Can the smells of a campfire type smoke damage your guitar?

[ABetterTelePlayer]

We keep our doors closed to keep our smells of food from kitchen and things like that but there are a few windows around the house to where outside smells can slowly deep in.

In this case, a neighbor not too far from us was burning excess wood yesterday. I'm sure no smoke entered the house but the wind was blowing the smoke towards this direction and the smell was powerful enough. It just had me thinking, can the smells of smoke damage a guitar if the smells are powerful enough to linger for a few hours? The smell is gone now of course and I sprayed the room with Lysol fresh scent which of course, helped.

I know this may be a silly question but sometimes my OCD and paranoia can get the best of me and get my mind's wheels going. Am I okay to worry?

 

[stormsedge]

Am I okay to worry?

For your guitar? I wouldn't. I carried my 12 string with me aboard ship for years...many smells there, but the guitar doesn't. Then I took it to summer camp with the kids for seven or eight years...sweat, humidity, campfires...nope, no smell. I think your guitar will be okay.

 

[uriah1]

I would be more worried about an aerosol with mist than a temporary smell.
But that is me. Unless you have a lot of cloth covered cases no worries..imho
especially not in direct line..

 

[Papanate]

How would a scent damage a guitar?

 

[ABetterTelePlayer]

How would a scent damage a guitar?

Idk. Smoke is generally different though, I've heard tales of cigarettes smoke damaging guitars in some way.

 

[Peegoo]

Am I okay to worry?

It will do more damage to you (stress, anxiety, and hypertension) than any damage it can cause to a guitar or a parakeet.

You have nothing to worry about. People have been playing guitars around campfires for as long as guitars have existed.

 

[Preacher]

I have a pair of oven mittens that I use for smoking meats. I grab them on occasion and take a huff to get a little BBQQ high when I need it.

However the smoke in your guitar should not affect it in the least.

Of course you should play this to rid it of any residue

 

[58Bassman]

It's not the scent, it's what's in the smoke and how dense the smoke is. Electronic controls have a hard time with smoke because it's corrosive, but wood and most finishes don't, if they're cleaned soon after. The house where I rented had a fire on the first floor and I lived on the second- I got a call when I was at work about it and when I arrived, my door and most of the windows were open, to let the fresh air in. Did I mention that it was December, the outside temperature was about 20°F and my guitar was on its stand about 4' from the living room windows? The temperature went from about 70° to 25° in only a few minutes and that's one of the worst things to do to an acoustic guitar, but the finish didn't crack, none of the wood on the top has cracked and it only has a small crack on the back. Smelled like charcoal when I took it to my parents' house for cleaning.

 

[Boreas]

What about playing guitar around the camp fire? Smoky bar? Perhaps with OCD it is difficult to keep things in perspective. Wood can and will absorb odors. But how long the odor lasts depends on the chemical composition of the smoke/odor. Cigarette smoke with tars and other crap actually adheres to surfaces and can really stink up a guitar. Wood smoke it pretty ephemeral in comparison. Personally, I would prefer my guitar smell like wood smoke than Lysol. Best bet to avoid smells is to keep your guitar stored in a properly humidified case - and never remove it.

 

[blowtorch]

a rose by any other name...
(also- smells don't "hurt" guitars)

 

[stormsedge]

Idk. Smoke is generally different though, I've heard tales of cigarettes smoke damaging guitars in some way.

I purchased a really nice Player Strat not too long ago and forgot to ask the cigarette smoke question. I suspect it came from that environment...but no smoke smell. However, the case it came in positively reeked of some sort of floral I don't know what AND still does after setting it on the deck in the sun for a week or more. I can still faintly smell the floral on the Strat if I put my nose to it. I ran the Fender strap that came with it through the washing machine.

 

[Killing Floor]

Isn’t it just a guitar?

 

[BigDaddyLH]

I won't take a good guitar camping, but that's about alcohol-related staggering.

 

[brown2bob]

Bought a used mic years ago online for a good deal. When I received it, worked fine but spelled like an ashtray. Soaked the foam popper air filter in alcohol which resolved the issue.

Back to the topic at hand... I've experienced cigarette smell or damp musties in cases but not in the "wooden" guitar itself. Your nose may be better than mine so I won't claim to be an authority.

 

[pypa]

A little smoke never hurt Trigger. I suspect you'll be fine.

 

[68tele]

If the guitar starts to cough or its eyes get watery?

Then u have trouble.

 

[Boreas]

I purchased a really nice Player Strat not too long ago and forgot to ask the cigarette smoke question. I suspect it came from that environment...but no smoke smell. However, the case it came in positively reeked of some sort of floral I don't know what AND still does after setting it on the deck in the sun for a week or more. I can still faintly smell the floral on the Strat if I put my nose to it. I ran the Fender strap that came with it through the washing machine.

With a case, I would suspect mold/mildew.

 

[photoweborama]

Idk. Smoke is generally different though, I've heard tales of cigarettes smoke damaging guitars in some way.

but it does wonders for naturally aging plastics on a Strat!

 

[bottlenecker]

We keep our doors closed to keep our smells of food from kitchen and things like that but there are a few windows around the house to where outside smells can slowly deep in.

In this case, a neighbor not too far from us was burning excess wood yesterday. I'm sure no smoke entered the house but the wind was blowing the smoke towards this direction and the smell was powerful enough. It just had me thinking, can the smells of smoke damage a guitar if the smells are powerful enough to linger for a few hours? The smell is gone now of course and I sprayed the room with Lysol fresh scent which of course, helped.

I know this may be a silly question but sometimes my OCD and paranoia can get the best of me and get my mind's wheels going. Am I okay to worry?

I'd be a lot more worried about my guitar smelling like lysol than campfire.

 

[bottlenecker]

How would a scent damage a guitar?

A friend of mine had a nice martin johnny cash model, the good one that was like a fancy D-35 in black. Someone puked in it at a party and the smell never went away. It was definitely damaged.
If a guitar smelled like cigarette smoke it could be considered damaged to someone sho hates that smell.