There are a few things we need to get out in the open first to find the answer.
First, smoke particles can be VERY small (1 micron) and has the ability to linger in the air for hours or even days. Being so small, it bypasses the lung's natural filtering allowing it to reach very deep into the organ. That is why smoking is so bad for one's health and yes, that smoke in the air can also cause chemicals to to be absorbed in your lungs and your property.
Second, wood acts like a sponge and will absorb liquids and smoke quite readily unless sealed. In a smoke damaged home, I have had to sand down wood items 2-3 mm at times to root it all out. Topical cleaning just doesn't reach deep enough at times.
So, can smoke damage a guitar? Well, the sealed portion of the guitar is safe, be it poly nitro or even just wax it will likely not absorb anything. The unsealed areas, however, will absorb some smoke molecules for sure. The inside of an acoustic guitar is one of the toughest places to rid yourself of moldy or smoke odors because they are just raw wood...but does it cause any damage?
I don't see any risk of structural damage from smoke absorption. It can certainly trap smoke odors and some smoke can be quite caustic to metals...just depends on the source of the smoke. At worst, it could trap the smoke odor, that is really all that I could see happen.
On the plus side, smoke can prevent mold. You will never find mold on the walls of a heavy smoker's home. The chemicals in the smoke (nicotine being one) coat the wood down deep by a few mm and no mold life can form on that surface. So, a smokey acoustic guitar would actually be highly mold resistant, which could be a plus to those playing in tropical areas.
First, smoke particles can be VERY small (1 micron) and has the ability to linger in the air for hours or even days. Being so small, it bypasses the lung's natural filtering allowing it to reach very deep into the organ. That is why smoking is so bad for one's health and yes, that smoke in the air can also cause chemicals to to be absorbed in your lungs and your property.
Second, wood acts like a sponge and will absorb liquids and smoke quite readily unless sealed. In a smoke damaged home, I have had to sand down wood items 2-3 mm at times to root it all out. Topical cleaning just doesn't reach deep enough at times.
So, can smoke damage a guitar? Well, the sealed portion of the guitar is safe, be it poly nitro or even just wax it will likely not absorb anything. The unsealed areas, however, will absorb some smoke molecules for sure. The inside of an acoustic guitar is one of the toughest places to rid yourself of moldy or smoke odors because they are just raw wood...but does it cause any damage?
I don't see any risk of structural damage from smoke absorption. It can certainly trap smoke odors and some smoke can be quite caustic to metals...just depends on the source of the smoke. At worst, it could trap the smoke odor, that is really all that I could see happen.
On the plus side, smoke can prevent mold. You will never find mold on the walls of a heavy smoker's home. The chemicals in the smoke (nicotine being one) coat the wood down deep by a few mm and no mold life can form on that surface. So, a smokey acoustic guitar would actually be highly mold resistant, which could be a plus to those playing in tropical areas.
