New Car Smell versus New Guitar Smell...

[Kitarkus]

This thread made me laugh out loud.

No comparison between car vs. guitar smell. Guitar all the way. I have a nasty little habit of pursuing Craigslist guitars. On Saturday I went to see an old Japanese Alvarez jumbo. When auditioning in the company of the seller, I gave the sound hole a good sniffaroonio (yes....sniff-a-roon-e-o). The look on the guys face was priceless. I opted to refrain from explanation.

The opposite can be true as well. I recall my brother bought a Craigslist guitar....a parking lot meet/deal. When he got the guitar home he realized that it emitted the aroma la cat piss. I won't tell you what he did to that guitar.

 

[fretless]

"Like"

 

[fretless]

Hah!

 

[JohnW63]

Sorry, you guys ARE weird. Not that this is news to any of you!

 

[gibsonjunkie]

My J-200 was shipped direct from Gibson to the store where I ordered it and I got to open the shipping case. The smell of the lacquer and wood (it was 3 weeks old according to the serial number) - priceless!

 

[adorshki]

The opposite can be true as well. I recall my brother bought a Craigslist guitar....a parking lot meet/deal. When he got the guitar home he realized that it emitted the aroma la cat piss. I won't tell you what he did to that guitar.

Back in the day, the best Colombian weed smelled like that, fresh off the brick, before it had a chance to breathe for about a half hour..
Did he smoke it?

 

[Smitch]

As of 1/1/14, no more need for pissy Colombian cartel weed.

 

[adorshki]

As of 1/1/14, no more need for pissy Colombian cartel weed.

Actually that woulda been pre-cartels, about '73. When it aired out it actually had a magnificent flavor, much like wine or cheese, except it tasted like hashish, no kidding. Later on I realized the smell was a byproduct of being pressed while still slightly damp but it had the effect of isomerizing the THC, probably due to some residual heat of decomposition which was the source of the ammonia smell.
THAT was the fabled Colombian Gold and Panama Red.
When the cartels did step in around late '74, quality dropped off noticably as they started mass commercial production and tried to move more weight, just before they discovered how much more money they could make on the same weight of cocaine. Grrrrr.....
Sorry, I forgot this isn't the "Let's Talk Weed" forum....nostalgia got the best of me.
Pretty much all the so-called "high grade" stuff I've been shown for about the last 15 years has all the personality of 180 proof grain alcohol, that is, "too freakin' strong and not enough real flavor".
It's enough to make a man quit. Even with a doctor's prescription....or even if he lived in Colorado.
:wink-new:

 

[Bill Ashton]

When new in 2009, my GAD30PCE (Padauk, mind) and my D55 smelled wonderful but each different just opening their cases; this lasted throughout their lives with me. I think the Padauk may have been the more fragrant.

My H & D still does the same thing, although a completely different scent.

The F512, straight off the line smelled of nothing but finish, and still does to a certain extent. The newest, my NH D55 is slightly different from the Tacoma, but is in a word "marvelrous." Funny how the two NH guitars can be so different.

 

[Smitch]

A bit before my time, but I've definietley heard of the 'fine Columbian' aka Steely Dan. However, I never thought I'd see the day of retail ganja.

 

[rampside]

I really liked sniffin' my '70 Fender cedar topped classical. Something about that aged cedar I guess.

Speaking of weed, I seem to remember sometime after the red and gold era people were burnin' some real nasty stuff that smelled very similar to skunk pi$$. Back in those days, certain jam sessions may have had a prominent effect on your guitar taking on a certain odor.:hypnotysed:

 

[adorshki]

However, I never thought I'd see the day of retail ganja.

It's all that John Denver character's fault.
"Rocky Mountain High", indeed.
Hmph.




:biggrin-new:

 

[Kitarkus]

Oh boy. Did I get this thread off track? Anyway...perhaps we all need to meet up for a campfire BBQ strum-a-thon....since now I know that we won't just be sniffin' guitars!
I'd been in some CE classes all week and just caught up on this thread....this was good for another morning chuckle. I nearly spit my coffee at the computer screen.

