Why can't glue smell sweet like lilacs?

[exhaust_49]

Today I took a straight edge to the top of my acoustic and I noticed that the top had sunken in. I got out my old kyser humidfer and left it in the guitar for 3-4 hours. I tried playing my acoustic and I already notice a difference in sound. The only thing that bothers me is that because of the extra moisture in the guitar there is now a very pungent smell of glue from the box of the guitar. This smell is very distracting when playing the guitar and I was wondering if there was anything I could do to the guitar to take away the glue smell (maby a bit of baking soda?). The guitar is an 02' S+P.

[Nuclearfishin]

First thought, if your guitar is dry, it may take several weeks at the proper humidity level to rehydrate the guitar. I had to do this to one of my expensive classical guitars this winter and it took over 2 weeks at 50% humidity before the fret ends weren't poking out anymore and the guitar was rehydrated.

Second, I doubt very much it is the glue you are smelling from inside the box. What kind of wood is it built with? I'm sure you know what cedar smells like, but other woods also have a pungent smell. Another possibility is the humidifier you're using. If the humidity level is always too high, it's possible you may have mold inside your guitar. Many builders will advise against any humidifier that goes inside the guitar and stick with something just for the case. The glue used for your guitar is either some type of yellow glue like Titebond II, or some type of hide glue. Neither of these glues will leave a bad smell in your guitar. Is it possible your humidifier has mold in it and is smelling up the inside of your guitar? The humidity plus dark can easily create mold.

[exhaust_49]

First thought, if your guitar is dry, it may take several weeks at the proper humidity level to rehydrate the guitar. I had to do this to one of my expensive classical guitars this winter and it took over 2 weeks at 50% humidity before the fret ends weren't poking out anymore and the guitar was rehydrated.

Second, I doubt very much it is the glue you are smelling from inside the box. What kind of wood is it built with? I'm sure you know what cedar smells like, but other woods also have a pungent smell. Another possibility is the humidifier you're using. If the humidity level is always too high, it's possible you may have mold inside your guitar. Many builders will advise against any humidifier that goes inside the guitar and stick with something just for the case. The glue used for your guitar is either some type of yellow glue like Titebond II, or some type of hide glue. Neither of these glues will leave a bad smell in your guitar. Is it possible your humidifier has mold in it and is smelling up the inside of your guitar? The humidity plus dark can easily create mold.

My guitar has a sitica top with maple back and sides. I don't have any fret ends poking out. I put the straight edge across the back of the guitar at the waist and it has a bit of a convex shape to it. I just noticed that there is a space (1-2 mm) in the centre of the guitar when I put the straight edge across the top of the guitar. There could be some mold in my humidifer. It's the type that has a sponge that you wet and stick in the sound hole. It makes a seal around the sound hole. I'm gonna get a new humidifer anyways so I'll see about the possibility of mold. Mold can't spread from the sponge by smell alone right?

Come to think of it, I haven't used the humidifer for about 2-3 years. I just started using it again today. It's been sitting idle in my room.

[exhaust_49]

I bought a new Kyser humidifer last night. It turns out that the old humidifer was smelling of mold. I put the new humidifer in and the smell is gone and the top of the guitar is slowly returning to a normal, flat position.

Thanks for the help

[Nuclearfishin]

I bought a new Kyser humidifer last night. It turns out that the old humidifer was smelling of mold. I put the new humidifer in and the smell is gone and the top of the guitar is slowly returning to a normal, flat position.

Thanks for the help


Good job, I get the same stink from my big in room humidifier when I don't change the filters enough. All that moisture builds up mold and starts to stink after about 4-5 weeks. FWIW, when it needs cleaned, I just soak the filter in warm water with a few tbsps of bleach and they smell clean as new.