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hey guys, i need some advice. I bought a 2002 Les Paul classic from hendrix red house guitars for $1500.
Prior to purchase, I explicitly asked if it had any cigarette, cologne or other odors. They replied, "NO".
Unfortunately, they lied. I've tried naptha, guitar polish and nothing seems to remove the odor. It's embedded in the lacquer or wood.
The seller denies that it's there. I'm trying to decide if:
- I should wait (some folks have told me it'll dissipate in 6 months)
- should i dispute the transaction with paypal
- dump it for a loss, disclosing the issue. thinking of knocking off $150ish
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06-18-2026 08:35 AM
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Long shot but I remember after cleaning fish we would wash our hands with a liberal amount of lemon oil to neutralize the smell. Of course it didn't stay on our hands as long as the cologne but maybe worth a shot.
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I brought a mildewy smelling (vintage) guitar to Gryphon Stringed Instruments in the hopes of removing the smell. I didn't hold out for any miracles, but they succeeded. They used 409. At least, if memory serves. You may want to give Gryphon's repair department to confirm. Whatever the product was, it wasn't one specifically designed for guitars. I balked at their solution, but I figured Gryphon knows what they are doing, so I gave them the go ahead. I would think the smell of mildew is more intractable than the smell of cologne.
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Just based on your history of guitar turnover I'm inclined to suggest "sell", avoid further frustration and dispute, and look for something that's less of a project. You're probably not going to keep it for all that long anyway, so why prolong the annoyance? But if it's a really special one that you're motivated to keep, maybe not? Hard to say for sure.
FWIW, the Les Paul I bought about two years ago ('50 Tribute with P90s) had a noticeable tobacco smell. It wasn't bad enough to make me want to dump the guitar (couldn't really smell it from a distance), but eventually (IIRC, after maybe two months) I decided to try to do something about the smell. I did two rounds of Virtuoso cleaner, then a round of Virtuoso polish, and that got rid of most of it. At some point (again, don't exactly remember when, but not too long after), the smell went away entirely. Mine is a goldtop with what Gibson called "vintage gloss" nitro. This is a thin layer of clear coat somewhat glossier than "satin", but not a thick buffed full gloss, intended to give a quasi old/relic'ed vibe, so quite a different finish from a Classic. This makes it hard to say how applicable this is to your guitar, but it's a data point somewhere along the line to "smell goes away with some effort and some time."
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wow must be a lot..cologne doesn't even last on me half a day
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I could wait for cologne, not for cigarette smoke or smelling like cat pee or something like that.
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I'm guessing you have a poly finish, not a nitro one.
Originally Posted by joe2758
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personally, id take the hit and sell it. tough pill to swallow i know...
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I am sensitive to smells on guitars and I have found that air freshener smell is a particularly tough one to get out (and it smells like cologne). IME, the case needs to be swapped as the smell get into the case lining and cannot be removed. On a solid body, the nitro can be cleaned and polished and in time, odors will go away. It is tougher on a hollow body as the odor gets into the unfinished interior wood. I have found that if you can get the smell down to a barely noticeable level, it will eventually go away or at least stop being a concern.
There are a lot of solutions advised for this problem on the web. Some guys claim Cedar or Baking soda can fix it (apparently you put that stuff in a plastic bag with the guitar for a few weeks and the problem goes away (I have never tried it). Other cats say the only solution is an ozone generator (which are illegal in California BTW). It is my understanding that professional remediation companies use ozone generators to fix buildings that have bad odors caused by things like floods and fire.
I have sold a few guitars with odors that bothered me. I sell them locally and I have found that it bothers some and it is of no bother to others.
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I love gear that smells like cigarettes. Unfortunately that has become a thing of the past mostly.
I been spraying cologne in my case cause my 335 was starting to smell like a sweaty guy had been gigging it too much (I have).
Put it out in the sun on a few bright days, that will usually take care of it.
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Jack, I have an ES 330 with the same issue and the odor has dissipated considerably over time. There’s just a trace left.
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It might be helpful to put a ventilated bag of activated charcoal near the guitar for a few weeks. Maybe in the case too.
The activated charcoal must be in a bag, not loose. If loose, it can make a mess and be impossible to clean up and it's abrasive. So, you're treating fumes, but, supposedly, it can help.
It's possible there are other precautions you need to take. I've never done this and don't claim any expertise. Or try something else.
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I once bought a '34 Super 400 from the original owner that smelled like it spent it's entire life in a bottle of Old Spice.
The whole room that I kept it in smelled like old man cologne as soon as I opened the door.
I tried almost everything, UV rays, coffee grounds in plastic bags on a plate in the case. I've successfully removed ciggy smoke form guitars/cases using these methods but nothing worked on the heavy cologne.
Fortunately, a friend didn't mind as much as I did and he wound up w it.
If I had to do it over again I'd try prolonged UV as it's probably the most effective along w an ozone generator but you'd run the risk of the finish fading too.
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Isopropyl alcohol might help. I might try the 50% bottles, perhaps diluted further with water to start. Cologne is generally carried in some type of alcohol, and ISTM that would be a place to start. I don't think it would affect nitro, but I make no guarantees.
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Never put isopropyl alcohol on a lacquered finish no matter what strength.
At best it'll cloud the finish, at worst it'll ruin it.
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Odor issue aside, nice looking LP!
Last edited by Woody Sound; 06-19-2026 at 07:15 PM.
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I like the suggestion of putting it in a big trash bag with a box of baking soda. Hanging it for a couple of weeks sealed up like that should do the trick.
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It's listed in the for sale forum, so.....
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This is so wild. I have only purchased one used archtop in my life, I literally had no idea it was possible to be so strong and lasting.
I guess my first thought would be "what are they trying to cover up."
Anyway, best of luck to you..seems like a bummer
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It would be funny if he could identify the cologne like "this smells heavily of Burberry London, which I find nice in Fall and early winter, but cloying in the warmer months" Originally Posted by wintermoon
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It’s no longer your father’s Murphy’s Law. The former is now called “NOS” and adds about 15% to market value. The latter is known as “road worn” and brings at least a 50% premium. I believe the currently correct verb is “relic”, not ruin Originally Posted by wintermoon
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How about my father's Murphy's oil soap? Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
It’s no longer your father’s Murphy’s Law. The former is now called “NOS” and adds about 15% to market value. The latter is known as “road worn” and brings at least a 50% premium. I believe the currently correct verb is “relic”, not ruin
Well, you don't want that stuff on your guitar either unless you're going for the latter.
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If it were Les Paul's own cologne (or even better, Mary's perfume), it would probably command a premium.
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Who's to say it's not? LP was very particular about everything. Here's a rare studio shot from my collection... Originally Posted by Woody Sound
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I’m guessing it smells like Teen Spirit. Originally Posted by joe2758
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