The Stench of Smoke Has Funked Up my Equipment

[Blah114]

I was not sure where to post this one..

I have a weird problem.. my basses, and beloved Genz Benz Shuttle.. smell of smoke.. including marijuana.. I don't smoke..

the reason it smells like this is b/c of playing with others, and at clubs.. at the risk of offending anyone.. I am just asking.. how can I get this stench out of the equipment.. or do others have any secrets.. as far as cleaning the basses, yes, I do that.. and the stench goes away.. but it gets almost ingrained in the wood.. and certainly within the amp.. it's pretty disgusting, but what can I do? nothing, right?

It seems after a week, the amp no longer smells like cigarettes.. but it makes the house smell like smoke.. and I don't smoke(!).

I found this humorous, so posted it here.. but it is a legitimate frustration of mine.

[akaTRENT]

I have the same problem. Honestly you just have to let it air it for a bit. that and keep everything in road cases as much as possible.

[crayzee]

You can try some Febreze products? I know I used to spray myself down with some of that stuff before coming home from the strip joint... worked well...

Just don't spray it into your amp, etc... just around it. Or maybe try one of those sponges that soak up the stank.

[ErebusBass]

No advice about the basses, but if your amps are covered in rat fur (not tolex) Febreze works wonders. Get the antimicrobial kind, and it may take several applications.

A drunk girl vomited all over the back seat of my car once. Anything that can take care of that stench should be more than enough to get the smoke funk off out of your cabs.

Hope this helps.

[mphares]

The biggest problem isn't the smell, it's the smoke which will eat your plug and jack contacts over time. (Gold contacts stand up to the smoke pretty good, but they're pricey.) It pays to clean them occasionally with electronic contact cleaner

[dmusic148]

The inside of the amp can be cleaned, but it's not easy and you have to be careful. I've been there with an SWR head. I removed and cleaned the fan first-this was the biggest offender. Then, after removing the preamp tube, I sprayed the entire inside with contact cleaner, two whole cans. Like new.

[Blah114]

yeah... I now realize the fans on the shuttle are basically sucking in smoke.. good advice about the gold contacts.. and contact cleaner. my berg cabinet is carpeted.. and it just reeks.. Febreze is a good idea too.. There is nothing like playing the next day.. and smelling cigarettes.. but that smoke is not a good thing for the amp..

[agedhorse]

Do not use contact cleaner or Fabreze inside your Shuttle (and most modern amps). There are parts that can be ruined beyond repair and the damage will not be covered under warranty. There are very high voltages and signals with fast risetimes, contaminants can cause unpredictable problems that you don't want to deal with.

[synterx]

I rejoined the live band world after years of retirement. Chicagoland enacted a no smoking law last year. It has made me so friggin' happy to do a gig and come home with no more smells on me and my equipment than when I left my house. It's absolutely amazing. I would quit if I had to go through that again. I would do some googling on smoke removal. There are carbon charcoal products made just for smoke smell.

[Blah114]

I won't spray anything into the genz.. believe me.

I have an air cleaner.. my plan is to simply set the air cleaner (electronic) adjacent to the stuff.

[hyperba55]

+1 on cleaning the amp. Start with the fan, since that is where the air goes in, it is typically the dirtiest.

+1 also in Febreze for carpet cabs. I used to live in Pennsyvania (smoking bars) - my old cabs reeked of smoke. Some Febreze on the carpets worked miracles.

For the bass - try whole coffee beans. I had a bass awhile ago that had an unspecified odor strong. I also had a case that one of my cats "relieved" herself in (terrrible, terrible odor). I loaded the cases with coffee beans, let them sit for the weekend, and voila! No more smell. Coffee beans actually absorb the smell.

That also works to remove the sickly plastic sweet "new case" smell.

I would never spray Febreze on a bass, or even a case ... I woudl be too worried about chemicals ...

YMMV, IMO, etc.

[Ric5]

The no smoking laws are great for musicians. That smoke fowls up our equipment, stinks up our clothes and destroys our health.

[Oric]

Originally Posted by Ric5

The no smoking laws are great for musicians. That smoke fowls up our equipment, stinks up our clothes and destroys our health.

Yea, smoking in public buildings is banned entirely in Lexington and some of the surrounding cities, which is great for us (even better if we could find gigs!) But I still live in a smoking house, so I can hardly tell if my stuff smells like smoke or not.

[Low Main]

Sometimes I buy used gear that comes with a deeply entrenched smoke odor.

The worst offenders are used hardshell cases. I buy them now and then if they're in great shape and cheap - and fit a specific bass.

Besides Febreeze there are other products like Ozium, Damprid, Atmosclear, and OdoBan, etc.

The advice I've gotten is that it's better to eliminate the odor rather than replace it with another odor (such as putting strong smelling anti-static clothes dryer sheets in a bass case.)

Here's what I do: I have a very small utility bathroom that I use as a deodorizing chamber. I spray Ozium on a porous wicking surface (like some clumped up paper towels) inside the room, then put the gear in there with the wick and close the door and leave it overnight. Sometimes I have to repeat the process if the gear has been in a serious "recreational" smoke environment. The resins from the hemp are heftier than those of tobacco and harder to remove.

"Honey, why is there an SVT rig in the hall closet? And why does my winter coat smell like a rental car?"

[BigNoise]

1 word.... baking soda, but not in the amp of course

[Relic]

I used to put my stuff outside for a little while and that would always seem to take care of it. Of course you have to watch that a) its not going to rain, ) it's not overly cold or hot, c) no one's going to steal it

Gotta luv the no smoking in clubs rule that's in effect now in almost every state that we've played in the past 2 years. I don't have to deal with this stuff any more at all.

[scottice]

[professor_bills]

We have a no smoking cigarettes or cigars rule in the garage and we don't play in bars so My equipment is usually safe. But when my peavy died I took it to this old guy to fix and he smokes like a chimney...It took forever for the smell to come out of my amp.
The amp fried again and he has had it for several months...I'll probably just abandon it this time...SHame I liked that amp.

[BigOldHarry]

it was a greater blessing that I had even imagined when California banned smoking in bars - holy cow, a whole night without choking? Without the need leave all my gear and clothes in the garage AND take a long, hot shower at 2:30 am just so I can get in bed without my wife smacking me for smelling like a bus? Amazing.

What boggles my mind is that so many musicians *still* smoke. I don't get it, I never will.

[Gubna]

People still smoke inside? ***?!! Time to take some responsibility...