Does it hurt to spray FeBreeze on your Guitar

Nick Reed · From: Russellville, KY USA

Since I'm not a Smoker, the smell of nicotine on my equipment absolutely grosses me out. My band plays in alot of Clubs where Smoking is usually at a premium. Therefore my Steels usually reeeeek with a nicotine smell after a gig. I was wondering if spraying FeBreeze on the guitar would hurt it, especially the undercarriage parts. It sure would make the instrument smell better but I'm wondering if any of you guys have ever tried this before. Nick

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

Smoking in bars is now banned in my neck of the woods, but before the ban I would polish my steel with a little bit of orange oil after a gig, and that usually took care of it. The smell is pleasant but strong, so it works well in getting rid of the stale smell of nicotine.

I've got a Fender Twin with a smoky-smelling grill cloth. In this situation I just have to live with it, but it can be off-putting. My whole room smells like the amp.

Nick Reed · From: Russellville, KY USA

Chris,
When I got my Webb Amp it smelled really bad with nicotine.

I took the grill out and cleaned it with some pink stuff called "Quick N' Bright". Then I rinsed it with hot water. The rinse water water was as brown as a Coca Cola but that sure did clean it good and get rid of the bad smell. Now what about putting FeBreeze on the undercarriage of a Steel. . . . .do you think that would hurt it?

[This message was edited by Nick Reed on 12 February 2006 at 12:28 PM.]

Tommy R. Butler · From: Nashville, Tennessee

Nick I'm with Chris, All the bars here in Savannah are no smoking and it's kinda nice to get home at the end of the night and not stink up the house when you bring your equipment in & hey my eyes dont even burn anymore. I'll call ya this week about meeting up in Richmond Hill Friday 17th.

JW Day · From: Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA

Nick, my Emmons set at an American legion for 3 years after I bought it new. I always kept it covered during the time that I was not playing but it still got the ole' bar room smell, this was in the early 80's. I was telling a friend about the smell, he advised me to put an open contained of vanilla flavoring in the case and close it. It has worked for me and was very inexpensive. Let me know when you guys are playing close to E-town again. JW Day

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

Windex and a stiff plastic-bristled brush do a wonder for getting all the micro-gook out of the micro nooks and crannies in an amps tolex.
Then Armour All for finishing.

I used FaBreeze on a smelly amp grill, and it worked O.K. I am now going to use the rinse in hot water method (posted above) to make sure I got it really clean.

I have left my steel outside for several hours on a nice day to "air it out" after the smelly bar factor set in. I haven't sprayed any FaBrezze in the under-carrige though.
Maybe you can use some Arm&Hammer baking soda to make an oder eliminator? Maybe like a long sock filled with it that you lay in the undercarrige after a gig?

'Can't wait 'till Oregon goes non-smoking... next year? Non smoking seems to be the current trend around here, even though it's not a law yet.

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

Nick,

Thanks for the heads-up on the amp grill........I'm going to try it.

Personally, I'd be afraid to spray Febreeze on the undercarriage. I'm not sure what chemicals are in it, but I'd be nervous spraying anything onto the rods and springs. Also, I don't find that Febreeze works in the long term. It seems to do the job for a few days, but it wears off quickly in my experience using it around the house.

Maybe you could put a sheet of fabric softener between the rods after the gig, before you pack it away? It also helps to store the guitar case away from the smoke while you're doing the gig, and make sure it's closed and fastened. If the case takes on the smoky stench, it will always be on the guitar.

Tony Dingus · From: Kingsport, Tennessee, USA

Nick,I don't know if the febreeze would be a good ideal or not so, try this, put a couple of dryer sheets in your case with the guitar and see if that helps. I use them in my Jeep and it works ok. Let us know what you use and how it worked. Thanks

Tony

Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

Pete we went non-smoking in pubs and bars about 18 months ago and it is amazing the difference it makes - I'm a non-smoker and notice it really badly, so it is nice to have sweet smelling equipment again !! Our lead singer said he no longer gets sore throats etc after singing his lungs out all night either.

And you can actually see the other end of the bar from the stage now !! ha

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

I have reparied Fender amps that had been in smoky bars so long that when I opened up the chassis you could take a screwdriver and scrape the brownish gold smoke residue goo off the inside surface and that was smoke that had no other way to get in but through the 1/4" jacks in the front and back. Imagine what that stuff does to your lungs!!!

