Mold on Tweed

Daddydex · June 14th, 2008, 03:43 PM

I pulled out my Blues Deville today to get it ready for an outdoor festival next weekend. I discovered the amp was sitting in about an inch of water on one corner. The mold spread like wildfire. The amp looks disgusting. The amp has been nothing but a headache since the day I bought it but I need to use it next weekend (yes, I can borrow an amp but I don't like to do that). Any advice on how I can clean this up?

Dan

strat a various · June 14th, 2008, 04:20 PM

OK Daddy,
if anybody has had music gear mold problems, it's me. I've lived on swamps, next to lagoons, on canals, at the beach, every place that has 90+% humidity and fungus ruins everything. Don't underestimate the ability of mold to screw up your SPEAKER, your wood cabinet, everything. Take that BD apart, wipe everything solid and non-porous with rubbing alcohol, clean everything that contact cleaner won't hurt with good contact cleaner; this is to prevent spores from re-infesting your amp. Go to a commercial janitor supply, or maybe a Home Depot-type place and get serious mold killing additive for your spray bottle of upholstery cleaner. Different brands will have different directions, so ask the store, read the labels, BUT USE PROFESSIONAL MOLD PRODUCTS. If you don't get it all at once, it will not only come back, but it will spread to other places in your house, truck, gear. I learned this the hard way, had to junk some good stuff cause I didn't take mold seriously. It eats tweed, it eats glue, it eats wood, paper, even nylon!! I use a carpet mold killer, but I use triple the recommended amount and I make sure to dry the tweed in a warm room with a small space heater, then give an extra spray of Lysol several times, then keep an eye on it for a while. Can you store your amp inside, elevated off the floor? Also, get some "Damp-Rid" and keep it near your gear, it comes in buckets and hanging bags, it's real popular on house boats and bayou-type cabins.
Hope that helps.

Daddydex · June 14th, 2008, 04:31 PM

That helps a bunch SAV! Thank you!

I will be off to Home Depot in the morning.

Dan

strat a various · June 14th, 2008, 04:55 PM

Also, Daddy
If it's really bad, like the mold has eaten through the tweed to the wood, and the wood is black or green, you may have to pull off the tweed and bleach the wood with a 50/50 bleach water mix, then de-mold, like with a pre-painting mold product, then replace with new tweed. Since this isn't a vintage collectable amp, you may be better off pulling the tweed and using it "bare" until you have time to re-cover it. Clean and de-mold the wood, though.
OR, you can water it and have a Chia-pet.
best wishes.

skeksis · June 14th, 2008, 07:45 PM

man, I'm glad I live in the desert - that sounds awful.

Daddydex · June 14th, 2008, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skeksis

man, I'm glad I live in the desert - that sounds awful.

I had this amp stored in the back of my old Mazda Pickup. It has a cap but water seeped in a pooled toward the front of the truck where the amp was sitting. I will take some pictures later and post them. It was only in water on one corner. You won't believe how the mold has spread.

Dan

Daddydex · June 14th, 2008, 08:41 PM

This is the side that was in the water.

Front of amp

Dry side.

I think I need a Hazmat suit!

Dan

Geoff738 · June 14th, 2008, 09:12 PM

Concrobian (I think). Concrobium maybe?

Available at Home Depot. Amazing on mold.

Definitely try this before resorting to bleach based stuff.

Cheers,
Geoff

MickM · June 14th, 2008, 09:48 PM

I haven't figured this out like an accountant but it looks like you're going to spend a bunch of money and even more time trying to save it.

Maybe salvage the hardware, pull the chassis and spend a little over $200 for an aftermarket cab?

BTW, what do the speakers look like?

Daddydex · June 14th, 2008, 10:00 PM

The speakers were not touched by the water or the mold. I will take one crack at removing the mold and see what happens. Like I said, I want to use this amp next weekend.

Dan

strat a various · June 15th, 2008, 02:46 AM

Daddy,
Your tweed is screwed. Please take the time, about three hours, to pull the chassis, pull the speaker, and strip the tweed. WEAR RUBBER GLOVES AND A GOOD DUST MASK RATED FOR MOLD REMOVAL. Home Depot will have those masks, they're more expensive than regular painting masks, but worth it. Mold is transferable to your lungs and can cause serious disease and irreversible lung damage. Keep your work clothes outside or in a sealed bag until you can wash them in hot water. Your tweed can't be saved, will never look normal, and will be prone to re-inoculation by the same mold in the future. Strip it, use the amp bare, re-cover it later. Seriously.
best wishes.

