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Double Bass Help for a smelly bass

S

Sonnet

Apr 6, 2008
7
0
www.swiftwater.us
#1
We just brought home a 'new' bass tonight, but it has lived with cigarette smoke for years and smells like an ashtray! How can I clean it without damaging the finish/wood/etc? It's very old and has seen better days, but it sounds so nice (deep, rich, mellow tone...mmmm). I want to hear it, but not smell it!!

Thank y'all!
 
#4
BassXgirl said:
How do you know that its not the stank that's giving it is nice tone?
Click to expand...

LOL! I certainly hope not! Actually I know it isn't since this is the same bass my husband played as a teenager in the 80s and it didn't smell back then.

I'd also like to surface clean it. Are there any household items I could use to give her a good rubdown, or do I need to buy a cleaning/polishing kit. She's been in storage for several years and needs some TLC, but I don't want to refinish or do any major work since ... well ... the sound is good and I'm clueless about such things.

(Thanks again for the advice for this total newblett who wants to play with the big kids.)
 
#6
I'm not sure of the finish. It is an old instrument that has seen quite a bit of abuse. I was thinking of using some 'home remedies' that work on old furniture but I figured I'd better ask more experienced bassists before wiping my bass down with diluted tea or dishwashing liquid (3-4 drops per quart of warm water works wonders on wood furniture).

Edit: Here are some photos to give y'all an idea of the condition.
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#8
I had a warwick that smelled EXTREMELY BAD. It is now one of my faorite basses. I used an ozone generator on it. It took awhile and smelled funny (like lightning) for about a month afterwards but here is the link. see post #9 (it's the correct answer. and yes it ttok longer than just one day in the bag... more like a week)

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265154&highlight=smell
 
#9
Awesome, Joe! Thank you so much. I tried searching the forums before posting, but didn't see your thread (probably didn't use the right keywords). I'll definitely look for one of those Ozone generators. Maybe then my daughter won't complain about the stench everytime she walks into the living room. :)
 
#11
Sonnet said:
Edit: Here are some photos to give y'all an idea of the condition.
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Click to expand...

I tried scratching my computer screen, but I still couldn't smell the bass :crying:

:rollno:

My boss used to use something similar to this http://www.cleartheair.com/
We used it to remove photo chemical odors from the air and it did work good. It might be worth a try.

Btw, I'm glad your bass will still retain its nice tone after it loses its "B.O." ;)

Good luck!
 

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