 

[idealassets]

OK, I'll "back read" all these LTG posts in time. The friendly Guild folks at LMG III would not reveal how they get that great new guitar smell on the guitar, and on the case. They did entertain me to the extent that they thought I was giving them credit for something that maybe just happens in there somewhere (its magic?).

Now on the serious side the "red licorice" smell is still in my Guilds: 2007 D55 and case, and in my 2007 F50r and case. However these guitars will need a treatment of linseed oil sometime soon, which may cause that great factory fresh smell to change. Oh no! Do any folks here on LTG have any comment about that happening? The action on my 2010 F512 seems to have improved after the linseed oil treatment, and I know that the fret & bridge wood is now in a good state of affairs.

But I would like to hear from an expert (other than me), since I have not been playing guitar nearly as long as I have been doing some other things, such as playing drums for one example. BTW if you want to know anything about drums I'll trade drum info for guitar info, or something like that.

Thank you,
Craig

 

[adorshki]

OK, I'll "back read" all these LTG posts in time. The friendly Guild folks at LMG III would not reveal how they get that great new guitar smell on the guitar, and on the case. They did entertain me to the extent that they thought I was giving them credit for something that maybe just happens in there somewhere (its magic?).
Now on the serious side the "red licorice" smell is still in my Guilds: 2007 D55 and case, and in my 2007 F50r and case.

The secret ingredient of New Hartford NCL is they add a bottle of anisette to every 55 gallon drum of lacquer.
Back in Westerly it was Coke or Pepsi. At least that's what they told the bosses.
(inside joke abut "Pepsi Fridays" at Westerly)

However these guitars will need a treatment of linseed oil sometime soon, which may cause that great factory fresh smell to change.

On a more serious note, I suspect the linseed oil would tend to absorb the smell of the NCL more than the other way 'round. Rememeer the NCL is outgassing volatile aromatic compunds from the stuff it was dissolved in, continuously, and getting drier and more brittle as it ages.
Keeping the guitar cased would tend to trap those gasses which would make the smell last longer and slow down the outgassing itself, due to a little phenemenon known as osmotic pressure: molecules tend to migrate from areas of greater concentration to areas of lesser concentration until equilibrium is reached. So as the air in the case becomes "saturated", the outgassing would slow down.
The linseed oil tends to penetrate the wood and does have some aromatic compounds itself, but I believe the tendency would be for the oil to attract/absorb the volatile evaporated compounds of the lacquer and tend to actually take on the smell, over time.
You may get linseed smell over the short term, (couple of months?), but I think the orginal factory smell would persist and become predominant again.
(I've only ever used "Guitar Honey" and there's no real residual odor)



h no! Do any folks here on LTG have any comment about that happening? The action on my 2010 F512 seems to have improved after the linseed oil treatment, and I know that the fret & bridge wood is now in a good state of affairs.

But I would like to hear from an expert (other than me), since I have not been playing guitar nearly as long as I have been doing some other things, such as playing drums for one example. BTW if you want to know anything about drums I'll trade drum info for guitar info, or something like that.

Thank you,
Craig[/QUOTE]

 

[adorshki]

Oh boy. Did I get this thread off track? Anyway...perhaps we all need to meet up for a campfire BBQ strum-a-thon....since now I know that we won't just be sniffin' guitars!

I've heard about that new fad of the kids sniffin' skunks but you won't get me to try that.
Lickin' toads, ok.
Smokin' scorpion tails, ok.
But I ain't sniffin' no skunks.
:mad-new:

 

[idealassets]

adorshki,
Regarding modern physics- I couldn't sound as elegant as yourself on my best day. And I have talked my way through some good ones in my normal line of work in the industrial world. I myself was not quite so much of a convincing speaker, as much as I was able to borrow little tricks of the trade from what I heard someone else saying. (usually) It was just that easy!

