Update on suspicious smoky smelling J-45

[TiffanyGuitar]

After two days of suspending a old (clean) sock filled with baking soda and then another day with coffee grounds in the sock, the guitar seems to be smelling loads better. The case has gotten similar treatment. Right now, the case smells like coffee, which is much better than the marijuana and cigarette smoke smell it had. It is still open and airing out. Probably will put it outside in the sun again today.

I have ordered bone bridge pins for it. Any other J-45 owners notice that their tusque bridge pins are super loose from the factory? On this one, the bridge pins just fall loosely all the way into the holes when the strings are not in the holes. I can't remember ever having bridge pin holes like that. I wonder if the factory did that or someone went crazy with a reamer. The holes are very clean so there is no evidence of anyone messing with them.

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by TiffanyGuitar

Any other J-45 owners notice that their tusque bridge pins are super loose from the factory? On this one, the bridge pins just fall loosely all the way into the holes when the strings are not in the holes. I can't remember ever having bridge pin holes like that. I wonder if the factory did that or someone went crazy with a reamer. The holes are very clean so there is no evidence of anyone messing with them.

I don’t have a J-45, but that’s how the bridge pins are on all three of my pin-bridge guitars. The pins shouldn’t be held in place by friction with the pin-holes, they should be held by the pressure exerted on them by the strings’ ball-ends.

I like my pins loose enough to be able to remove them with my fingers when the strings are in, no pin-puller needed. That means they are loose enough to drop down to the collars when the strings are out of the holes.

The usual disclaimers apply......IMHO, YMMV etc.

[Earl49]

If all of that does not work in the end, try renting an ozone generator. Put the guitar, open case, and the ozone machine in your car overnight. That is how the rental car companies and hotels get rid of cig smoke smell. Lots of threads here on that if you want to search.

[The Bard Rocks]

When you said "Update on suspicious smoky smelling J-45" I immediately thought you were going to say it had spontaneously combusted.

[jseth]

Just keep airing it out... although I would NOT recommend that you put the guitar in direct sunlight for any prolonged length of time...

Guitars are put together with wood glue and overheating them can wreak havoc with things like braces, bridges, tops and ... well, pretty much everything!

Avoiding extremes in both heat and cold are always good guidelines for care of acoustic guitars...

[Mirosh]

A fan blowing into it can also help.

[nitram]

I had a guitar that had been owned by a chain-smoker (I think) and I put a couple dryer sheets in the body cavity for a time and it eventually made it much better.Pick a scent you can live with,of course. Cheap and cheerful.

[UncleJesse]

If you really mean business nothing works like an ozone generator. That will zap that smell out for good.

[Dwight]

I thought the bridge pins were plastic on the J-45.

[andrewbenw]

J-45 Standards have shipped with Tusq pins for a bit.

https://www.gibson.com/Guitar/ACCBTI...ntage-Sunburst