Ozone generator to eliminate musty smell

[stringmann]

I found a ten plus year old thread on this which is referenced below. I have noticed.I must smell in a 60-year-old arch.Top?
For some time and i'm looking for a solution. I love the guitar so it is never in the case always understand. My other guitars don't have this smell nor do any cases. Nor does my music room, So i'm inclined to think as discussed in the thread that it has to do with the inside of the guitar. The recommendation in the thread is to put it in a closet for 2 hours with an ozone generator pointed at 1 of the F.Holes. I'm planning on trying this unless There are reasons not to or newer information that should be considered. Thanks in advance for any help.

Musty smell in a vintage instrument

[stringmann]

Sorry I didn't proof read My voice to text above. It should say musty smell and always on the guitar stand....

[58flame]

I've done it in my car to get rid of smoke smell. Couple hours works. No need to point it at it.

[skiboyny]

It really depends! It will at least help. Ozone has a strong oder of its own. I fought a musty smell in a l5 tried many methods. It was a combination of them that worked. I had pickup holes to work with that helps. Give it a try it will reduce it at the least.

[bebopblues]

I never tried ozone but for one flat top guitar I had good luck with activated charcoal pouches, which I left in the case with the guitar over a period of weeks until the smell abated. If there's room in the case you can arrange them so they are not touching the instrument. You can "recharge" the pouches by leaving them in sunlight for several hours. Various brands on Amazon for pretty cheap. The one I used was called "CLEVAST 14 Pack Activated Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifying Bags., Natural Fresh Odor Absorber, Deodorizer and Moisture Eliminator, Air Purifier for Home, Closet, Shoe, Car Air freshener."

[Mick-7]

I found a ten plus year old thread on this which is referenced below. I have noticed.I must smell in a 60-year-old arch.Top?
For some time and i'm looking for a solution. I love the guitar so it is never in the case always understand. My other guitars don't have this smell nor do any cases. Nor does my music room, So i'm inclined to think as discussed in the thread that it has to do with the inside of the guitar. The recommendation in the thread is to put it in a closet for 2 hours with an ozone generator pointed at 1 of the F.Holes. I'm planning on trying this unless There are reasons not to or newer information that should be considered. Thanks in advance for any help.

Musty smell in a vintage instrument

Can't say, they've been banned here in CA for about 15 years now:

"California was the first state to step up to defend consumers from false marketing claims that ozone generators are safe, effective air purifiers. In reality, ozone is a lung irritant, especially harmful to allergy and asthma sufferers. In 2009, California became the first state in the nation to ban ozone generators."

I'd suggest you diagnose the cause of your problem before attempting to treat the symptom. If mold inside the guitar is producing the odor, you need to clean it out, the ozone generator will only eliminate the smell temporarily, it won't kill any mold spores present. Of course, cleaning the inside of your guitar will be a real chore, you'll have to remove the pickups, etc. - bebopblues' suggestion sounds like an inexpensive thing to try first.

[wintermoon]

I just want to say one word to you Benjamin, plastics.
But in this case it's sunlight.
Sunlight will kill the mold and the smell. Good ole UV rays, and they're free.

[Mick-7]

I just want to say one word to you Benjamin, plastics.

But in this case it's sunlight. Sunlight will kill the mold and the smell. Good ole UV rays, and they're free.

Nice segue, from a movie actor quote to a reality star (Donald Trump) quote.... but how, pray tell, do you get the light inside the body?

[GuitarHack]

Ozone Generators also degrade silicone and and plastic seals plus you don't want to be present when it's running (from what I understand) so I would balance leaky windows vs an okay smelling guitar. This would be a no-go for me. The sunlight idea actually sounds pretty good. Basically anything but ozone would be my pick.

[sgosnell]

I've used a UV light to help with a smelly case, which helped a little. I didn't leave it all that long, though. Sunlight is effective, but has a very broad spectrum of light frequencies, from low IR through UV. The heat from the infra-red can damage a guitar, depending on how hot it gets. Down here on the south coast in summer, with air temps near or above 100, it can be problematic to leave a guitar out in the sun for more than a few minutes. UV lights are relatively cheap, and don't raise the temperature so much. Some are small enough to be inserted through the f holes, or just placed on top of them.

[Woody Sound]

I never tried ozone but for one flat top guitar I had good luck with activated charcoal pouches, which I left in the case with the guitar over a period of weeks until the smell abated. If there's room in the case you can arrange them so they are not touching the instrument. You can "recharge" the pouches by leaving them in sunlight for several hours. Various brands on Amazon for pretty cheap. The one I used was called "CLEVAST 14 Pack Activated Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifying Bags., Natural Fresh Odor Absorber, Deodorizer and Moisture Eliminator, Air Purifier for Home, Closet, Shoe, Car Air freshener."

Yes, Japanese Bamboo Charcoal. There are dozens of brands and sizes available.

Japanese charcoal pouches reviews - Google Search

[Eywoma]

I tried the ozone cleaning process on a vintage amp that had a strong, stale smell from long-term storage. Left it in a sealed room with the generator running for a few hours, and the smell was seriously reduced after just one session. I did unplug everything and made sure nothing was running hot beforehand, just to be safe. Might need a couple of rounds depending on how funky the smell is.