Effects of smoke on a bass?

[Blacksheep]

Will the presence of smoke cause any ill effects to a double bass? If so, what are they, and how can they be corrected?

[MingusAmongUs]

Originally Posted by Blacksheep

Will the presence of smoke cause any ill effects to a double bass? If so, what are they, and how can they be corrected?

Since nobody's chiming in I'll offer my opinion, take it for what it is (totally uninformed).

I don't see that it would have any impact, except maybe for the appearance -- lots of smoke over time will eventually stain everything a nasty brown color. But even then it would take lots of smoke over lots of time, and if your bass is already some shade of brown, it may not even be noticeable. Might just make it darker. I suppose it might also make it smell bad.

This is assuming we're talking about cigarette smoke. Smoke from a house fire on the other hand could do damage I would think.

[OtterOnBass]

I have a mandolin that smells like smoke from it's previous owner, but that may be because it's fabric bag reeks of smoke so it's constantly exposed.

I used to have an acoustic guitar that didn't smell, even though it came from the same source as the mandolin. The neck where the left hand is most frequently at did smell like smoke and never came off.

If there's a gig bag, leave it in the car.

[BPeder]

I used to blow the smoke from the occasional xxxxx straight into the ff holes of my bass. It would get dizzy and stumble and had a tendency to drag a bit, then it got reeeeally hungry. I don't think it ever suffered any long term damage though. My thought is that the ill effects of second hand smoke are of far more concern to the player than to the bass. Keep a bottle of high quality polish and a soft cloth in the gig bag and don't fear going out into the trenches. Where there are musicians, there will be smoke.

[joel kelsey]

My gig bag reeks, but my basses seem fine.

[kurt muroki]

I've heard that really old instruments darken over the years because of being kept in rooms with candles, oil lamps, fireplaces etc. I know of one particular cello that was opened up recently which had a layer of ash in it because the owner smoked a ton of cigars...

[anonymous02282011]

i don't think you can get smoke out of wood.

i'd be more concerned with breathing in that smell, as it may be adverse to your health. but that's just me; i always err on the side of caution when it comes to my health.

[Michael Case]

Fabreeze.

[Carl Johnson]

Will the presence of smoke cause any ill effects to a double bass? If so, what are they, and how can they be corrected?

No

[D McCartney]

Luthier General has determined smoke can cause burls.

[Basicbassist]

Originally Posted by Blacksheep

Will the presence of smoke cause any ill effects to a double bass? If so, what are they, and how can they be corrected?

I worked at a cigar bar Saturdays for an entire year - perhaps six dozen patrons chain-smoking cigars at any moment over the four hour gig. Basically a big box with two f-holes, the bass filled with cigar smoke. The only problem I ecountered was at other gigs, typically in smoke-free environments, when the manger would come sniffing around to see where that wretched smoke stench was coming from. BTW, within a few weeks after the smoke-house gig ended and the bass had a chance to air out, there was no residual smell eminating from the bass. Neither did the bass suffer from the smoke saturation. Whether my lungs will pay the price, well, that remains to be seen.