Hello all-
I recently aquired a very nice 78 Strat in natural ash with black pickguard and pu's with original case and all hang tags and manuals.
I met the gentleman selling the guitar at his house which was a very nice house. He is a good friend of a good friend. We talked for hours and played the guitar. I wrote him a check ($1800) and went home very happy.
So later that evening, as I am playing this beauty, i start to notice a smell. I put the body of the guitar to my nose and catch a wiff of something awful. It wasn't smoke, but a moldy musty smell. I then smelled the case and the same thing.

I read all of the suggestions on how to get rid of this. There is no visible mold in the case and I know for a fact that this person did not store this in a wet basement. I called him and he is as stunned as I am. Mainly becuase we did not smell this at his house.

Any suggestions on how to remove this smell would be great. I already have some fabric softener sheets for the case and some on line chats have suggested other remedies. The main question is where is the mold comeing from if I can't see it.

thanks.

Mike

This happened to me once and what I did was leave the case open near a window for about a week without the guitar in it. I sprayed a slight amount of lysol on two separate days while in the sun. After the week was over I put the guitar back in the case and it eventually stopped smelling smoky.

A friend of mine kept telling me to drop a "Green Tree" air freshener in the case...that might have worked quicker?

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Have you tried guitar cleaner/polish? (for the guitar)

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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne

Thanks guys, yes, i used guitar polich on the guitar body and used a little Lysol in the case. I will continue to air out the case and use the Lysol. I think the guitar may need longer to air out.

Quite often guitar cases will develop a funky smell if left closed. I once borrowed a friend's Kramer and when I opened the case I was met with a vomit-like odour. Not very nice. Just leave the case open for a while and it should clear up.