The scent of a guitar. Gibson/Martin owners.

[gearbasher]

Just an observation. I love the way my Gibsons smell, but my Martin smells like an old lady (no offense to any old ladies out there). Any Gibson/Martin owners care to comment?

[AustinNoName]

I'm delighted someone has brought this up, as I didn't wish to for fear of sounding odd. My J45 has the most wonderful smell, almost sweet, when I open the case... Is this the lacquer? Which leads to my second point - if so, when I was at school, glue sniffing was not advocated... This can't be far off can it? either way, I'm hooked!

[Pickax]

Much of the smell from a new Martin comes from the Cedar Kerfing used to join the top, back and sides. My J-45 RW and L-00 have a bit of a wood/ lacquer smell to them.

 

Talking purely smell here, a Tacoma Mandolin might be the best smelling instrument out there. One sniff in that odd shaped sound hole and you are hooked.

[Jerry K]

The smell mostly dissipates if you leave the guitar out of the case much. I see some opportunity for free enterprise here. You know those spray cans you can buy with new car smell? How about new guitar smell? Gibson flavored, Martin flavored.... Hmnnnn...

[ajsc]

I love the smell of old ladies in the morning.

[gearbasher]

Much of the smell from a new Martin comes from the Cedar Kerfing used to join the top' date=' back and sides. [/quote']

 

Come to think of it, the Martin does smell like an old cedar chest. You learn something new every day.

[onewilyfool]

I have an archtop that uses Swiss Spruce top......beautiful......also had an old Guild 12 string with rosewood, everytime I opened that case....I got a hit of that Rosewood.....it was built in '74 and still had the smell.....you don't get rosewood like that anymore....

[onewilyfool]

I have an archtop that uses Swiss Spruce top......beautiful......also had an old Guild 12 string with rosewood, everytime I opened that case....I got a hit of that Rosewood.....it was built in '74 and still had the smell.....you don't get rosewood like that anymore....

[geelinus]

I agree - except for the Martin 15 series. My 00-15 Custom is the sweetest smelling guitar in the USA -- I haven't sniffed any European guitars.

[Guest]

My fairly new Martin smells like a new car. Don't know why -- it just does. It's a rosewood guitar, so I would have thought it would have that delightful sweet r/w smell. But no -- it smells like a new Nissan.

 

New Gibsons small better than Martins, they just smell great, but the sunburst ones are the BEST!! ("Just the BEST, Jerry!!")

 

I'm only hear to tell ya.

 

Fred

[eds111]

I like the smell of both my 04 Gibson and my 05 Martin.

 

It does sound kind of odd to discuss the scent of a guitar, but they really do smell good.

 

The Gibson is sweet like candy or something.

 

The Martin smells like wood, rosewood & cedar?

[insguy]

I can't say that I've noticed a distinct smell from either my Gibson or my Martin. My playing stance doesn't get my nose in close proximity to the sound hole

 

You've made me curious, though. I'll have to sniff each out carefully next time they come out to play!

[Michael]

I leave my SJ out and in its stand all the time and it still has that wonderful smell. I can smell it the whole time it is being played! I love the smell of a Gibson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[pohatu771]

I noticed my Martin had a smell to it, but not necessarily an "old lady smell."

 

I assume it was the case, though, since I didn't notice it in the store, and, in my experience, all guitar cases smell.

 

You don't ever seen this on the factory tours, but a little known fact about the Bozeman factory is the final room - it's called the perfume room.

[Blaster]

My Madagasscar RW AJ smells like damp Chocolate cake.

[magnucifer]

My Gibson smells like laquer, (in a good way), and my Martin like tobacco, (also in a good way)...

 

-Magnus

[jefleppard]

I love the smell of old ladies in the morning.

 

lol! i'm not sure which makes me feel dirtier - this comment or the damp chocolate cake.

[onewilyfool]

Now you've got a bunch of guys sniffing their sound holes......lord help us

[makers72]

when they start licking the sound holes is when we need to start worrying....

 

 

i have had my dove for a month now and love the smell when i open the case!

[J45dale]

I see a movement forming, join the HSU.

Hole Sniffers United.

Dale.

[Guitar slinger]

I really think It has much to do with the case.

[drathbun]

I really think It has much to do with the case.

 

I believe that is true in some cases but my SWD has a very sweet smell and it has been out of the case for a couple of months. I smell it more when I play it (makes sense as the guitar is really an air pump). I believe it is a combination of the nitro finish and rosewood.

 

OTOH my Rickenbackers (360/12 and 4003 bass) both have that wonderful sweet chocolaty Ric-O-Smell . That smell has been attributed by John Hall himself as the off gasing of the materials in the case. I've smelled the same smell in other SKB brand cases.

[news36]

The smelliest guitar I have owned was a Larivee 000 mahogany, really an intoxicating scent, beautiful, I wonder if a lot of the aroma is cedar kerfing???

[modoc_333]

it's a mixture of the wood, the lacquer, and intentionally scented additions to the lacquer. the case has a smell, but it's pretty faint and forgettable. if you have ever handled a gibson case that has never had a guitar in it, then it becomes obvious that the case isn't the culprit.

that being said, the different gibson plants actually produce guitars with different smells!

[Guitarooster52]

LOL ......you see this is why I hang out in the electric guitar areas...! This thread is just a little weird!