Hi All,

I bought a used OM a while back and while its a great guitar and sounds and plays fantastic, the previous owner was unfortunately(apologies up front to those that partake) was a smoker. When I first opened the box I was overtaken by the smell of cigarettes. While I can stand it when I go to a bar etc, it really bugs me on my personal guitar as I'm a 'smeller' . When I open up the case I want to smell fine tone woods(not to mention sniffin the 'ol sound hole on occasion), not cigarettes.

Is it just a matter of time of letting it 'air' out, or am I doomed to have the smoking guitar?

Curious as to if anyone else has had this experience and if there are any solutions to airing it out.

I once turned down a great deal on a CW with superlative woods and sound because it reeked of cigarette smoke. Unplayable. Airing it out won't really help and subjecting it to air-fresheners only temporarily masks the smell. The only real solution I can think of is getting ozone in there. I think some car wash places have ozone generators (units about a yard long) and may "flush" your guitar out for you.

I don’t think just letting it air out will help but I would at least try this first since it costs you nothing.

When I was in school, I worked as a house painter. Sometimes I had to paint an oil based sealer over the walls, ceiling and even the floor to seal in the smell before I could paint over the walls to get rid of the smell. Obviously I do not recommend this for a guitar but it illustrates that this can be a major problem depending upon how bad the smell is.

Maybe an ozone machine might help.

Perhaps it is worth a call to Collings to get their advice.

Peace,
Rip

Let that be a lesson to us sniffers.
Next time we are looking to make a used guitar purchase, we'll have to ask if the guitar is a smoker or non smoker.

Hello,

It is possible to correct this. What I have done with very good results is take Ozium and spray it on a cloth. Just a little bit and I fold the cloth over so a few dry layers can rest above the label inside the guitar. Put in case and remove in 12 hours.

Now, the guitar is going to smell like Ozium, which is not a good smell at all, but that smell will disappear in 3-4 weeks. And the odds are high that the smoke smell will be gone.

Also wash the complete outside of the guitar with a mild guitar cleaner, or just water if you are concerned. Use a white soft rag. If there is any yellow on it, you will know that you are already reducing some of the smoke smell.

I've had good luck, but of course it depends on the intensity and duration of exposure to smoke.

I warned you that Ozium is NOT a nice smell. Please remember that as you smell the sickening sweet smell of that stuff for the next few weeks.

http://www.amazon.com/Glycoliz...id=1244766328&sr=8-2

Good Pickin
mattmoo

What about putting the guitar in a guitar stand and pointing a portable box fan at the soundhole? A few days of rapid air circulation may difuse the smoke smell. Try spraying Fabreeze air freshener on the lining of the case.

Odd. I played my guitars in bars for years and years (way too many, yet not enough) when bars were, by definition, smoke filled. Yet my guitars never had any residual odor of smoke. I suppose if a guitar lived in close quarters with a heavy smoker over an extended period, then the smell might penetrate and be, for all intents and purposes, permanent. I would think that rare these days. tom

When I was young, I remember seeing guys stick the butt of the cigarette into the string wire sticking out by the tunners.

I played lots of smoky bars over the years (no smoking in bars here now!), and the smell could be overwhelming. Just opening up my case of cables, even days after the gig, would be sickening. I second the idea of cleaning the outside of the guitar. Then, I'd try putting it on a stand in the fresh air. Also, clean the outside of the case and maybe vacuum the inside of the case. I once put a packet of baking soda inside a case to get rid of mold smell. It worked a little.

Heres a trick that I learned back before the Ohio banned smoking in public places.
The bars I played in were very smokey and my guitars would reek of it.

Buy some baking soda.
Pour some of the arm & hammer into a dish small enough to
fit into your guitar's soundhole.
If you don't have a small dish, form something out of tin foil.
With the guitar laying flat in its case, CAREFULLY put your dish into the soundhole.
Close the case and leave it in there overnight. Repeat if necessary. This will eliminate
a majority of the odor.

option 1) get a new case. check to be sure the previous owner didn't use the soundhole as an ashtray. wipe finish down with a guitar polish.

option 2) start smoking.

option 3) sell to me for $500

007's advice is the ticket in this case, and has been being done for decades. First, totally clean the guitar. Strings off, make sure you REALLY wipe down that board. As a matter of fact do it three or for times.(One of my new guitars was involved in a Guitar store fire. The only time I could ever smell the smoke was when I played for a few hours and the actual fingerboard started slightly heating up. The fingerboard, because it is not laquered, can soak up a TON of odors.) Then get 2 boxes of Baking Soda and put half of one into a small bag made out of cloth. I have used an old tee shirt in the past for this. Put it in the guitar. Figure out some way to coverup the soundhole so the soda is working on the smoke. The other half, should be sprinkled into the case. Do everywere in the case including the latched part. Close the case for a few days. After 3 days, do this whole process again including wiping down the guitar. Do this as many times as it takes. It will work. ... KK...