Damp year

[Brad Little]

With over a month to go, Connecticut is within an inch or so of its record precipitation for a year. I can attest to it being wetter than in recent years. When my daughter was born 18 years ago, my music room became her room and my guitars and other musical things got moved to a semi finished basement. This year, some of the cases developed mold, something that hadn't happened in any of the previous 18 years. It even invaded my Mark V's case and there was a little mold on the guitar itself today. I cleaned it up with the Meguiars set that Fender used to sell, let's see if it comes back. Cleaned the cases with another Meguiars product, meant for leather and vinyl seats.
Brad

 

[Scratch]

Big believer in those Meguiars products. I was ready to trade the pickup a few days ago, then give it the semiannual Meguiars wax job it needed. I now have a new truck again.

PS: Please direct some of that rain to Texas, Brad...

 

[silverfox103]

Sounds like you may need a dehumidifier Brad.

Tom

 

[AlohaJoe]

I was ready to trade the pickup a few days ago, then give it the semiannual Meguiars wax job it needed. I now have a new truck again.

I love that feeling... and just think of all the money you saved! :lol:

 

[Brad Little]

Sounds like you may need a dehumidifier Brad.

Tom

Yeah, I run one in the summer, never needed one from September on before.
Brad

 

[Christopher Cozad]

That is really curious, Brad.

Mold is insidious and, apart from the obvious downside to the odor, there are health ramifications. My oldest guitars spent their early years in the beautiful Pacific Northwest (my residence for my first 22 years). While it is rumored to be really wet there (he he) I never heard about a humidifier, de-humidifier, or guitar mold while I lived there. In fact, the closest thing to mold I ever experienced was moss, and I never found any of that on my guitar (I *did* own a Mossman in those days - but that is a different story).

Have you ever dealt with mold on your cases or guitars before? Once discovered, what is the remedy? I assume you set out to kill it. It doesn't like dry conditions (though it can remain dormant for a time before reviving), yet you don't want to "dry out" your guitar(s). Not to add to the alarm, but, yikes! :shock:

Christopher

 

[Brad Little]

Have you ever dealt with mold on your cases or guitars before? Once discovered, what is the remedy? I assume you set out to kill it. It doesn't like dry conditions (though it can remain dormant for a time before reviving), yet you don't want to "dry out" your guitar(s). Not to add to the alarm, but, yikes! :shock:

Christopher

Never before, and they've been in the same location for 18 years. So far, I've only cleaned the cases with the Meguiar's Vinyl and Leather cleaner, the one guitar with the three products (Meguiars) in the Fender Instrument care kit (http://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender-Inst ... 1759512.gc). I'm considering bleach or some other disinfectant for the affected cases, but not sure what to use on the guitar.
Interestingly, I've got 14 cases in roughly the same location, but only two have developed any mold, and they are the two oldest, one is over 40, and the other around 38.
Brad