How do I get the cigarette smell out of my amp???

[Monsta-Tone]

I have a Rectoverb II combo that stinks like a dirty ashtray!
It makes my whole house smell terrible.

How do I get this stench out of the amp so that I can play it with pride?

It's really bad, probably the worst case I've ever seen!
I've had Vintage Fenders that only smelled half as bad!

 

[nwoforlif]

Hey Monsta-Tone

Believe it or not. You are probably smelling the nicotine stains on the tolex mostly. These stains will be on the steel chassis too and on all of the tubes. My dad is a heavy smoker and I hated cleaning his car as a kid. The windows would be caked with yellow nicotine stains and it had the ashtray smell to it. Windexing and vacuuming the car usually got rid of the smell. I'm not sure if you can wipe the stains off with Windex on tolex. I can bet that the cloth will either be brown or yellow when you finish wiping the tolex down. That is the nasty smell on your amp. I would usually go over his windows at least 3 times, they were that bad. Hope this helps.

NWOFORLIF

I have a Rectoverb II combo that stinks like a dirty ashtray!
It makes my whole house smell terrible.

How do I get this stench out of the amp so that I can play it with pride?

It's really bad, probably the worst case I've ever seen!
I've had Vintage Fenders that only smelled half as bad!

 

[R_ADKINS80]

Take the tubes out and wipe the headshell and chassis down with baby wipes. Those will remove just about any kind of stain you can think of with ease and not discolor or dry out the tolex like solvents will. I used them to clean up my mom's old car to sell and you would have never known it belonged to a smoker.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

Hey thanks man!

I figured as much.

I'll have to pick up some more Mguires wipes while I'm at the store today.
I'm just hoping that it's not all on the inside. :lol: Looks like a good place for a stick-up!

 

[MusicManJP6]

The strat copy guitar I bought on eBay from a pawn shop came with a case that was layered with dust from a heavy smoking environment. I had to clean it up with armor all wipes and the smell got on my fingers. It was gross! It doesn't smell anymore now. The nicotine ate through some of the covering on the case so it still looks faded in spots. The hardware is terribly corroded too as a result. It's a cool case coz it's tiny, but it looks like hell! Anyway, it should only be on the outside of the amp. Wear gloves!

 

[Sixstringpsycho]

Monsta, if baby wipes can clean up the damage my baby can do then it can fix this lol. no in all seriousness, I used to smoke and when i stopped I noticed that some of my older things smelled like an ashtray, I used baby wipes and easy scented cleaners to polish up most of my things, even an old amp. It should help alot just by wiping it down a few good times.

 

[MusicManJP6]

armor all wipes work well too. wear gloves! i cleaned a case off that had been sitting collecting dust in a smoker's home. My fingers smelled like an ashtray for two days!

 

[Robusto]

start smoking cigars while playing....

no more cigarette smell! :mrgreen:

 

[Don]

I'd scrub the tolex with soapy water and a soft bristle brush.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

start smoking cigars while playing....

no more cigarette smell! :mrgreen:

:lol: :lol: :lol:
Come to think of it, that's probably what the stink is to start with.


Adam, try the McGuire's wipes. I like them a lot more because the fluid dries a lot faster and it won't attract dust, which is a huge concern in New Mexico.

I wasn't sure if it would take this stench off though, and I'm out of them, so I couldn't just give it a try and see.


Thanks guys, I really appreciate the ideas. Looks like baby wipes are the 1st step since we have tons of those.

 

[Jacko123]

I had a client who had a fire restoration business. They place all the clothes and furniture in an air tight room and blast it full of ozone. I have no idea how it works. Here's an ozone generator: http://www.air-purifiers-superstore.com/3500_mg_hr_ozone_generator_residential_timer.html

If the wipes don't work, go see one of these companies. They'll probably let you put your amp with the other smokey stinky things when they run that machine. It'll get all of the smell out of it. I think car detailing companies have some of these ozone machines they can run in cars to get the stink out too. They might be able to help, ie. put it in one of the cars they're destinkifying.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

That's not a bad idea Jacko!
I have a friend who has a detail shop. I'll have him try this if the wipes don't work.

Thanks!

 

[MrMarkIII]

Febreze. Wipe in on like Armour-All.

 

[coppa]

about the ozone

sounds like trying to achieve the effect of leaving something outside to air out

 

[Don]

Febreze. Wipe in on like Armour-All.

I'm not sure what I dislike more- old cigarette smoke smell or Febreze!

 

[Monsta-Tone]

Febreze. Wipe in on like Armour-All.

I'm not sure what I dislike more- old cigarette smoke smell or Febreze!

:lol:

I'm gonna give the baby wipes a try this morning and see what happens.

 

[Jacko123]

I'm not sure what I dislike more- old cigarette smoke smell or Febreze!

Gooood point. I'll give the nod to the Febreeze but not by much.

 

[MusicManJP6]

I'm not sure what I dislike more- old cigarette smoke smell or Febreze!

Gooood point. I'll give the nod to the Febreeze but not by much.

Haha - OK I thought it was just me!