Okay, this one is probably a new one for you guys...

I just bought a used 62 reissue from a post on craigslist and when I played it, it was outside with the wind blowing, plays great, some minor cracks in finish, etc., but otherwise excellent.

I got it home and opened the case and Peeee U! Apparently the previous owner had a cat or dog who, at least once, favored the bass as it's litter box...:crying:

I need to clean it, but what can I use that will not destroy the finish or the wood. The smell seems to come from the fingerboard as well and I'm concerned the pet bacteria has penetrated the wood.

Please advise...

Thanks,
Seattle Diver

Petco has a large assortment of enviro-friendly pet odor destroyers. They are water based and seem to work pretty good. The Hartz products are pretty harsh IMO.

Good Luck

wow

Uh, wow. Yeah, that's a new one.

I would take it to a luthier or carpenter or something like that. For all you know, since wood is porous, whatever Fluffy sprayed on that baby might be stuck. Odor solvents might just mask the odor and not reverse the damage.

Contact the original owner and find out what happened, and take it to a luthier. If they say that the damage is irreversible, get your money back (I doubt they disclosed that something turned it into a fire hydrant). If the damage is fixable, decide what you want to do.

This reminds me of when my mother bought some gems on eBay, and the box reeked of Mary Jane.

Wow, a bass that has built in FUNK!

:hiding:

oddly enough not a first for me... my aunt's (now ex) boyfriend has a load of guitars and basses (nice guy, I should look him up some time) anyway he has a Gibson Black Beauty which was/is his pride and joy, sadly one of his dogs urinated on it... no idea how he got the nastyness off, but I think it was just a soap and water job because he was at hand. but for yours where it has really gotten funky I would suggest one of the afore mentioned Petco products...

Cat urine stains show up when you shine a black light on them. That is all I will say.

As suggested, something like "Odor-b-gone" from Petco in the case and maybe just wipe down the bass with the same stuff, with several LIGHT applications on the rag, but not letting it soak in.

Maybe some of the dry chemical stuff; but I would try it on some sample woods first, or just on the back in a controlled spot.

Also, sunlight and fresh air do wonders, with moderation.

Good luck!

About bacteria, urine is sterile, so you should be good there.

Brian

For the bass:

Remove strings.
Mild solution of Lysol or Mr Clean
Use lots of elbow grease.
Dry.
Rinse with sponge and clean water.
dry
Lemon Pledge or some kind of funiture polish.
New Strings

Case:
Try the spray on carpet cleaner. Let dry and vacuum out.


Yeah, that one is a first.

Pledge? wooooo... I dont like the sound of that.

natures miracle

I've got 4 dogs. it works.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=769&N=2001+113510

Do you think an open thing of baking soda inside the case would do any good?

Pledge? wooooo... I dont like the sound of that.

I've used in on furniture worth a boatload more than my basses.
Vóila, the antique highboy really rocks now! And,
the funk - unreal!

;)

About bacteria, urine is sterile, so you should be good there.

Brian

That does not mean urine is always bacteria free... i.e urinary infections or any other disease. But if it's old urine it's just the smell thats the problem. Just keep cleaning it and toss the case if that got hit too. eventually it should be ok.

I think soap and water should do the trick, just use a damp rag.

If it still smells like piss, wash it some more and place it in an extra bass case you might have along with some airfresheners.

I wouldn't trust a nitro finish with chemicals.

Just my 2 cents

nature's miracle all the way!

throw the case away, you'll never get the smell out..........get a new case, they're cheap!

And Natures Miracle!!!

and, for anyone concerned, Nature's miracle is an enzyme; not a chemical:)

Cases can just sometimes smell really bad. Outsourcing of gas in new cases can deaden strings. The case that came with my '51ri smelled like cat pee. It had not been peed in. It was the case. It went to another home.

smell in the case: Febreze? Works great on me after I hit the Chinese buffet at lunch.
removing pet urine from bass: is there a tie in with the "anyone know a luthier who will do this" thread?

That does not mean urine is always bacteria free... i.e urinary infections or any other disease. But if it's old urine it's just the smell thats the problem. Just keep cleaning it and toss the case if that got hit too. eventually it should be ok.

Urinary infections aren't bacteria in the urine- it's bacteria that's made it's way into the tract. Usually e-coli. Know where that comes from? Gross!!

Hey give an ionic breeze a chance... it worked great for entrenched cigarette smell, and it's ozone (a gas not a liquid)

It takes awhile but my warwick has no smell and it was freaking putrid when I got it. Smelled like a nightclub in the old days.

I suggest you just throw away the case. The gig bag I had reeked too. My bass was cured in 2-3 weeks but the gig bag was not cured. Sure it was better, but I think it would have taken 3 or 4 months to get to the point of the bass.

Read this thread:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265154&highlight=ionic

One more deodorizer to check out; Simple Solution. I found this in one of the big pet food chains. It does a great job of neutralizing the odor. It smells like almonds when it's first applied.

whatever you get, you've got to make sure it it's got enzymes that will do more than just mask the problem. i had the same problem w/ a borrowed bass, & my brother got rid of most of the smell w/ a product which i am sorry to say i cant remember the name of. but just a houshold cleaner won't work

I would probably punt my dog if he did that to my bass.

In all likelihood though, it's just a stinky case. The smell of the case will get ingrained in the wood, and will be refreshed every time you put the bass back in its case.