Preserving that new guitar smell - or not?

[Lillis]

I enjoy the aroma of most of my guitars but I don’t go out of my way to preserve it. I typically keep two six strings out on stands (in random order) and I keep my twelve string out at all times. I’ll have to smell the twelve string and see if I’ve caused irreparable damage to the scent.

[blindboyjimi]

I can’t say I’ve ever smelled a guitar. My wife’s perfume or cooking, yes, a guitar, nope.

[The Bard Rocks]

Originally Posted by JKA

Without wishing to cause offence but...you've got to be kidding? Did you buy your guitar to smell? Did you buy it to just to be able to say you own such and such a guitar? Did you buy it to play? If so then play it...stop smelling it.

Some weird stuff on this forum!

You are missing out. Guitars provide a tactile and an auditory sense. Of course. And also visual for most of us. Getting one with a smell you can take pleasure in adds yet another way to enjoy them. Since a small child, I've always enjoyed the smell of wood and when I buy a guitar, that is one of many things I consider.

But I don't know anyone who tastes their guitars. Now, that would be weird.

[The Bard Rocks]

Now to the original question before I got sidetracked. Some smells last longer than others. But all tend to slacken with age. And, often, also with exposure to sunlight. Which leads to the question of how much sunlight your practice area receives.

Another possibility is to find a case that is very easy to open. My Visenut case has only 3 latches and I tend to open it a bit more often than my Hiscox which has 6. (Hiscox latches are very easy to open and shut.) And that guitar is used more than another which has 5 conventional latches and is stored in my closet, rather than in the overflow area put in the room. I agree, a stand is the best.

[boneuphtoner]

I’m with the OP on this one and I’m definitely a sound hole sniffer and I love the aromas. And I’m seemingly also in the minority in that I keep all of my guitars in their cases when I’m not using them and I don’t think the 30 seconds it takes me to open them and take them out is a barrier to practice in the least - but many people feel otherwise. If you want to have a guitar out, your idea of getting something inexpensive makes sense to me.

[BlueBowman]

Originally Posted by The Bard Rocks

But I don't know anyone who tastes their guitars. Now, that would be weird.

I prefer the taste of Honduran mahogany, but I keep hearing great things about Primavera!

The pleasant scent of some guitars is a welcome bonus for me. I have a couple that smell amazing. Spanish cedar, a favorite, is sweet and peppery. My Northwood has the strongest scent of all my guitars. It takes me to a great place mentally before even striking the first note!

[ii Cybershot ii]

After a long day of work I'm back to chime in and say thanks to everyone for the replies. It is quite amusing to see the range of responses! Each reply has been helpful in it's own way. I'm loving that there are quite a few soundhole sniffers like myself, but I also envy those of you who truly don't think about it and thusly are free from being attached to that aspect of guitars.

Maybe the wisest and cheapest course of action for me is to simply put a soundhole cover in one of my guitars (as recommended by @Rogerblair), leave the guitar out on a stand for a few weeks, and see if I actually do play it more. Maybe I will or maybe I won't? But it's an easier test than buying a whole new guitar

[TheGITM]

When guitars start coming with expiration dates, then I'll start sniffing them to make sure they're still good before I start playing.

Until then, my guitar aromas will remain unnoticed, and with that, obviously unappreciated.

[Murphy Slaw]

I play the snot out of mine. Hang them on a wall, take them to jam sessions, bars full of drunks, camping in the woods, country store jam circles, outdoor gigs in the summer, front porch, back deck, sometimes they ride in the back of the truck.

I guess I'm a no.

[abn556]

My wife says her 000-15m smells like an old person’s house. I smelled it and it just smells like wood to me. I guess I just don’t notice the smell of guitars as much as other people.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by ii Cybershot ii

Hi AGF!

Hi, Cybershot!

Originally Posted by ii Cybershot ii

With each of my acoustics, I have kept them as meticulous as possible,

Honest playwear is the sign of a guitar's life well lived. I love Guilds because, as their motto says, they're "Made to be played."

