75 Sf Champ with Musty Smell

[RichieJ]

I bought a 75 Champ a few weeks ago just to use in my family room. I love this amp but have noticed that it has a musty/mildew smell to it, more so when it warms up. Anybody have the same problem? What can be done to eliminate it? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[milocj]

You could try sticking a dryer sheet in the bottom of the cabinet or spraying it lightly inside the cabinet with Febreze. Don't get any on the speaker cone. I've had some success with both of these methods.

[RichieJ]

Milocj, I haven't tried Fabreze but that doesn't sound like a bad idea. I want to do something that won't effect the value of the amp just in case I decide to ever sell it. I had thought to maybe clean the inside of the cab with bleach and water and maybe repaint flat black, keeping the paint away from any stickers.
Hey I noticed you live in Michigan, I am planning to take my amp in next week to just have it checked out and was going to a guy named Dean Zink. Have you heard of him and if so do you know if he has a good reputation?

[Groovey Records]

Disassemble the whole amp,

Remove the chassis and speaker,

Paint the inside with anti fungal paint.

Wash all the tolex with soap and water.

Take a Hair Dryer to the grill cloth and see if that needs replaced

Replace the speaker if necessary, but save the original.

Leave it in a warm dry room and put it all together after a few days.

One problem that can occur but that I doubt you have is the circuit board becoming moldy. Thats more common with original tweeds and some early Blackfaces.

[milocj]

Dean Zink has a very good reputation. His prices are pretty reasonable from what I have heard. He'll probably have a table set up at the Warren guitar show in two weeks if you don't get to his place before then.

I was going to suggest a misting of water and bleach if the Fabreze didn't work after a couple of tries. I have used this successfully before (with a little bit of TSP added) in a blackface speaker cabinet. These weren't painted black inside like the newer cabinets, but after a couple of light applications it worked without affecting the stain. Go slow and just try very light applications allowing a couple of days in between mistings. Check the bottom piece of Tolex for signs of mold or mildew. I think a lot of amps get damp there from setting them down on a wet driveway or lawn when loading them in or out of cars over the years.

[BuddyLee]

You want to stop the mold/mildew. Do what Groovey Records said, take it apart.

Except, would it be good to wipe it down with a damp bleach'y sponge and let it out to dry before the anti-fungal paint?

I came across an old Bassman cab that was actually growing mushrooms, that can't be good...

Mold and mildew are really bad for your health too. It can kill you.

[RichieJ]

Yeah, I agree it's not good for you and doesn't smell that good. I didn't see any mushrooms in there yet so you got me beat with that bassman. So I think that this will be the plan then....
1.) Remove the chassis and speaker and grill, wipe down the insides with a bleach,TSP and water mixture.
2.) Wipe down the toilex good with soap and water.
3.) Let the cab dry out good for a few days.
4.) Paint interior with a flat black anti-fungal paint and let dry.
5.) Make a new grill frame and put on new grill cloth (the old frame is cracked down the middle and the cloth has two small tears)
6.) Install a new speaker and reinstall the chassis and velcro on new grill.

That doesn't sound to difficult, any other suggestions or changes to the above?

Thanks for the input guys!

[Robster]

Richiej, I think you got it. I have never had to go the bleach route and I have had some stinky Champs. Vac out the inside of the chassis and see if there is mold in there too.
I use Fantastic type cleaner on the tolex with a soft scrub brush done several times until you see no more dirt coming from your rag.

[Donnie55]

Originally Posted by BuddyLee

You want to stop the mold/mildew. Do what Groovey Records said, take it apart.

Except, would it be good to wipe it down with a damp bleach'y sponge and let it out to dry before the anti-fungal paint?

I came across an old Bassman cab that was actually growing mushrooms, that can't be good...

Mold and mildew are really bad for your health too. It can kill you.

What color were the mushrooms ?

[Groovey Records]

Originally Posted by RichieJ

Yeah, I agree it's not good for you and doesn't smell that good. I didn't see any mushrooms in there yet so you got me beat with that bassman. So I think that this will be the plan then....
1.) Remove the chassis and speaker and grill, wipe down the insides with a bleach,TSP and water mixture.
2.) Wipe down the toilex good with soap and water.
3.) Let the cab dry out good for a few days.
4.) Paint interior with a flat black anti-fungal paint and let dry.
5.) Make a new grill frame and put on new grill cloth (the old frame is cracked down the middle and the cloth has two small tears)
6.) Install a new speaker and reinstall the chassis and velcro on new grill.

That doesn't sound to difficult, any other suggestions or changes to the above?

Thanks for the input guys!

