When great guitars go mouldy...

[CyberFerret]

So while my friends in the Northern Hemisphere have been freezing their butts off lately, we have had an extended spell of hot, and VERY wet tropical weather here.

I went to pick up my favourite Tele that had been sitting on the rack for a few days, and THIS was what I found...

Eww! Time for some unstringing and thorough cleaning (and checking all other guitars)...

 

[tommygunn1986]

That vintage hardware looks nice though

 

[CyberFerret]

That vintage hardware looks nice though

Hmm... maybe I can start a sideline business? "Send your gear to me for 6 months through the monsoon season and I will relic it for you..."

 

[Jimmy3Fingers]

Dehumidifier??

 

[Sunshine86]

New from Fender Custom Shop!

 

[ishootcanon]

New from Fender Custom Shop!

I heard they did a $500 up charge for mold?

 

[oldtelefart]

When I lived in Darwin the guy who looked after my guitar and amp told me that any wooden instrument in that climate got a fraction of a millimeter bigger by the end of the wet season, and shrank back during the dry.
He was always busy re-gluing older acoustics, violins, cellos etc. at the end of the Wet.

Cyberferret, his name is Colin Simpson, I think he's still there. Excellent luthier and amp builder/repairman, and a very nice eccentric fellow.

Edit: What year is that Tele?

 

[Stonebandit]

How long it take for that to occur since it was last in your hands?

My ol' dad was up there for a couple of seasons until as of late, and he kept all is guitars and Hawaiian lap steels in one of the few AC'd rooms.

Darwin's weather can be intense. Two seasons and you have seen his Ducati being eaten alive. The place just eats metal and other materials up!

Not to mention what will eat you in the water...! That's a while nother story!

Glad my folks have returned from giving Darwin living a go for three years.

PS. Maybe CyberFerret, you need to wash your hands more often???? jk.

You might need a infectious disease microbiologist. Is there a center nearby?

Also on serious note, I would be a little careful not getting a lung full of that stuff and using rubber holes and maybe a quick spray of Glen 20, actually a bulk spray with Glen 20 or Infectious Disease control hospital grade!

Grab a Petri dish and take that stuff in to a lab to culture...

 

[CyberFerret]

...any wooden instrument in that climate got a fraction of a millimeter bigger by the end of the wet season, and shrank back during the dry.


Cyberferret, his name is Colin Simpson, I think he's still there. Excellent luthier and amp builder/repairman, and a very nice eccentric fellow.

Hey V - Yeah, I've heard of Colin, and I think I met him on a couple of occasions too.

Certainly right about guitars changing a LOT... I've had to do some serious truss rod and saddle adjustments on a couple of my guitars this wet season - and no doubt will have to readjust them come the dry... Most of my guitars I leave in cases so they are OK, but I have a few without cases or on wall hangers/racks all year around, and they seem to go through the biggest changes.

 

[CyberFerret]

How long it take for that to occur since it was last in your hands?

...

PS. Maybe CyberFerret, you need to wash your hands more often???? jk.

...

Also on serious note, I would be a little careful not getting a lung full of that stuff and using rubber holes and maybe a quick spray of Glen 20, actually a bulk spray with Glen 20 or Infectious Disease control hospital grade!

Haha - I hadn't played that Tele for perhaps only about 2 weeks. It is in a room with other guitars etc. that isn't air conditioned. But I think the continual rain spell we've just had really kicked off the spores a bit.

Interestingly only happened to a couple of my maple necked guitars. The ones with ebony fretboards etc. weren't affected.

You should see my shoes, bags etc... All dead with mold. It's a bit crazy at the moment. Hard to wash and dry stuff properly too with the constant thunderstorms... I can understand your dad's bike being eaten away...

Hopefully your folks also took away some *good* memories of Darwin!

Agreed about being careful with the cleaning. Definitely going to use a face mask and some disinfectant first, then look at using some clove oil to clean and hopefully keep the mold at bay...