New guitar smell ha ha?

[Dm5av]

I have to ask this, because I’ve never experienced it before with any other guitar. I’ve owned 5 or 6, so it’s not like I have a ton of experience but still.

but, the new acoustic I got is kinda making me ill.

the smell of paint is so strong it’s hurting me. I’m kinda retching at the thought of playing it. What’s the deal with that?

does that just mean it’s really, really new?

or, is it something else?

Weird I know, I’ve never had that happen on a store bought guitar before... or ever actually. Cause all I have are store bought guitars lol.

smells like an auto body shop. Yuck.

at first it didn’t bother me, but I’m playing it for hours and I notice I’m feelin a bit ill from it tbh.

Anyway to make it stop off gassing, other than wait?

someone said put it in the sun, that doesn’t seem like a great idea. Is it?

[OrdinaryNimda]

I had an identical situation with one. Yeah, it needs lot of air & time for the smell to wear off. Those are glues, solvents, colors,... the wonders of modern chemistry.

Of course it's not a good idea putting guitars in direct sunlight or in front of fans, etc. Suffering & patience leads to greatness, as they say, LOL.

[fortyearspickn]

At least you know your sense of smell is still working fine.   What brand guitar?   Many here seem to like the smell of a new Gibson acoustic.   Cases sometimes can have overpowering  chemical smells.  I think California has banned those though. 

[Rabs]

Smoke several hundred cigarettes around it and spill a pint of beer or two over it and it will smell like a vintage model   😄

[Sgt. Pepper]

If its that new Dove you got that is the lovely smell of probably Nitrocellulose Lacquer.  Its vile stuff.

Nitrocellulose lacquer also takes pigments and dyes very well, and it can be sanded and polished to a mirror finish. ... In addition, the chemicals in the lacquer are hazardous to health and the environment, and – since it's highly flammable – it's dangerous to store nitrocellulose lacquer in large quantities.

Most health hazards stemming from VOCs are the result of inhaling the lacquer fumes. These fumes can cause difficulty breathing, kidney failure, nervous system damage and loss of vision. These lacquers generally remain toxic for up to a month after drying.

Edited August 13, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper

[merciful-evans]

 

The leaving it outdoors idea is good. Obviously not in direct sunlight or any extreme conditions. 

I suggest cleaning it carefully too. 

 

I had this problem with an old (electric) guitar I bought on ebay. It reeked. I disassembled it, scrubbed it, scoured it. I used soap, all sorts of commercial cleansers and also vinegar. I did all this for an entire year. Finally, leaving it out in the garden for a few hours a day did the trick.