Sounds Like a plan, you may not need to replace the grill cloth but if you do examine the cleats holding the baffle see if you can remove them.

The baffle may be floating or it may be screwed inside. the grill cloth is pulled snug across the baffle and stapled tight. Examine it closely you'll figure it out Will work better then Velcro

[ChicknPickn]

Years ago, I was given a tip for removing mildew smells from a car's interior. It was surprisingly simple. You put a shallow dish of ammonia in the passenger compartment, and another in the trunk. You leave it closed up for a full day. The gases do all the work. A cup poured into a wide bowl works well - - you want the ammonia to evaporate rapidly.

You can de-stink smaller things by putting them in a garbage bag with a rag soaked in regular household ammonia. Do several applications if necessary. I'm told that ammonia fumes can etch some materials if they're allowed to concentrate in a small space for too long.

[milocj]

On a 1975 the baffle board is stapled into grooves in the cabinet and is non-removable. The grill cloth is stapled to it's own frame that attaches to the baffle with Velcro. I think this is the frame that he is saying has broken. RichieJ can remove the frame with the cloth but the speaker baffle is permanent.

Without knowing how bad the amp smells, or if there is any mold or very much mildew, I think I would try just the Fabreze for a few applications (over a couple of weeks), and then try the bleach solution lightly in the same way before going too deeply into scrubbing the inside and repainting. Absolutely clean the Tolex because I think it's very likely that it is the bottom piece that may have most of the odor. I never saw mold in either of the two old Fenders I have owned that had a musty smell/moldy/mildew smell. It took about a month of using the sprays and lightly wiping the inside but the odors completely went away.

Be careful with using a hairdryer on the grill cloth as it will shrink the cloth. You can use one on low heat to tighten up loose Fender grill cloth by using it gently along the edges, but you can cause it to warp the pattern if you apply too much heat or heat the center portion of the grill. If you make a new grill frame you'll probably want to use a hair dryer lightly around the perimeter to help snug up the new cloth after stapling it on.

[muchxs]

Pour a beer in the bottom and pack it full of cigarette butts.

That's the amp's mojo, baby! Amps that smell like they've been in a thousand smokey bars sound better for some reason.

Didn't Blue Oyster Cult do a song about that?

"You see me now, a veteran

Of a thousand smokey bars"...

[RichieJ]

Yeah, the grill frame is Velcroed to the baffle. Milocj that's a great tip about using the hair dryer around the edges, I plan on replacing the grill. Thanks to all for the good tips.

[Mutato]

I would just remove the speaker (to have better access to the cab interior) and wipe down the cab interior with some mild soapy water. Use a sponge, but have a dish towel handy to dry up right afterwards. You can add a touch of bleach in there, but not a lot. The soap alone and gentle scrubbing will remove a ton of mold/mildew. You can also do this (soap only) to the tolex exterior. Use an old toothbrush and scrub lightly to dig out the dust in the cracks. Then wipe with sponge. Then wipe with dry towel. Make sure you do this to the bottom of the amp. A lot of mold mildew can reside there! I know, my little Gretsch amp sat on my basement floor rug and it was a breeding ground until I discovered it.

[BuddyLee]

Originally Posted by RichieJ

Yeah, I agree it's not good for you and doesn't smell that good. I didn't see any mushrooms in there yet so you got me beat with that bassman. So I think that this will be the plan then....
1.) Remove the chassis and speaker and grill, wipe down the insides with a bleach,TSP and water mixture.
2.) Wipe down the toilex good with soap and water.
3.) Let the cab dry out good for a few days.
4.) Paint interior with a flat black anti-fungal paint and let dry.
5.) Make a new grill frame and put on new grill cloth (the old frame is cracked down the middle and the cloth has two small tears)
6.) Install a new speaker and reinstall the chassis and velcro on new grill.

That doesn't sound to difficult, any other suggestions or changes to the above?

Thanks for the input guys!

Just a thought, but will black paint make the amp get hotter?

We had a discussion about painting the inside of a PC case and people were asking about the black paint radiating heat back at the components.

Originally Posted by Donnie55

What color were the mushrooms ?

White/Grey. Not the super cool ones with the Gold Caps.

[Groovey Records]

Originally Posted by muchxs

Pour a beer in the bottom and pack it full of cigarette butts.

That's the amp's mojo, baby! Amps that smell like they've been in a thousand smokey bars sound better for some reason.

Didn't Blue Oyster Cult do a song about that?

"You see me now, a veteran

Of a thousand smokey bars"...

I don't live in a smokey bar but I used too!

[RichieJ]

BuddyLee The inside is already painted black. Apparently this model year and probably more appear to have a particle board cab painted black on the interior.