Originally Posted by ii Cybershot ii

and in their cases at all times.

Different strokes! If I had to retrieve a guitar from a case every time I wanted to play it, it wouldn't get played much.

Originally Posted by ii Cybershot ii

As such, they have all maintained the wonderful smell of that "new" guitar, both the wood and the case.

This smell is special to me and I love the experience of opening the case. Each guitar has a unique smell and it makes me think of all the good times I've had with it. My oldest guitar is a 2011 Taylor DN3 and it still smells wonderful.

This is some pretty hip aromatherapy! I like it!

Originally Posted by ii Cybershot ii

However, as my human age has increased, the simple 30 seconds it takes to pull a guitar out of its case has proven to be a barrier to my playing. I miss my teenage years where my guitar was always on a stand in my room and I would pick it up without even thinking about it.

As such, I am both excited, and worried, about the idea of keeping my guitars out in the open on stands. And I am looking for some online "guitar therapy". My first thought is to buy a guitar that I purposely "don't care about" the smell of, and from the beginning just keep it out on the stand. But this seems silly given that I have 4 nice acoustics that deserve to be played.

Silly? This from a guit sniffer? I think it's a good solution.

Originally Posted by ii Cybershot ii

Questions:

What wisdom might you have that you could impart to me about this?

If you want wisdom, I'm not your guy. But I agree that you need a player, something that can sit on the stand when it's not sitting in your lap. Have you tried any USA Guilds? Buying a used one would be a scents-less act.

Originally Posted by ii Cybershot ii

Have you struggled with anything similar?

I've struggled with the opposite. Cats hanging out in my case. Mildew propagating in my case. My struggles have been with getting rid of smells.

Originally Posted by ii Cybershot ii

Should I just let go of my obsession of the smells of the wood and case?

It's an interesting obsession, but it seems perfectly harmless. Again, your idea of getting a player is great. How about a used guitar? No chance of new-guitar smell there.

Originally Posted by ii Cybershot ii

If I rotated my guitars, for example, 1 week out on a stand, then 3 weeks in the case, etc. Do you think this would be enough to preserve the smell?

The smell will weaken over time no matter what you do, but it will never go away completely. The less time they spend out of the case, the longer the smell will linger.

Originally Posted by ii Cybershot ii

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts, and thank you for indulging my crazy obsession.

You're welcome! Let us know what you decide to do.

[dnf777]

Maybe Yankee Candle will develop a “new guitar” scented candle?

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by boneuphtoner

I’m with the OP on this one and I’m definitely a sound hole sniffer and I love the aromas. And I’m seemingly also in the minority in that I keep all of my guitars in their cases when I’m not using them and I don’t think the 30 seconds it takes me to open them and take them out is a barrier to practice in the least - but many people feel otherwise. If you want to have a guitar out, your idea of getting something inexpensive makes sense to me.

AFG needs a sniffer forum where you can compare the bouquets of various woods, brands, and (of course!) cases, e.g. a spicy walnut edge, with notes of ash, rosin, and orange crates, boasting a clean, sawdusty finish.

[abn556]

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

AFG needs a sniffer forum where you can compare the bouquets of various woods, brands, and (of course!) cases, e.g. a spicy walnut edge, with notes of ash, rosin, and orange crates, boasting a clean, sawdusty finish.

Don’t forget the lovely aroma of the case glue.

[Rosette]

Originally Posted by boneuphtoner

I’m seemingly also in the minority in that I keep all of my guitars in their cases when I’m not using them and I don’t think the 30 seconds it takes me to open them and take them out is a barrier to practice in the least

Yeah a lot of people's experience seems to be that keeping them in the cases means they get played less often, but for me it's an extra 5 seconds max to pull one out of a case. The ones I leave permanently on stands in a couple of rooms aren't played as often as the ones I keep cased.