New guitar smell - stopping it

Axelorox · Nov 1, 2018

I know the vanilla scented new Gibson (or nitro finish) smell is quite popular. It does smell nice, but is giving me headaches if I play for longer periods of time. How can I accelerate the off gassing of VOCs from the finish so my guitar doesn't smell anymore? It's a new-to-me 2008 R7, though based on it being in mint condition I'm guessing it's stayed in the case most of its life. I will be leaving it out in open air for a while but other ideas to speed things up are appreciated.

I do have a PCO generating air filter, which sends hydroxyl radicals into the surrounding environment. These react with things like VOCs and break them down. I will use this on the empty case, but don't feel comfortable using it on the guitar in case the hydroxyl radicals react with the finish and cause damage.

El Gringo · Nov 1, 2018

Axelorox said:
I know the vanilla scented new Gibson (or nitro finish) smell is quite popular. It does smell nice, but is giving me headaches if I play for longer periods of time. How can I accelerate the off gassing of VOCs from the finish so my guitar doesn't smell anymore? It's a new-to-me 2008 R7, though based on it being in mint condition I'm guessing it's stayed in the case most of its life. I will be leaving it out in open air for a while but other ideas to speed things up are appreciated.

I do have a PCO generating air filter, which sends hydroxyl radicals into the surrounding environment. These react with things like VOCs and break them down. I will use this on the empty case, but don't feel comfortable using it on the guitar in case the hydroxyl radicals react with the finish and cause damage.

Maybe Lemon scented Pledge ?

zoommutt · Nov 1, 2018

Boy! Those hydroxyl radicals sound bad ass! Leave it out of the case and keep wiping it down. You could wear a mask or little pieces of tissue paper in your nose.

PabloHarlem · Nov 1, 2018

The little white sheets you put in with your dryer work well. Put a laundry sheet in the case pocket, it should smell better. :dude:

Monroe · Nov 1, 2018

Leave it out of the case as much as possible for the first year or so?

barman · Nov 1, 2018

Start smoking cigarettes... Just kidding! Don't start.

Ed Driscoll · Nov 2, 2018

Axelorox said:
I know the vanilla scented new Gibson (or nitro finish) smell is quite popular. It does smell nice, but is giving me headaches if I play for longer periods of time. How can I accelerate the off gassing of VOCs from the finish so my guitar doesn't smell anymore?

I thought it was just me! I don't mind the smell, but I would get a bit queasy feeling after playing the Everly Brothers-style J-180 I bought at the 2007 Arlington Guitar Show. (I'm seriously allergic to most nuts and even the smell of a peanut butter jar makes me feel slightly queasy; perhaps the reaction to the case smell was psychosomatic?) When I lived in California, the J-180 sat in its case in my den. After our move to Texas and the project studio that was completed in late 2016, I park the J-180 on a stand in the studio when I'm not playing it, and the smell has very much dissipated.

Axelorox · Nov 2, 2018

I'm in southern Texas too at the moment. So no worries about things being too dry!

Pellman73 · Nov 2, 2018

zoommutt said:
Boy! Those hydroxyl radicals sound bad ass! Leave it out of the case and keep wiping it down. You could wear a mask or little pieces of tissue paper in your nose.

After reading more about this it Looks like the hydroxy radicals attatch to the surrounding enronment molecules and there is a an oxidation reaction and the byproduct is OZONE!

perhaps that’s the cause of your headaches.

maybe a non- hydroxy radical spewing air filter would be better for you?

headaches caused by the faint vanilla smell of a 10 year old guitar sounds incredibly bizarre to me dude. I’d worry about many other causes first

I did get a used guitar from someone and it smelled like a bum had slept inside the case after he had pissed himself and his piss was cat piss and also a 8th graders armpit before someone has to have the awkward talk about BO....

tried the dryer sheet thing. Didn’t work... just smelled like everything else with Bounce on top

i recommend leaving the guitar out and getting a non Pco air filter to start

El Gringo · Nov 2, 2018

Pellman73 said:
After reading more about this it Looks like the hydroxy radicals attatch to the surrounding enronment molecules and there is a an oxidation reaction and the byproduct is OZONE!

perhaps that’s the cause of your headaches.

maybe a non- hydroxy radical spewing air filter would be better for you?

headaches caused by the faint vanilla smell of a 10 year old guitar sounds incredibly bizarre to me dude. I’d worry about many other causes first

I did get a used guitar from someone and it smelled like a bum had slept inside the case after he had pissed himself and his piss was cat piss and also a 8th graders armpit before someone has to have the awkward talk about BO....

tried the dryer sheet thing. Didn’t work... just smelled like everything else with Bounce on top

i recommend leaving the guitar out and getting a non Pco air filter to start

Can I ask what kind of guitar was the used instrument in question ? I remember one time at Lark Street Music like 30 years ago and a discussion about good smell for a guitar and kind of what you described and being a lot younger back then I really did not understand . Fast Forward to now and I get it and also love the sweet smell of a guitar while it lasts . My 2014 R9 , I can barely smell it anymore .

Axelorox · Nov 2, 2018

Pellman73 said:
After reading more about this it Looks like the hydroxy radicals attatch to the surrounding enronment molecules and there is a an oxidation reaction and the byproduct is OZONE!

perhaps that’s the cause of your headaches.

maybe a non- hydroxy radical spewing air filter would be better for you?

headaches caused by the faint vanilla smell of a 10 year old guitar sounds incredibly bizarre to me dude. I’d worry about many other causes first

I don't run that filter regularly, and when I do it's only when I'm not in the space. This happens even when the filter has not been run for weeks. I am generally pretty sensitive to scents and odors so that's why I suspect the 'vanilla smell' (VOCs offgassing).

Seems to be the consensus that most if not all of the smell comes from materials in the case. Time to find me a good stand...

El Gringo · Nov 2, 2018

Axelorox said:
I don't run that filter regularly, and when I do it's only when I'm not in the space. This happens even when the filter has not been run for weeks. I am generally pretty sensitive to scents and odors so that's why I suspect the 'vanilla smell' (VOCs offgassing).

Seems to be the consensus that most if not all of the smell comes from materials in the case. Time to find me a good stand...

I have always believed and correct me if I am wrong that the sweet smell has something to do with the nitro cellulose lacquer , because when was going to Lark Street Music that specialized in Vintage instruments -that was the smell that filled the store and I loved it .

thejaf · Nov 2, 2018

My 2007 CR8 had a distinct woody chocolate smell that I attributed to the fingerboard. It dissipated after a few months of smokey bar rooms. NC lacquer smells a lot different, at least to me.

New guitar smell - stopping it

Axelorox

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El Gringo

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zoommutt

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PabloHarlem

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Monroe

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barman

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Ed Driscoll

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Axelorox

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Pellman73

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El Gringo

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Axelorox

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El Gringo

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thejaf

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