Bought a cab....and it smells horrible. Any suggestions?

[mmbongo]

Andy, does tobacco smoke damage audio electronics?

I'll guess it at least attracts dust. Might be a bit conductive too. Maybe acidic or something. I've only seen it myself in warranty disclaimers.

I'm an IT guy in real life, so of course that means working on people's personal home computers from time to time. You wouldn't believe the gunk that accumulates inside of smoker's computers. The fans are just sucking it in constantly and it just coats the inside with nastiness.

 

[agedhorse]

Yes, the gunk is corrosive, sticky and generally messy.

 

[ultra60]

Good call in returning it. I bought a combo, 10 years back, that reeked of cigs. Tried everything, including giving it a bath.... you read that right. Nothing worked. Finally listed it on Ebay stating it stunk of cigarette smoke. Somebody bought it, lol.

 

[wmhill]

reminiscent of the days when there was smoking in the bars (NY state). When I'd us lemon oil on my Warwick's wenge neck, the nicotine stink would leach out and about gag you for a day or two. There is a "bomb" type deodorizer made for cars, might work with the cab in a closet. Returning may be the best bet unless you got a killer deal.

https://www.amazon.com/Dakota-Odor-Bomb-Car-Eliminator/dp/B001UOYNK8

 

[Lobster11]

I'm not a smoker, but I can't get my head around returning an item that smells like smoke, LOL.
at least if it still sounds good

I AM a smoker, and I wouldn't keep it!

I don't smoke in my house or in my car, or at my office, because I don't like the smell of stale cigarette smoke any more than anybody else does. I wouldn't want it stinking up my own basement, and I'd feel terrible bringing it to anyone else's house or business unless everything else there already smelled like smoke too.

 

[BogeyBass]

windex wash or ammonia and uv. heat and uv will bake it out pretty good. it smells more sitting in the sun yes its gasing out the stink.
wash bake wash bake. sounds like my life woot. ive heard guitar guys fill semi hollow or acoustic guitars with newspaper to absorb cig stink. week or so with paper changes

 

[40Hz]

Send it back if it bothers you. You won't ever be able to get that odor completely out. I ended up throwing a lot of my stuff out about a year after I quit smoking. And it wasn't because I didn't try getting the smoky smell out. (I tried just about everything. On some stuff it wouldn't budge.)

 

[Spidey2112]

I have had it outside on the back porch for a few hours now and, believe it or not, as it gets hotter it is smelling worse....like the cabinet lit up a fresh cig on my back porch and is just waiting for me to bring it a beer to go along with it.

Hilarious!

 

[snarebear]

Put a dead fish in the back of it and you will not notice the smell in a week or two.

 

[BobKos]

For the archives - this can be dealt with. Technology courtesy of the marijuana growing crowd and used car detailing crowd. The answer is in a product called an Ozone Tube or Ozone Generator. Ozone is great at breaking down odor causing pollutants in the same way the sun's UV rays do. Ozone tubes / generators create copious amounts of ozone and allow it to directed / distributed to control and eliminate odors. Marijuana growers use them to control the horrendous stench of a grow room. Used car dealers use them to clean up offensive smelling vehicles which is MOST used cars.

If the OP were to place the cabinet in a small room or closet with an Ozone tube for a couple days, the smell would be significantly diminished or completely removed. The problem in this case is that the OP has 2 days to work it out which isn't likely. But it could be dealt with. If he likes the cab, he should get wit hthe seller and propose an extension of the trial to see if this could be worked out.

I passed on a killer marshall guitar stack for this same reason about 10 years ago. This was before I knew about ozone. Wish I had THAT decision to make again!

 

[Mister Boh]

So, I bought an AC15 from a guy and it smelled strongly of smoke.

Ozone would be best but; I got rid of it but it took a lot of a product called Zep. You can get it on Amazon or Home Depot. I had to remove the speaker, basically spray and wipe down the whole thing, inside and out, minus the electronics then I ran a fan into it for like 3 days.

I don't perceive anything even after the tubes are cooking, but it was a lot of time spent on it.

Bottom line unless you are getting a great deal avoid smoked equipment, or use it as a major bargaining chip.

 

[Son of Wobble]

Rub Pop Tarts all over the cab, works great.

Just make sure to toast them first, as that releases the full aroma.

 

[ashtray]

Return it.

You can greatly reduce the stench of the smoke, but it takes a lot of work. Anything porous will need treatment. Any cabinet fill would need replacement since the smoke goes inside the cabinet as well. The speaker cone - both sides (!) - will be infused with tar.

I've dealt with stuff like this, but unless you replace the speakers amd the cab fill, and wash out the inside and outside of cabinet, and maybe even spray a sealer on it insidd, you won't fully get rid of the smell.

I'm highly sensitive to cigarette smoke. I can tell a person is a smoker when they walk past me - its strong! I always have to ask if the seller smokes for all used gear.

But hey, it could be worse - at least the cab isn't full of bees!

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Fabreeze?

I was thinking that too.
Cloth grill? Take it off, do both sides.
Let it air out a bit.

Is there any batting inside?
The FaBreeze might not help there but you could try.
Consider it a lost cause and figure on replacing it.

Give the outside of the cab a good scrub.

Cigarette smoke leaves what can amount to a tar like residue on stuff.
Then dust settles, then more smoke, more dust. It builds up.
Imagine that in your lungs.

I used to repair TVs on the side, back in the 70's when men were men, TVs were repairable and a lot more people smoked. You could sure tell a smoker by looking in the back if a TV. The high voltage attracted extra dust out if the air in a static electricity sort if way. So TVs got especially nasty.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

For the archives - this can be dealt with. Technology courtesy of the marijuana growing crowd and used car detailing crowd. The answer is in a product called an Ozone Tube or Ozone Generator. Ozone is great at breaking down odor causing pollutants in the same way the sun's UV rays do. Ozone tubes / generators create copious amounts of ozone and allow it to directed / distributed to control and eliminate odors. Marijuana growers use them to control the horrendous stench of a grow room. Used car dealers use them to clean up offensive smelling vehicles which is MOST used cars.

If the OP were to place the cabinet in a small room or closet with an Ozone tube for a couple days, the smell would be significantly diminished or completely removed. The problem in this case is that the OP has 2 days to work it out which isn't likely. But it could be dealt with. If he likes the cab, he should get wit hthe seller and propose an extension of the trial to see if this could be worked out.

I passed on a killer marshall guitar stack for this same reason about 10 years ago. This was before I knew about ozone. Wish I had THAT decision to make again!

Mmmmm Ozone.

 

[beans-on-toast]

An amp that reeks of smoke is a deal breaker for me unless I plan on redoing the skin. There are products that you can get at a pet store such as ORORMUTE that will help remove the smell, but some coverings can be a lost cause.

With duratex, I would sand it down a bit and paint on a new topcoat. The grille cloth can be removed and washed with soap and water. If that doesn't work, try easy off oven cleaner, test it on a spot on the back first. It is often easier to replace the cloth.

 

[mmbongo]

One of these should do the trick.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

If you like how the cab sounds, just start smoking!

 

[Fender_Bender]

Let a cat pee all over it for awhile and you won't care about cigarette smoke anymore .

 

[Son of Wobble]

Let a cat pee all over it for awhile and you won't care about cigarette smoke anymore .

Boy, ain't that the truth.

A few years ago, I found an apparently new, fur-lined, five-guitar stand on the side of the road.
Why on earth would someone throw away such a treasure?

Took about fifteen minutes in my living room for the answer to become apparent.