Preserving that new guitar smell - or not?

[joejessal]

I’m sorry to inform everyone that what you’re mostly smelling is the glue from the case. It’s a strong odor that doesn’t go away. I have 3 Collings, a Martin and a Huss &Dalton. None of them have a particular smell to them. Why, because they are out of the case all the time. Hanging on the wall. If I put them in a case for a time, yes they have a that wonderful smell. Especially the Collings cases made by TKL. They’re the biggest offenders of strong glue. I can smell a little wood smell, but very little. Try leaving one hanging on a wall for a month and see the results.

[JKA]

Originally Posted by joejessal

I’m sorry to inform everyone that what you’re mostly smelling is the glue from the case. It’s a strong odor that doesn’t go away. I have 3 Collings, a Martin and a Huss &Dalton. None of them have a particular smell to them. Why, because they are out of the case all the time. Hanging on the wall. If I put them in a case for a time, yes they have a that wonderful smell. Especially the Collings cases made by TKL. They’re the biggest offenders of strong glue. I can smell a little wood smell, but very little. Try leaving one hanging on a wall for a month and see the results.

Oh dear...I suspect this is going to open up a whole can of worms. ;-))

[Charlie Bernstein]

PS -

I used to know a car salesman. His favorite part of every sale was asking people if they wanted new-car scent in their new used car. If they did, he used a $2 can of spray, spent two minutes spraying it, and added $75 to their bill.

So if you'd settle for new-car scent and don't mind parting with $75, I'll get you in touch with him.

[BlueBowman]

Originally Posted by joejessal

I’m sorry to inform everyone that what you’re mostly smelling is the glue from the case. It’s a strong odor that doesn’t go away. I have 3 Collings, a Martin and a Huss &Dalton. None of them have a particular smell to them. Why, because they are out of the case all the time. Hanging on the wall. If I put them in a case for a time, yes they have a that wonderful smell. Especially the Collings cases made by TKL. They’re the biggest offenders of strong glue. I can smell a little wood smell, but very little. Try leaving one hanging on a wall for a month and see the results.

The glue used in your guitar case smells "sweet, peppery, and floral?" Amazing glue.

I thought it was pretty well-established that unfinished Spanish cedar kerfing can smell exactly that way, which is inside the guitar.

[Bob Womack]

I am serious about preserving my guitar cases in the condition in which they were delivered, so I keep a guitar in each one. I find that I don't have any guitars left over to put out on stands. As a result, the wonderful bouquets of my guitars live on.

But seriously, cedar-topped acoustic guitars are wonderful-smelling. Guitars with cedar kerflng are nice as well. G&L guitars come with this wonderful vanilla smell that doesn't want to go away. A friend and I share the saying, "G&Ls smell!" My G&L is twenty-five years old and still smells of vanilla. Koa has a peppery smell. East Indian rosewood is supposed to be inferior-smelling but my EI rosewood guitars smell great to me. I have an EI rosewood dread guitar that was clearly a case queen because when I bought it, eighteen years after it was built, there wasn't a scratch on it, including on its pickguard. The smell of EI rosewood wafted out of the case to me when I first opened it, and still does.

Loss of pungency is a cost of doing business for us guitarists. Just enjoy it while you can.

Bob

[Gryf]

I even remember the smell of my first inexpensive nylon string guitar my folks bought me in 1969 when I first wanted lessons. I bought a Lowden in the early 2000's and the smell was strong and beautiful with that one.

But you mentioned keeping guitars in cases impedes your playing time. Same here. It doesn't have to, but it does. So I tend to keep them out. Most of my guitars spend most of the time out of their cases. And that glorious new smell has faded away. And they've picked up little marks and smudges and so forth as well, since I don't see the sense in keeping an instrument is "mint" condition. I'm certainly careful with them, but I don't baby them.

So while I may fondly remember that brand new guitar smell, I don't tend to miss it too much. Maybe it's because I'm too busy playing them!

