suggested above. That should trim down the 50 year wait.

Chuck

[David Schwab]

Naptha is generally used to clean dirty finishes, as well as degreasing something before finishing.

Sodium bicarbonate might also help the case smell better.

I have an Ibanez case for a bass I bought back in '87. The case had a weird odor that was a combination of fish and chocolate! Eventually the fish odor went away and the chocolate stayed. The bass smelled like chocolate for a long time, but not any more.

I'm thinking they used fish glue to glue the liner in the case and used some kind of chocolate sent to cover it up.

[Chuck H]

I mentioned alternating intervals with dry deodorant and a cloth bag filled with activated charcoal and sometimes with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Read my post above. I think it would work.

Chuck

[JGundry]

I have A 52'/57' Les Paul conversion that stank so bad it made my eyes water when I played it. My band members even noticed the stink on stage. They called it my Cess Paul. The stink was mainly from mildew. Since the stink on your guitar is so persistent I wonder if the sewer smell you are getting is a mixture of bar stink and mildew?

The only think that got rid of the stink was 3 days of non stop UV light exposure. I have a UV drying box for violins so I was able to do this. Evidently mold has a daily life cycle that involves sending out spores at around 3 AM. The 3mdays of UV killed the mold and also kept the mold under the surface from being able to reproduce. The guitar is completely stink free.

Before I tried the UV. I tried Listerine, baking soda, ozone, naptha, vinegar, Virtuoso cleaner. Absolutely nothing touched it except the UV light. Sunlight may do the trick also but you obviously won't get 3 days of non stop exposure.

[Sweetfinger]

Many instruments are finished with shellac. Alcohol will desolve shellac. If you ever tried alcohol on a quality acoustic guitar top or an orchestral stringed instrument (violin, cello, etc) that could be where you got this belief. Alcohol is a safe cleaner for most other finishes. But...
Chuck

Orchestra instruments are shellac, but you pretty much have to go back to pre-war times before you see guitars finished with shellac. There are some custom builders that do french polish but I can't think of a regular production brand that'll be shellac. Its just way too labor intensive to be used in a factory. Martin switched to nitro in the mid 1920's- basically, if it isn't home-made, high-end custom built, or over a century old, it is going to be lacquer, or some other modern sprayed finish. A Gibson Les Paul is going to be lacquer for sure.

I get my beliefs about alcohol/finishes from 25 years of guitar repair experience, half of that time as a professional. I've got around 100 or so instruments in my shop right now getting various repairs. I only press the point to keep someone (who might be reading this) from ruining the finish on 'grampa's' old guitar. You can't imagine the gruesome things I've seen done to guitars.

[LtKojak]

I have A 52'/57' Les Paul conversion that stank so bad it made my eyes water when I played it. My band members even noticed the stink on stage. They called it my Cess Paul. The stink was mainly from mildew. Since the stink on your guitar is so persistent I wonder if the sewer smell you are getting is a mixture of bar stink and mildew?

The only think that got rid of the stink was 3 days of non stop UV light exposure. I have a UV drying box for violins so I was able to do this. Evidently mold has a daily life cycle that involves sending out spores at around 3 AM. The 3mdays of UV killed the mold and also kept the mold under the surface from being able to reproduce. The guitar is completely stink free.

Before I tried the UV. I tried Listerine, baking soda, ozone, naptha, vinegar, Virtuoso cleaner. Absolutely nothing touched it except the UV light. Sunlight may do the trick also but you obviously won't get 3 days of non stop exposure.

Man, this is an AMAZING story...

[RoElston]

I just acquired a Les Paul Custom that has a really bad mildew smell to it and am planning on using the UV technique to get the smell out. Only I don't have a drying box. I'm planning on using a small closet and covering the walls with foil and using standard black lights... That is if standard black lights work? Is there anything I need to know about heat issues? Also, I'm guessing I need to make sure to keep the "box" ventilated? Lastly, does the UV or heat have any damaging affects on the guitar?

Thanks in advance!

[Plucky]

Is there anything I need to know about heat issues? Also, I'm guessing I need to make sure to keep the "box" ventilated? Lastly, does the UV or heat have any damaging affects on the guitar?

Hi RoElston, a black-light will not be effective.

The type of light you need to effectively kill mold and bacteria is UV-C, which is quite dangerous. Our atmosphere allows very little of it to pass through(although it seems to be more everyday seeing how easy it is to burn these days), and it is the most destructive form of UV light. In concentrated form it can cause permanent eye damage in seconds, especially if it contains certain wavelengths. These bulbs are commonly available at any store that carries germicidal air purifiers.

