The Steel Guitar Forum

My playing stinks bad enough, but my steel stinks even worse!

I just took my old ShoBud Professional out of it's case for the first time in...well a long time (I've been playing a newer guitar) and the ShoBud REEKS.

How does one get the stink of years of smoke and who knows what else out of a guitar? Any ideas? I can use Febreeze on the case, but don't imagine that'd be such a good thing to spray on a guitar.

I've never tried it myself, but I've heard from different sources that you can open a box of baking soda and sit it in the case with the steel and close the lid, and it will absord the odors.

I have a bit of experience with this problem; a couple of years ago, an old steel of mine was once musty and stinky like that. First of all, take it out of the case and leave it out. Also, leave the case open and out in the fresh air for a few days if possible. Sun is great for eliminating musty odors. Putting the steel outside for a while each day would also help, if climate permits - but not too long in direct sunlight for fear of lacquer fade.

I wouldn't advise spraying Febreeze or any deodorizer on the case or the guitar. After the case has aired out for a while, put a box of baking soda in the case - the new kind with the perforations on the side, so you don't spill it all over the case. Close it up for a while, and the baking soda should absorb any remaining musty odor. The guitar itself will improve over time if it remains out of the case and in a fresh, dry room. A damp warm wet cloth should take care of any surface dirt on the body and hardware. A bit of lemon furniture polish in the lacquer may also help. If it's a nicotine issue, you might have to take apart the undercarriage and clean all the parts individually...........fun! As far as the case is concerned, an upholstry replacement is a drastic but effective measure if you're serious about maintaining the case and guitar. After all it's a Sho~Bud.............it's worth it!!

If all else fails, send the guitar and case to me and I'll take my time cleaning it for you.

Wow! I just brought this up not to long ago, my Sho-Bud had a smell of cigarette smoke, and my MSA U12 really stunk of mold at a jam session that everybody playing next to me was giving me strange looks.

Here is a previous discussion about this topic.

Lee, from South Texas

use newspapers in the case close it up and after a few days that smell will absorb into the newspapers

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Regular Rig: 60's Versatone Pan-O-Flex Amplifier, '85 Fender Tele Custom, '98 USA Fender Strat, Magnatone G-70, Harmony Steel, Silvertone Steel, Sho-Bud Maverick

I have the same problem with my case for my Sho-Bud LDG. The guitar doesn't smell, but the case sure does.

My wife put a few Bounce Dryer Sheets into the case for me (and keep it closed up) and that helped alot.

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Sho-Bud LDG, Gretsch Syncromatic Lap Steel, Bach Stradivarious 37 Trumpet, Getzen Eterna Flugelhorn, Fender Precision Bass (pre-CBS)

If you don't smoke yet, you should give it a try... it's highly underated.
Then you won't notice.

Or sell it to me.......

A former neighbor of mine had a freezer that reeked. After trying bleach, baking soda, and a ton of other stuff, a friend told her to crumple up newspaper and stuff it full for a week. Problem solved. Don't know how or why it worked, but it did.
PRR

Hey man I'm experiencing the issue of the ole stinky Sho-Bud myself. My '73 Pro-II smells like a musty old root cellar...

But I LOVE IT! It give it distinction. One of these days I'll probably have it relaquered and a few things, but my question is this: is there any way to preserve this odor?

I guess I didn't realize that smoking had so many benefits! I'd better start right away.

My doctor was just telling me the other day that I wasn't getting enough tar in my system.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll try 'em all out (except for the ones involving me selling the steel!) and see what happens.

The funny thing is that when I first got this steel, I thought it was just the case that stunk, so I got a new one. Now the NEW case smells just as bad as the old one did!

If this steel didn't sound so freakin' amazing I would certainly get rid of it, but I'm determined to make sure that the only thing that stinks about it is my playing.

Maybe I'll box 'er back up with some baking soda and save up my pennies for a John Coop rebuild.

Stinky Steel--I thought you were talking about my first picking partner.

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"I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back." --Henny Youngman

Yeah, having it "Cooped-up" is a good idea... But wait - you're saying it actually stunk up the new case too? Man alive, that must powerful aroma coming from that baby! I've had my Pro-II for not quite a year and it's smell is dying off, much to my dismay...

...Well, a pedal steel guitar should stink in my opinion. It has to be the right kind of stink though.

As I have posted before. Get some Orange glow and clean the underside of that sucker. It will remove the smoke and get rid of the odor. I'm gone !!!

P.S. : rubbing alcohol will remove the smoke from the metal parts, Voila, no more stink.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Jim Bob Sedgwick on 28 October 2006 at 10:06 AM.]</p></FONT>