My friend recently pulled out his trusty old 74 Les Paul custom as I had not played it for years and wanted to reacquaint myself with it.
Back in the day he gigged the crap out of it playing 3-5 gigs per week pubs, clubs, bars, pretty much 50 weeks per year.
But as it was his pride and joy he always looked after it and regularly cleaned and polished it.
As he got it out the spare room he said you might like it still but you wont like the smell.
Well its still a nice guitar but it stinks, he cleaned it for years with Pledge then when he retired it probably spent 5 years in the case untouched.
Cleaning with normal guitar polish has not improved the stink which is something like rancid polish, wd40 and mildew. He has had it airing in the back room for the last year and it still radiates this sickly stink. The case has the same stink if not worse. The guitar is in good condiiton.
Anyone have any ideas of a way to lessen this normal stuff like febreeze in the case did not work and standard guitar polish has not changed it.
I asked why the hell he used Pledge and it was after he read an article back in the 70's where Jimmy D Aquisto was asked the best way to look after one of his guitars.
All suggestions welcome I would like to play it without a mask :-)
Comments
Get it? Pledge.....
Soaks up moisture, and should neutralise the smell a bit.
I've done this a couple of times and it wirks beautifully, degunk the fretboard with lemon/mineral oil and a toothbrush and buff dry, more bicarb on the board and in the case it goes.
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/61134/sarge/p1
It can permeate the finish and cause problems if refinishing work is required. They also 'build up' with repeated use - which sounds like the issue here.
Once the build up of wax and/or silicone is there, the only way to remove it is something like T-Cut and bicarbonate is the best thing for getting the smell out of the case.
Then polish it with some decent guitar polish (loads in the market to choose from)
Take case into the back garden
Apply fire until it is completely gone
Purchase replacement case
1980 Tokai LS-80
Most importantly, is the case the original? If so do not throw it away that's just stupid. All my vintage vintage guitars small but that's because thier old that's all.