Ronnie Green · From: Des Moines, New Mexico, USA

Any chemical product you spray on your guitar is a NO NO period. It might take a few years for it to show up but believe me it will. Pedal steel guitars are to beautiful to put any chemical on. If you can't put a little elbow grease in it, you need to get a banjo!

Jody Sanders · From: Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.

Hi Nick. Say NO to Febreeze. I tried it on one of my cases, and the latches started rusting. Jody.

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

Odors are particulate - when you smell smoke it's because an actual smoke molecule has climbed up your nose*. You could glue the molecules down with some sort of spray, or try to overpower them with more, smellier molecules of a different origin, but I wouldn't call either of those solutions "cleaning." Scrubbing and brushing will certainly lead to faster results than airing out alone; smoke forms a kind of sticky tar, right? I would think some sort of solvent like rubbing alcohol or ammonia (Windex) would work. If it's totally grim, there's a product called "Goo-Gone" that dissolves sticky stuff without harming wood or most plastics.

*(Just stop going to the bathroom, that's all, it's the only solution.

)

Per Berner · From: Skovde, Sweden

I recently aquired a '40s parlor-size acoustic guitar which smelled like it had been smoking 3 packets a day for the last 50 years or so...

Anyway, someone pointed me in the direction of trying ozone treatment, which is commonly used to deodorize interiors to make smokers' cars saleable.

Maybe you could persuade a car reconditioner to allow you to place your steel inside a car undergoing such treatment.

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´75 Emmons p/p D10 8+4, '96 Emmons Legrande II D10 8+5, ca '72 AWH Custom D10 8+3, Peavey Nashville 1000

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

I think the odor is caused by micro particles of smoke residue adhering to the undercarriage, finish, and flocking.

I'd wipe the guitar down with isopropyl alcohol (NOT ON LACQUER FINISH!!), also the undercarriage parts, and see what that does. Re-lube if necessary. Then lightly mist the flocking with Ozium and air the guitar out for a day or so. I'd use FeBreeze on the flocking only as a last resort, since I personally don't care for the aroma of the stuff.

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Texas Steel Guitar Association

Kenny Forbess · From: peckerwood point, w. tn.

Nick,
"Bounce" fabric softner sheets in your case and in the rear of your amp helps .
Works good for me.
Kenny

Dave Zielinski · From: Pennsylvania, USA

looking at a bottle of it now.... the label says....it is just alcohol with fragrance.

can I drink it then?? hahahaha!

Seriously, i suffer from the same thing. I have to leave my clothes in the garage after a gig. I air out my gear weekly and it helps.

Dave

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

Nick;
When you get home from the gig, why don't you try spraying a fluffy~cloth with something like Lysol~Spray, lay it on the guitar and close to lid for a while? You could also drop one in the back of your amp. and replace the cover for another ‘while’.

[This is the lazy~mans way to do it!]

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“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
’05 D–10 Derby
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15”
Current Equipment

Larry Robbins · From: Fort Edward, New York

Ozium.....
Wow I had not thought of that stuff in a while. Used to carry some in the glove box just in case you got pulled over!

ahhh, the late 60's and 70's....and then again,...most of the 80's

( what year is this) anyway, I bought a steel a year ago that smelled as if it had been in a barroom for the last 20 yr.(who knows?) I cleaned the outside with a slightly damp cloth, waxed her good and cleaned the undercarridge with some windex, then relubed, let it air out a couple of days and it was fine. Good luck with your steel!

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"What a long, strange trip it's been"

David Cobb · From: Chanute, Kansas, USA

A friend cautioned me against using the product on precious items, because even though it seems like "the bomb" when you first use it, it will sour as it ages.
I haven't put it to the test to see if what she told me is true.

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

How about "Summer's Eve™"?

Just a thought...

< ;

)

EJL

[This message was edited by Eric West on 13 February 2006 at 07:46 PM.]

Herman Visser · From: Rohnert Park, California, USA

Ive Sprayed and Sprayed that stuff on my steel and my playing still Stinks.

Chris Bauer · From: Nashville, TN USA

I was gonna try the FaBreeze idea but my guitar was in such bad shape when I got it out of the washer that it was just no use.

Steve Hinson · From: Hendersonville Tn USA

Mooney took his to the car wash and turned the hose on it...I prefer to put mine in the back of my truck and run thru one of those automatic car washes right quick...

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Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

I just took up smoking........the smell just seemed to vanish.

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