Guitar Smell - Effect on Tone

[sosomething]

Surely there is some correlation...

[dantedayjob]

I know this was meant as a joke, but... The 4 guitars that I have that play/sound the best each have a very distinct smell, and I have come to equate those aromas with the sound of the guitars... interesting...

[Pfeister]

Don't rule it out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synaesthesia
:phones

[John Page]

When we did the Hendrix Montery Strat in the Custom Shop I had the guys put in a couple drops of musk oil into every case before they packed and shipped them.

It made them sound much more sixties... no really!

[VaughnC]

If a guitar stinks, maybe it does ;).

[moreeye]

I don't think it would affect that much. Actually I don't know, maybe.. I just buy guitars to post some pictures of it here. I don't really know how to play the guitar. Well, what were we talking about?

[Scott Auld]

I always smell inside acoustics, dunno why just can't help myself. They usually smell really nice :)

[Tommy Tourbus]

the guys over on the les paul forum have gone on and on about the scent brazillian rosewood and the various subtleties and overtones of such :rotflmao

[DrJamie]

my early 90's Martin 00016C smells wonderful, after all these years, like nothing else I own. maybe I don't take it out of the case enough. it doesn't get enough play time, sadly.

[guitar5]

Acoustics always have a really nice smell from the wood. Well the good ones do. The cheap ones always seem to just smell like glue.

I prefer a rosewood/cedar combo myself. Best smell in the world IMHO

[Dubious]

My Vox AC30cc2 has got an incredible sweet smelll.. and ive had it fer 2 years now! still catch myself moving in fer a sniff when i turn it off.

[sberryreal]

I often smell my guitar cases to make sure the cat hasn't peed in them...

[Chops]

The thing to check for--or smell for--is that fresh paint smell, kind of smells like glue. That's an indication that the instrument is of recent manufacture and, as we know to be the case with all large iconic guitar manufacturers, the instrument cannot possible sound good at all. The scientific reason for this is that the wood will be "green," which basically means that it is resiny and inert. Small boutique manufacturers, who are known to use certifiable, registered "old growth woods" will, of course, not be subject to this phenomenon. I don't buy an instrument if I have not had the opportunity to smell it first.

:drink

[cram]

odd... my guitar doesn't smell like shit.

[JBG]

Mine smell like paint. ;)

[Avenger]

http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2008/04/15/haveyouseensuchguitars_6648.jpg

[dantedayjob]

The thing to check for--or smell for--is that fresh paint smell, kind of smells like glue. That's an indication that the instrument is of recent manufacture and, as we know to be the case with all large iconic guitar manufacturers, the instrument cannot possible sound good at all. The scientific reason for this is that the wood will be "green," which basically means that it is resiny and inert. Small boutique manufacturers, who are known to use certifiable, registered "old growth woods" will, of course, not be subject to this phenomenon. I don't buy an instrument if I have not had the opportunity to smell it first.

:drink

I disagree with the notion that new instruments from large manufacturers can't sound good... of the four mentioned in my original post, 2 were 14-17 years old when I bought them, the other two were new. The used ones were PRS Cu24s, the new ones a PRS McCarty and a Gretsch Country Club. The Gretsch sounds better than any vintage Gretsch I've had my hands on and the McCarty is amongst the best sounding solid-bodies I've had... including a '69 LP, a '76 LP, a '78 LP Special and God knows what else including vintage Fenders and Rics.

[Chops]

I disagree with the notion that new instruments from large manufacturers can't sound good... of the four mentioned in my original post, 2 were 14-17 years old when I bought them, the other two were new. The used ones were PRS Cu24s, the new ones a PRS McCarty and a Gretsch Country Club. The Gretsch sounds better than any vintage Gretsch I've had my hands on and the McCarty is amongst the best sounding solid-bodies I've had... including a '69 LP, a '76 LP, a '78 LP Special and God knows what else including vintage Fenders and Rics.
Just joking, my friend. I believe the whole premise of the thread is kind of a put on. It is such a warm, lovely afternoon here in New Jersey. I think I shall go for a ride.

[bsuite]

that does it!
I have got to quit coming here.:crazyguy

[Ahess86]

I just bought a used Anderson Classic from an apparent smoker (or bar gigger) and it smells AWFUL. One of the best sounding guitars I've owned.