June 14th, 2008, 03:43 PM	#1 (permalink)
Daddydex Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,490	Mold on Tweed I pulled out my Blues Deville today to get it ready for an outdoor festival next weekend. I discovered the amp was sitting in about an inch of water on one corner. The mold spread like wildfire. The amp looks disgusting. The amp has been nothing but a headache since the day I bought it but I need to use it next weekend (yes, I can borrow an amp but I don't like to do that). Any advice on how I can clean this up? Dan __________________ Teles are like Mr. Potato head

June 14th, 2008, 04:31 PM	#3 (permalink)
Daddydex Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,490	That helps a bunch SAV! Thank you! I will be off to Home Depot in the morning. Dan __________________ Teles are like Mr. Potato head

June 14th, 2008, 07:45 PM	#5 (permalink)
skeksis Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: phoenix Age: 30 Posts: 233	man, I'm glad I live in the desert - that sounds awful. __________________ '86 mij '62 Custom Tele ----> '08 Marsh 5F4 Super kit or 60's Silvertone guitars (Harmony-made) ----> '66 Princeton Reverb http://www.myspace.com/jswattsmusic

June 14th, 2008, 08:41 PM	#7 (permalink)
Daddydex Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,490	This is the side that was in the water. Front of amp Dry side. I think I need a Hazmat suit! Dan __________________ Teles are like Mr. Potato head

June 14th, 2008, 10:00 PM	#10 (permalink)
Daddydex Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,490	The speakers were not touched by the water or the mold. I will take one crack at removing the mold and see what happens. Like I said, I want to use this amp next weekend. Dan __________________ Teles are like Mr. Potato head

June 14th, 2008, 04:20 PM	#2 (permalink)
strat a various Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2008 Location: Dana Point Ca Age: 50 Posts: 135	OK Daddy, if anybody has had music gear mold problems, it's me. I've lived on swamps, next to lagoons, on canals, at the beach, every place that has 90+% humidity and fungus ruins everything. Don't underestimate the ability of mold to screw up your SPEAKER, your wood cabinet, everything. Take that BD apart, wipe everything solid and non-porous with rubbing alcohol, clean everything that contact cleaner won't hurt with good contact cleaner; this is to prevent spores from re-infesting your amp. Go to a commercial janitor supply, or maybe a Home Depot-type place and get serious mold killing additive for your spray bottle of upholstery cleaner. Different brands will have different directions, so ask the store, read the labels, BUT USE PROFESSIONAL MOLD PRODUCTS. If you don't get it all at once, it will not only come back, but it will spread to other places in your house, truck, gear. I learned this the hard way, had to junk some good stuff cause I didn't take mold seriously. It eats tweed, it eats glue, it eats wood, paper, even nylon!! I use a carpet mold killer, but I use triple the recommended amount and I make sure to dry the tweed in a warm room with a small space heater, then give an extra spray of Lysol several times, then keep an eye on it for a while. Can you store your amp inside, elevated off the floor? Also, get some "Damp-Rid" and keep it near your gear, it comes in buckets and hanging bags, it's real popular on house boats and bayou-type cabins. Hope that helps.

June 14th, 2008, 04:55 PM	#4 (permalink)
strat a various Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2008 Location: Dana Point Ca Age: 50 Posts: 135	Also, Daddy If it's really bad, like the mold has eaten through the tweed to the wood, and the wood is black or green, you may have to pull off the tweed and bleach the wood with a 50/50 bleach water mix, then de-mold, like with a pre-painting mold product, then replace with new tweed. Since this isn't a vintage collectable amp, you may be better off pulling the tweed and using it "bare" until you have time to re-cover it. Clean and de-mold the wood, though. OR, you can water it and have a Chia-pet. best wishes.

June 14th, 2008, 09:12 PM	#8 (permalink)
Geoff738 Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2007 Location: Toronto Age: 44 Posts: 302	Concrobian (I think). Concrobium maybe? Available at Home Depot. Amazing on mold. Definitely try this before resorting to bleach based stuff. Cheers, Geoff

June 14th, 2008, 09:48 PM	#9 (permalink)
MickM Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Hbg. PA Age: 51 Posts: 112	I haven't figured this out like an accountant but it looks like you're going to spend a bunch of money and even more time trying to save it. Maybe salvage the hardware, pull the chassis and spend a little over $200 for an aftermarket cab? BTW, what do the speakers look like?

June 15th, 2008, 02:46 AM	#11 (permalink)
strat a various Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2008 Location: Dana Point Ca Age: 50 Posts: 135	Daddy, Your tweed is screwed. Please take the time, about three hours, to pull the chassis, pull the speaker, and strip the tweed. WEAR RUBBER GLOVES AND A GOOD DUST MASK RATED FOR MOLD REMOVAL. Home Depot will have those masks, they're more expensive than regular painting masks, but worth it. Mold is transferable to your lungs and can cause serious disease and irreversible lung damage. Keep your work clothes outside or in a sealed bag until you can wash them in hot water. Your tweed can't be saved, will never look normal, and will be prone to re-inoculation by the same mold in the future. Strip it, use the amp bare, re-cover it later. Seriously. best wishes.