[Bowie]

Originally Posted by joejessal

I’m sorry to inform everyone that what you’re mostly smelling is the glue from the case. It’s a strong odor that doesn’t go away. I have 3 Collings, a Martin and a Huss &Dalton. None of them have a particular smell to them. Why, because they are out of the case all the time. Hanging on the wall. If I put them in a case for a time, yes they have a that wonderful smell. Especially the Collings cases made by TKL. They’re the biggest offenders of strong glue. I can smell a little wood smell, but very little. Try leaving one hanging on a wall for a month and see the results.

Incorrect. There's some cases that have a vanilla scent but I'm certainly not confusing the smell of Brazilian rosewood, mahogany, cherry wood, etc with scented case glue. If you don't notice the scent of your guitar's woods, it's cool. I was a chef for a few years so my sense of smell became highly developed and I really notice the wood scent of some guitars. On warm days, my guitar room smells like brazilian rosewood, even with them in the cases.

Someone made a dad joke about candles made to smell like guitars. I guess they are somehow unaware that there are candles made to smell like woods and have been for many years. In fact, wood scent is one of the most popular types of fragrance.

[Roy Earle]

Brazilian rosewood is mighty difficult to NOT smell.

[Horsehockey]

Originally Posted by JKA

Without wishing to cause offence but...you've got to be kidding? Did you buy your guitar to smell? Did you buy it to just to be able to say you own such and such a guitar? Did you buy it to play? If so then play it...stop smelling it.

Some weird stuff on this forum!

If you find this too weird, you definitely don’t want to go on Reddit and read the threads on various leather cell phone cases. With those humans, it’s about the aesthetic quality of the “patina” on the leather after a period of usage. If I thought that sniffing my guitar would make me a better player, I’d be sniffing up a storm. To each his own.

[JKA]

Originally Posted by Horsehockey

If you find this too weird, you definitely don’t want to go on Reddit and read the threads on various leather cell phone cases. With those humans, it’s about the aesthetic quality of the “patina” on the leather after a period of usage. If I thought that sniffing my guitar would make me a better player, I’d be sniffing up a storm. To each his own.

HaHaHa...I'll steal clear of Reddit Bill, thanks for the warning. Now, in the words of Frank Zappa (slightly amended) Shut up and smell your guitar...

[musicman1951]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

I have to admit that how my guitars smell has never been a major concern of mine.


whm

I have to admit that how my guitars smell has never even been a minor concern of mine.

[The Bard Rocks]

Having read posts here for some years, I have noticed that guitar smell/aroma comes up periodically. It comes in 2 forms, enjoying the smell of your guitar and how to get rid of that awful smell.

[pmelsa]

Don't forget that some/most/all of the smell of new things is gases outgassing from plastics, glues, finishes, etc. Even if it smells good to you, it probably isn't healthy for you.

[Zaam]

Originally Posted by joejessal

I’m sorry to inform everyone that what you’re mostly smelling is the glue from the case. It’s a strong odor that doesn’t go away. I have 3 Collings, a Martin and a Huss &Dalton. None of them have a particular smell to them. Why, because they are out of the case all the time. Hanging on the wall. If I put them in a case for a time, yes they have a that wonderful smell. Especially the Collings cases made by TKL. They’re the biggest offenders of strong glue. I can smell a little wood smell, but very little. Try leaving one hanging on a wall for a month and see the results.

Yea, going to have to say my own experience differs here. I have been around wood (and guitars) most of my life and I feel like I know the scent of wood. My three-year-old EIR/Adi Collings still smells lovely and I hope it never fades. And my case only has a scent when the guitar is in it, so... I'm pretty sure it's not the glue.

[Robin, Wales]

For me, that fresh new wood guitar smell spells trouble. That wood is still prone to moving. The more seasoned the wood the less it smells. If you want your guitar wood to age and the timbre develop then don't keep them in the case and pristine (or fixed in aspic at a set humidity). Let them live a little, and they will swap their scent for tone.