[marooned]

I bought a new ash body fender tele in '97, it has a smell like Playdoh. It still has that smell today. Very strange.
Actually today it has that metallic smell of old strings, time for a change :D

[Pietro]

It's more important to the tone of the guitar what the CASE smells like!

[dantedayjob]

Just joking, my friend. I believe the whole premise of the thread is kind of a put on. It is such a warm, lovely afternoon here in New Jersey. I think I shall go for a ride.


Sorry, my apologies! A little while after I posted that reply, I thought "hmm, you know... that might have been tongue-in-cheek"... ah well, I hope my reply didn't come across as being a$$holish, I certainly didn't intend to be.

[Vibrolucky]

99% of the time you are smelling the case smell, not the guitar.

There used to be a particular scent from the new Fender cases in the late 80's early 90's that was very unique. Sort of the new car smell for guitars.

[PLAYLOUD]

this may just be the stuipest thread yet.

[teleamp]

I bought a used D-18 that reeked of cigarette smoke aroma. I couldn't stand the smell and resold it. I played it very little while I had it.

[crosse79]

I love a good acoustic guitar smell. Hi my name is Andrew and I'm a guitar sniff addict....

[PAF]

I bought a used D-18 that reeked of cigarette smoke aroma. I couldn't stand the smell and resold it. I played it very little while I had it.


takes forever to get that reek out, especially from a case

[Bluedawg]

the guys over on the les paul forum have gone on and on about the scent brazillian rosewood and the various subtleties and overtones of such :rotflmao


Braz rosewood smells very nice ....

As to whether it affects tone or not ....:p

:munch

[theRocco]

All my new relic guitars look old but still smell new--except for one, a Revelator built by the mighty E, somehow he's the only one to get a "relic old smell" in there too!

[China Twanger]

I try to make my guitars smell like old Lionel trains or sewing machines. So I spend hours at surplus electronics stores buying old wire. It works great! Tone and Smell are directly proportional! The secret is out...damn.

LsL

[78tsubaki]

http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2008/04/15/haveyouseensuchguitars_6648.jpg
How long have you been saving this picture for just the right thread?
Some how it just makes scents.

[Avenger]

How long have you been saving this picture for just the right thread?
Some how it just makes scents.

I just found it (in a very big shoe box). Acutally I was looking for this one:


http://www.guitarz-for-ever.com/images/BumbleF2.jpg


But the bigfoot one looked more smelly.

BTW I do love the smell of my Koa Taylor...

[Pfeister]

somehow he's the only one to get a "relic old smell" in there too!

That's probably the smell of the luthier.

I'm inclined to believe that might actually have an affect on the guitar...

[stratman89]

Love the smell of my new Gold Top LP Traditional..............tone for days!!

[yucatown]

He who smelled it dealt it. Don't blame your guitar!

[sosomething]

this may just be the stuipest thread yet.

I resent that. I am not stuipest at all. In fact I am very inlegitent.

[PLAYLOUD]

I resent that. I am not stuipest at all. In fact I am very inlegitent.

me also

[55custom]

My guitars have a solid smell, rather than a chambered smell.

[Markorock37]

Nothing like the fresh cured smell of nitro...just don't smell it when your spraying it!

[Headstock]

I often smell my guitar cases to make sure the cat hasn't peed in them...

Just picked up a used guitar. For the longest time I could not figure out why it out. The case was old and beat up, but then it dawned on me I was smelling cat urine every time i opened it. Nasty.

[Mike9]

I love the smell of lacquer in the morning - smells like . . . tone.

[sberryreal]

Just picked up a used guitar. For the longest time I could not figure out why it out. The case was old and beat up, but then it dawned on me I was smelling cat urine every time i opened it. Nasty.
well, I guess you have to hope it was just cat pee...

[cram]

this may just be the stuipest thread yet.

That's why in about 4 months from now, I plan on bumping this thread up to the top of the queue... Between now and then I'll formulate the smelliest BS story to prove my thesis that smell affects tone and we should all care about it. Then I'll sell my knock off version of a F-Breeze unit for guitar cases at NAAM. I will recruit people to post raving reviews and donate all procedes to TGP.

