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Return a bass for....smell?
- Thread starter basslifter
- Start date
I’ve shared this a few times... when I got my Grabber some 16 years ago it smelled of puke near the pick up. I have it a thorough cleaning a few days after getting it, and when I removed the pick guard the smell was so strong and there was what appeared to be a slice of dried up cucumber. I did what I could. After hundreds of gigs and thousands of hours of play time, it still smells a little. I initially thought the cucumber was leftover vomit, but perhaps it was there to try and make it smell better.
I love this bass.
I love this bass.
Once bought a second hand bass in a hard case. It had obvously been left in a damp environment as the case actually had mould in it and stunk. The bass had a bit of the smell, but not too bad, but it had an oval dull spot about 5" across where the damp in the case had affected the finish. Fortunately it was mostly on the back so not too noticeable. Cleaned the bass with a cloth dampened with a very watered down solvent solution. Cleaned the case out with hot water with a mild bleach and left it outside, open, for a good four or five hot summer days while the bass sat on a stand in my room. Reduced the smell by about 95%. I then got a tea towel that I washed in quite a strongly scented laundry liquid, and when that was dry I kept it in the bottom of the case so the body of the bass sat on the towel when it was in the case. Within a couple of weeks there was no more damp stink. Then just left the case open for another week to get rid of the laundry liquid smell...
My most memorable experience was a guitar rig I was offered to buy by a divorcee. She and her ex were HEAVY smokers. I was offered his Les Paul Deluxe AND his Marshall TSL with 2 (4 X 12) cabs for $2k. She showed me receipts for $5600 invested. Everything looked brand new. Never left the house. That's the problem. The smell! WOW! After much deliberation on my part I passed. Incredible deal but I had no idea how to get that smell out of an amp and speakers without some serious disassembly and work. Wish I knew about ozone generators back then....
For the OP - I bought a bass a number of years ago. The case smelled heavily like those cheap cherry cigars which transferred to the bass itself. I contacted the seller. He gave me no push back about the problem as if he were testing to see if I would notice / complain. He fired back a quick 25% rebate to keep the bass or send it back no problem. I kept it and eventually the sun's UV light killed the smell in the case and on the bass.
For the OP - I bought a bass a number of years ago. The case smelled heavily like those cheap cherry cigars which transferred to the bass itself. I contacted the seller. He gave me no push back about the problem as if he were testing to see if I would notice / complain. He fired back a quick 25% rebate to keep the bass or send it back no problem. I kept it and eventually the sun's UV light killed the smell in the case and on the bass.
I’ve read that ozone generators are used by the pros to remove smells. I have no experience with this.
My bass still has the faintest whiff of what I think is turpentine.
When I was a kid I grabbed the first rag I saw from the rag pile under the utility sink. I guess it hadn't been cleaned or not cleaned well.
After a while I noticed the smell every time I opened the case and was like "huh, that's weird." Took me ages to realize what it was. 20 years later it still smells a little strange, but now it's just sort of sweet. I've been conditioned or something cause now I like the smell. Association with fun or who knows.
My point is who knows what crazy or dumb stuff people have done with their case/instrument. I'd return it depending on the smell for sure.
When I was a kid I grabbed the first rag I saw from the rag pile under the utility sink. I guess it hadn't been cleaned or not cleaned well.
After a while I noticed the smell every time I opened the case and was like "huh, that's weird." Took me ages to realize what it was. 20 years later it still smells a little strange, but now it's just sort of sweet. I've been conditioned or something cause now I like the smell. Association with fun or who knows.
My point is who knows what crazy or dumb stuff people have done with their case/instrument. I'd return it depending on the smell for sure.
I one returned a bass for spite. They said it wasn't an acceptable reason. 
Or if they're in an all-too-literal pissing contest over dominance, because they're males and they've reached that age.
Yes, they were both neutered, but we wound up having to throw out the entire lounge suite anyway, one piece at a time.
I once owned a Tele that had a distinctive odor to the case and guitar.....not unpleasant, just different. My feeling was that it was left over from buffing, since it was painted, and I found traces of compound in the body cavity. I had that guitar for over ten years and it never went away.
Lessons have been learned. I now ALWAYS ask if the gear smells like smoke. If it does I won't buy. Allergy isues in my house etc...
I would wash it and keep the bass for a few days and see if the bad smell get lost, if not then return. The only one thing i would not return it with a smell, if it would sound absolutely perfectly beautifull.
I would say strongly of cigarettes, but also maybe cologne too...? Old school bar smell? I let the case sit open last night with the ceiling fan turning gently to air it out a bit. I like how it plays, but I could have paid a bit more and probably gotten the same minus the smell.
The bass is an Ibanez SR1405, so a pretty nice one.
In 1996 I bought a brand new USA Peavey Accellerator 5 string. The case smell was just terrible.
I tried Febreze, scented baking soda, sunlight, dryer sheets etc. None really helped.
Then I put a bunch of charcoal in a pillowcase, and closed it up in the case. On sunny days, I'd open the case in the sunlight, and at night, close it up with the charcoal.
Took about 2 weeks, and smell gone.
I tried Febreze, scented baking soda, sunlight, dryer sheets etc. None really helped.
Then I put a bunch of charcoal in a pillowcase, and closed it up in the case. On sunny days, I'd open the case in the sunlight, and at night, close it up with the charcoal.
Took about 2 weeks, and smell gone.
i bet you can de-scentify it. however, that sounds like a reasonable cause for a return. your call. (i like the charcoal idea in the post above.)
depends. none of the terrible, gagging, gross smells described in your thread (by other posters) would deter me if the ax was the 'perfect fit' for me --- i'd figure out some way of eliminating, attenuating, or living with the odor on a 'perfect fit' instrument. a little bitter with the sweet.
while i've never used an ozone generator for foul-smelling instruments (i don't have any of those) i have used them for smell issues in the house and car: they work great...and quickly (24 hours)! ours was a heavy-duty model (whole house) and it worked very well. no one smokes anymore at our house so we don't use it like we used to.