I have a 2 oz. bottle of Guitar Honey that a good friend gave me to try it out. He really advocates it for all cleaning or wood restoration on guitars. But after paying the going price for Linseed Oil, I have a lot left to use from that can. I may do some experimentation to see what I like the best.

You are right that the anisette does not loose that much of the nice smell. However a few older guitars and cases have passed through my hands that were horrible smelling, even worse than second hand smoke. More along the lines of "oversaturation of Nicotine and other non-descript tar residues, fermented for effect, and then further refined in order to be of an unmistakable origin." Fortunately I managed to sell those guitars before I had to work at getting that smell changed out.

Craig

 

[Kitarkus]

I've had a guitar or two with odor de toilette myself. I never tried it...but I've been tempted to place some lump charcoal in some old pantie hose..then in the soundhole...then seal the whole kit-n-kiboodle in the case for a summer stretch. Those old guitars ended up with cig smokers who cannot differentiate between roses and toilets. I no longer am willing to buy...no matter the deal....a stinky guitar.

 

[adorshki]

I have a 2 oz. bottle of Guitar Honey that a good friend gave me to try it out. He really advocates it for all cleaning or wood restoration on guitars. But after paying the going price for Linseed Oil, I have a lot left to use from that can. I may do some experimentation to see what I like the best.

Craig, just to make sure you're aware of it, Guitar Honey does contain silicones in case you want to completely avoid putting 'em on your guitar. If you haven't seen some of the previous threads, if any of the body woods get contaminated by 'em, it's impossible to refinish the NCL if it becomes neccessary,
Chaz at one point also posted some other background info that it can loosen glue bonds which was new info to me at the time. For that reason he doesn't even want to let 'em get near fretboards or bridges even though refinishing would never be a worry. (Chaz recommends "bore oil" as used for woodwind instruments, but in your case, you've already got the linseed so why spend more money, right?)
So you might just want to stick with the factory-recommended linseed oil.
In my case, in my local climate and because they're stored cased, I only treat my fingerboards and bridges every couple of years anyway, and haven't had a problem.
But I probably won't continue to use it going forward.

 

[idealassets]

Craig, just to make sure you're aware of it, Guitar Honey does contain silicones in case you want to completely avoid putting 'em on your guitar. If you haven't seen some of the previous threads, if any of the body woods get contaminated by 'em, it's impossible to refinish the NCL if it becomes neccessary,
Chaz at one point also posted some other background info that it can loosen glue bonds which was new info to me at the time. For that reason he doesn't even want to let 'em get near fretboards or bridges even though refinishing would never be a worry. (Chaz recommends "bore oil" as used for woodwind instruments, but in your case, you've already got the linseed so why spend more money, right?)
So you might just want to stick with the factory-recommended linseed oil.
In my case, in my local climate and because they're stored cased, I only treat my fingerboards and bridges every couple of years anyway, and haven't had a problem.
But I probably won't continue to use it going forward.

The Linseed Oil doesn't smell bad, and thus far I haven't had to thin it with turpentine (as some do), since it is thin enough out of the can. for my 2007 d55 I had to apply a generous amount of oil to the side of the bridge, since the wood looked very dry for about a 1" long area. I don't think this guitar had ever been oiled in the 6+ years since new. It was virtually un-played when I bought it from Elderly Instruments about a year ago, so un-played probably = un-oiled as well.

Now back to that new guitar smell, I have 3 Guild guitars and cases that all smell like red licorice; 07' D55, 07' F50r, & 10' F512. And as insignificant as it may seem, folks love to see the guitar and case, and they like that smell after I have played them. They often ask me to bring it back out of the case for a look, after I have just finished playing it. Its sometimes an "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours" deal. But there is one exception- there seems to be so many Taylor guitars available from GC & everywhere else, that no want ever asks to get a second look at a Taylor. Sorry abut that!

Craig