UV-A and B are commonly used to accelerate the polymerization and cure of many instrument finishes, and to 'de-stink' on occasion. Both of these should also be regarded with great caution. Although not as immediately harmful, they are reasonably effective, albeit a bit slow. Happily, there is also a much slower rate of photodegradation compared to UV-C. This is especially useful where that is undesirable...

These are fairly involved, somewhat dangerous, somewhat expensive, and potentially unnecessary methods for 'de-stinking' a guitar. Please refer to the parts of this thread regarding naphtha. If used properly, it is your best bet. You should also deal with the case(if you have it), as it is likely worse than the guitar. That could be left in the sun in a pinch, and possibly skimmed with naphtha as well. Otherwise, unless it is a valuable one, it may be good to get rid of it.

That is the nut-shell version... Good luck!

[J M Fahey]

There's a good side on all this: if you are *smelling* it, then it's on the air, so (at least some of it) has evaporated.
Even after years of tobacco/mildew, there's a finite amount of disgusting stuff there.
I think a couple hours in the sun (on hour on each side) daily will soon take most of it away.
Not specifically because of the UV rays, although that will help too, but because of the Sun dry clean heat.
Did I mention it's free too?
I would avoid the deadly combination of noon+summer+blue sky+"sunny state" because excessive heat will crack many finishes simply because of different expansion and/or excessive wood drying.
But I'm sure it's quite safe.
I also guess that kerosene will clean most of the grime and be very safe. Its own smell is more acceptable than the stinky ones and will evaporate soon.

[thumbs]

Is there any possibility your LP could be a Nashville flood guitar? Soundcheck was under water here and many more guitars were damaged in private homes. If so, your comments regarding raw sewage may not be too far off the mark. Some of these guitars will undoubtedly find their way back to the used market.

[RoElston]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll try Naptha and go from there. The case has been left in the Sun and the smell seems to be dissipating bit by bit. I'm pretty hesitant to put my guitar in the sun though. Although, I don't think playing it outside for a little while every day could hurt.

[Chuck H]

Nothing kills mildew like dry. Take the guitar out of the case and leave the case open in the sun. Don't keep the guitar anywhere where there is the least bit of high humidity and don't put it back in the case until the smell is all but completely gone and the case is bone dry. It might not hurt to take the guitar apart (remove pickups hardware and electronics) and expose any bare wood surfaces to the open air. possibly run a fan in the room where it will be for circulation. Do this for as long as you can stand to go without playing it. Then use a bag of activated charcoal in the component cavity of the case to absorb odors as much as possible. Swap for a bag of baking soda once a month. Follow with a deodorant in the component cavity if needed. Don't put your guitar in the sun. If you smell mildew it may be moist and it could warp the neck. Bright sun will almost certainly damage the finish.

Chuck

[jrfrond]

The LP is finished in nitro lacquer.

OK, if it was MY LP, this is what I would do:

Remove ALL of the hardware and electronics to have complete and easy access to every surface inch of the instrument.

Wipe it down with a "dry" VM&P naptha rag. By "dry", I mean that you do not want ANY naptha running off of it when you apply pressure. If schmutz is coming off of the finish, repeat the process.

Clean the fingerboard well with Formby's Lemon Oil Treatment or Old English Lemon Oil, "dry-ragging" that as well. Don't saturate. Then hang the guitar and let it air out.

Finish up with some good cream guitar polish. Planet Waves is really good. Reassemble.

Having said THAT, I had an early 90's Mexi Jazz Bass that stunk from when it was brand new, case AND guitar. Kinda smelled like stale cigars. When I sold it a few years back, it stunk just as bad!!! And yes, I tried everything..... including selling it! :O

[GitGlass]

The stinky Paul usually sits between a Strat I've had for fifteen years (and which STILL gives off that lovely Fender aroma) and a 1934 Martin (which smells of pure... history!).

A case might melp to protect the public from the Gibson's malodorous behaviour.

I had the identical problem with a Les Paul and a Strat that I purchased new. Obviously they smelled great when new but 15 years of bar gigs throughly funked them up with cigarette smoke. BTW, I have never smoked except involuntarily second-hand on those gigs. I tried the cases-in-the-sun method which showed a little improvement, but I stopped at buying new cases in the belief I'd just stink up the new cases. I have no access to the deadly UV lights mentioned.
Solution: reserve these two guitars for the few smoky gigs left.

[olddawg]

Have you tried plain old white vinegar on a rag?