[eBay]

I don't know about tone, but the smell of my new CS nitro Strat is part of what I enjoy about it. It feels, plays, sounds better than any guitar I've ever tried. I found a magic one (with a little help from my friend OOG that is).

[JimmyR]

I had an old Gibson ES125 that sounded beautiful - when I played it. The smell DID affect tone because it had this weird old laquer smell that was extremely piquant and gave me a headache! So I didn't play it for very long. So yes, I guess the smell did affect the tone. It had short tone.

I have a recent PRS that smells of guitar polish - in fact it almost smells like linament. I guess they were expecting playing that guitar to be a very physical act. I think I'm letting the guitar down.

[Pfeister]

I've experimented a lot with Behlen Violin Varnish. It sounds great and smells like bubble gum.

I don't think the smell was responsible, though. Although, if you breath in enough denatured alcohol from shellac, you'll believe about anything.:messedup

[pstarr]

I've got one guitar whose smell as a direct and undeniable effect on tone, but then it's made of Spanish Cedar. It's a McInturff Carolina Standard. A great tone wood!

[PLAYLOUD]

I resent that. I am not stuipest at all. In fact I am very inlegitent.

This is still the stuipest thread I've ever seen/read.

[cbguy]

If it smells sweet, it plays sweet.
If it stinks, so does the tone.
I just thought I'd add my two scents.

[Broken Cord]

Mine smells like money lots of dirty money!

[sosomething]

I love that this thread went to 4 pages.

[Chops]

I love that this thread went to 4 pages.
Yes, you did well! I suspect this thread will be like crotch rot, resurfacing from time to time...

[HeyMrTeleMan]

If red is a tone color, then what are the tone oders? Vanilla? I get that a lot.

:AOK

[Paul86]

I've read in a very reputable Internet Forum that some guy is going around collecting famous players' underwear and stuffing it into guitar cases. He lets that sh@%%it in there (no pun intended) curing for a few days, he then rents the case. You just take your guitar to him, and leaves it there for a few days. When you get it back it has the tone, you know?
When asked how he got said underwear he got a little fishy, and mentioned something like 'trade secrets'.

[keepitblue]

I've been thinking of changing pickups in one of my strats, guess maybe I should change the odor instead????

Seriously though, I bet I could identify 7 out of my 11 guitars by the smell of them alone. one like Cedar, one like must, one like Lemon Oil that I put on the fretboard and a few like the case.

[blacknblues]

Smell is extremely important to tone. If the smell is too strong then the odor will limit or restrict the vibrations coming from the body. The odor has to be 'light' enough to allow the wood to vibrate freely. This is why vintage guitars sound so good. They had a very faint smell to begin with that naturally disspated over time.

[Kingbeegtrs]

I actually had a customer call me and tell me that he enjoys the smell of the nitrocellulose lacquer finish on his guitar. When he put a review of the guitar on harmony central he mentioned the smell as well. :dunno

[HeyMrTeleMan]

I actually had a customer call me and tell me that he enjoys the smell of the nitrocellulose lacquer finish on his guitar. When he put a review of the guitar on harmony central he mentioned the smell as well. :dunno

I love the smell of fresh nitrocellulose in the morning. And the afternoon. You can overdo it though...

:D

[PLAYLOUD]

I've spent the last week searching every thread and hands down, this is still the stuipest thread ever. Matter of fact that show on VH-1 called The Worst Week Ever, they are changing formats to accomodate this thread, The Worst Thread Ever.

[sosomething]

I've spent the last week searching every thread and hands down, this is still the stuipest thread ever. Matter of fact that show on VH-1 called The Worst Week Ever, they are changing formats to accomodate this thread, The Worst Thread Ever.

I think this thread is a fitting testament to the worst kind of tone asswipery to which one can aspire on TGP.

I present it as a statement and reminder to all those here who have ever caught themselves worrying so much about specs and minutia that they forgot to just shut up and play the damn things.

In a sense, this is the bottom of the barrel. I found it and deliberately put this thread here to occupy the space, thus elevating everything else up a notch or two.... :D

[Paul86]

This thread is stupit