NGD — but the gigbag is a bit whiffy

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I saw this Guild M-240E Troubadour on the cash converters website when they seemed to be doing a Dutch auction as the price was dropping by £20 every few days. It got to a price where it would have been rude not to press the 'buy now' button, so I did that. It arrived the next day very well wrapped but on unpacking it there was a definite odour.

 

After a wipedown with kitchen roll slightly dampened with febreze and then a piece dampened with water, the guitar is no longer malodourous, but the gigbag is taking a bit longer to destink. I've used approximately half a bottle of febreze so far on it inside and out, and it is currently sitting zipped up with an open tub of bicarbonate of soda inside. It only has a trace of the smell now if I get my nose right up against it but any other tips to get rid of a weird smoky smell from a gigbag will be gratefully received. If it was a tatty old gigbag I'd put it in the bin, but apart from the smell it could pass for brand new, and its a good quality well-padded bag with embroidered Guild logo.

 

The guitar itself it lovely. It is parlour sized and has a solid sitka spruce top and a DeArmond Tone Boss passive soundhole magnetic pickup which sounds surpringly good. There was a bit of rattle on the low E string as the fingerboard was almost dead flat. I had to remove the pickup to get to the truss rod adjustment, but after a tweak and refitting the pickup I now have a little relief in the neck and the guitar plays very well with a good lively feel and bright tone.

[Martin E]

I acquired a gig bag that absolutely reeked of smoke. I opened it up and left it in the garden for the day in the sunlight. 

Wrong time of the year unfortunately but it works and all the smell went completely.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

That will certainly be worth a try if we get a sunny day soon, otherwise I could stash it in the loft until summer arrives

[OliverBlackman]

1 hour ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

That will certainly be worth a try if we get a sunny day soon, otherwise I could stash it in the loft until summer arrives

I was going to suggest garage or shed but it might get a damp smell instead! Depends which is worse I guess 😂

[casapete]

You could try Neutradol Deoderisor Gel, which works in cars when a smoker has been in them

Only a couple of quid so worth a go.

Also bicarbonate of soda ( baking soda) can work well, and again isn’t expensive and is easy

to get hold of. Put some in an open jar and leave it zipped up in the case overnight.
Good luck! 

[Grooverjr]

Stick a car tree in it for a day then leave it open for a day outside. If it still stinks it will always stink and it will transfer back to the guitar so it's for the bin, I'd say. You got a win on the instrument either way!

[Geek99]

If it’s just a gig bag why not stick it in the washing machine? Dosing it up in what is essentially a perfume isn’t solving the problem 
mine smell great 

[Downunderwonder]

8 hours ago, Martin E said:

sunlight

Add some little bit of wind and the cure is actually free!

[lurksalot]

1 hour ago, Downunderwonder said:

Add some little bit of wind and the cure is actually free!

it will be a lot worse with my wind !

[Bolo]

https://hg.eu/uk/products/hg-odour-eliminator-for-clothes-and-fabrics

 

A couple of years ago the business adjacent to our rehearsal space had a fire. This stuff got all the smell off our equipment, including my carpeted 4x12.

I've used it since to fumigate stinky second hand bass cases and gigbags whenever I bought something from a smoker.

 

Edited Friday at 08:41 by Bolo

[Rosie C]

Depending on the material, put it a washing machine? 

[gjones]

I bought a bass with a smelly case 15 years ago. The bass is long sold but the case is still too smelly to sell. 

 

I'll try the bicarbonate of soda trick and hopefully it will get rid of the pong.

[ezbass]

Outside in the fresh air, preferably in some sunshine (I know, not the time of year) is the best fix.

[Geek99]

1 hour ago, Rosie C said:

Depending on the material, put it a washing machine? 

I suggested the same above 

[Rosie C]

42 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

I suggested the same above 

 

Ah, sorry, I was skimming through while waiting at the GP surgery and didn't see your reply.

 

I managed to find a soft bag for my guitar-bodied mandolin at my local music shop but it had been on display years and was very dusty - but a run through the washing machine worked wonders.

 

 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I don't think I'll be able to put my guild gigbag in the washing machine as it is well padded and more rigid than a typical freebie case. The bicarb seems to have reduced the odour, so I'll keep it like that for a few more days.

[Grooverjr]

6 hours ago, lurksalot said:

it will be a lot worse with my wind !

Thanks for going there so I didn't have to 🤣

[Skybone]

8 hours ago, gjones said:

I bought a bass with a smelly case 15 years ago. The bass is long sold but the case is still too smelly to sell. 

 

I'll try the bicarbonate of soda trick and hopefully it will get rid of the pong.

Bought a couple of Ric's with unbelievably smelly cases. Couldn't get rid of the stink no matter what I tried, so the basses got re-housed in new cases, and the old ones are in the garage.

 

As has been suggested, if it's a cordura style case, stick it in the washing machine, a couple of pods and loads of fabric conditioner. 

[Bluewine]

On 17/01/2025 at 03:41, gjones said:

I bought a bass with a smelly case 15 years ago. The bass is long sold but the case is still too smelly to sell. 

 

I'll try the bicarbonate of soda trick and hopefully it will get rid of the pong.

 

My Fender hard case for my Precision smells like someone urinated in it. I was told it's the glue that holds in the case lining.

 

Daryl

[Geek99]

3 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

My Fender hard case for my Precision smells like someone urinated in it. I was told it's the glue that holds in the case lining.

 

Daryl

Yeah that one is in the employee “customer interaction” manual. “Claim it’s the glue” 

[Geek99]

On 17/01/2025 at 11:31, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

I don't think I'll be able to put my guild gigbag in the washing machine as it is well padded and more rigid than a typical freebie case. The bicarb seems to have reduced the odour, so I'll keep it like that for a few more days.

You could get it dry-cleaned for not much money 

[Lozz196]

Good call

[Geek99]

And then you don’t need to dick around trying to “dry it” and “expose it to sunlight” in freaking January

 

👍

[tauzero]

38 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

You could get it dry-cleaned for not much money 

 

Or put it in the bath, or take a shower with it. I'm sure nobody would ever consider that a subject for blackmail.

[Geek99]

8 minutes ago, tauzero said:

 

Or put it in the bath, or take a shower with it. I'm sure nobody would ever consider that a subject for blackmail.

Now I’m confused.

🤔
I’m just pointing out a cheap alternative to hiding the smell by actually getting rid of what’s causing it.  Drying it and getting sunlight are less than easy in mid-winter 

 

where does blackmail come into this? 

Edited Saturday at 19:44 by Geek99