Strange Dark Mold on Binding

[taabru45]

....also try ammonia, but not with bleach....

 

[Yoko Oh No]

clean w/ soap and water...then with ammonia....then....expose the area to bright sunlight for several hours....repeat for several days......

 

[taabru45]

Hope you find the solution soon, hate the thought of having to burn it off... :shock: :shock: or burn the guitar to try to rid the world of an alien invasion......yikes...! Steffan

 

[adorshki]

The bleach was a disappointment though. Maybe it needs several applications, like someone said.
But it's spreading - not retreating.

I can think of a couple of possible reasons:
1) It might be trying to migrate away from where the bleach has been applied, and the original site DOES still need multiple appplications. "Dwell Time" or how long the bleach is in contact with the binding may be an issue as well. THAT might also be problematic since the bleach might be evaporating before it can effectively get to deeper-lying spores/mold. Bleach breaks down to salt and water vapor. We know salt's not particularly too good for NCL, and trying to "soak" the binding to get a good "dwell time" could have adverse effects on nearby finished areas.
2)The bleach might actually have rendered the NCL more "edible" to this mold, or made it more porous and thus easier for the mold to "infect".
3) I'm starting to think in an entirely different direction..like athelete's foot remedies. I know it sounds crazy, but at this point you may have nothng to lose, right?.
4) Unfortunately I have a feeling you're gonna wind up needing to replace the binding on that puppy.

 

[marcellis]

The bleach was a disappointment though. Maybe it needs several applications, like someone said.
But it's spreading - not retreating.

I can think of a couple of possible reasons:
1) It might be trying to migrate away from where the bleach has been applied, and the original site DOES still need multiple appplications. "Dwell Time" or how long the bleach is in contact with the binding may be an issue as well. THAT might also be problematic since the bleach might be evaporating before it can effectively get to deeper-lying spores/mold. Bleach breaks down to salt and water vapor. We know salt's not particularly too good for NCL, and trying to "soak" the binding to get a good "dwell time" could have adverse effects on nearby finished areas.
2)The bleach might actually have rendered the NCL more "edible" to this mold, or made it more porous and thus easier for the mold to "infect".
3) I'm starting to think in an entirely different direction..like athelete's foot remedies. I know it sounds crazy, but at this point you may have nothng to lose, right?.
4) Unfortunately I have a feeling you're gonna wind up needing to replace the binding on that puppy.

No way I'm going to change the binding. The D60 has those pin-stripes on the binding.

For the record this fungus requires scraping - not rubbing. It doesn't rub off.
Someone said it's down deep. Maybe so.

I'll keep y'all posted.

 

[taabru45]

You might actually talk to a dermatologist who works with lasers, they should be able to kill and penetrate the plastic without necessarily damaging it....I sometimes like a challenge, but this is insane....Steffan

 

[geoguy]

Jeez, spooky stuff. Maybe send it to live awhile at some place that has really low humidity, & have the mold hit with bleach while it is there.

And for cripes sake, keep that instrument away from any other guitars!

 

[adorshki]

No way I'm going to change the binding. The D60 has those 3 pin-stripes on the binding.

I'm sympathetic, I wouldn't want to have to do it to one of my guitars. Still, I'd start looking for correct repalcement material, just in case.

For the record this fungus requires scraping - not rubbing. It doesn't rub off.
Someone said it's down deep. Maybe so.

I'd say it's better than a 99% probability given the nature of fungii. Just like a mushroom, there's a form of "root system", the mycelium. I'm positive that's what's permeating the NCL and enabling the spreading of the condition. The visible mold spots are actually the fungi's "flowering structure" and produce the spores which are a fungi's "seeds". So it spreads by dispersal as well as permeation by the mycelium.
You probably need to combat both conditions, but I suspect the mycelium isn't getting killed off by the bleach because it's too deep into the binding. As you said, it's spreading. it's probably migrating away from where the bleach has been appplied. Since the binding is porous on the mold's size scale, I can't see how it can be stopped.

 

[marcellis]

The idea of laser & a dermatologist is really cool. I like that a lot.

Can you imagine me walking into the clinic with the guitar?

They might think I was there to serenade them. When I told them what I wanted,
they might tell me I was in the wrong shop. But I like it.
That's something that might actually work - a laser.

Since I live in SE Asia, I have access to really good luthiers who don't cost a lot.
If I needed to replace the binding, I could get it replaced w/fantastic material
much better than the original. Buffalo bone, Maple, Ebony, Rosewood, you name it.
I could get it. But the guitar is original right now. If there's one thing I've learned
hanging around LTG, is - it's best to keep it stock.

I could even get the 4 pin stripes painted on correctly.

 

[adorshki]

That's something that might actually work - a laser.

I'd be REALLY surprised if it could. The medical lasers are specially constructed for the correct wavelengths and power levels to deal with human skin. But hey it couldn't hurt to ask, maybe see if they'd test a piece of NCL plastic to see what, if any, damage occurs..
THE other potential, wild as it may seem, might be one of the ointment style antifungal medicines, like athelete's foot cream. I'm thinkng if you apply it,and just leave it on, it may not evaporate as quickly as bleach and so would be more likely to permeate the binding to really get at the "roots". I'm talking like 24 hour "dwell time". Heck, even 3 days if it doesn't dry out!

But the guitar is original right now. If there's one thing I've learned
hanging around LTG, is - it's best to keep it stock.

Oh, 100% agreement. It'd only be a last resort, and since you've mentioned the quality of materials and workmanship out there before, I figured it might be the best place to have it done anyway, if it comes down to that..

 

[12stringer]

I had an issue with mold inside a guitar and I sprinkled Boric Acid powder inside and sealed her up ...got rid of the mold smell....maybe try some boric acid powder on the binding and tape over it (masking tape) for a few days...couldn't hurt and boric acid does kill mold (it's the main ingredient of borax soap).
Hope this can help.

 

[RussD]

Just found this thread and I want to play, too! I used to dive daily in the Caribbean for a few years and have had mold colonies grow on plastic; UV lights were our long-term solution.

A UV-lamp might be non-invasive solution for a guitar. Not particularly expensive, and can be put to good use warding off bacteria in lots of places-closets, air conditioners, etc.

Best of luck!

 

[Ravon]

Since bleach didn't work maybe its not a mold or fungus. Looks suspiciously like the black binding next to it. Could the black be bleeding into the white or some black dye was in the white all along and is manifesting itself now. Just a thought :?

 

[Ravon]

Just found this thread and I want to play, too! I used to dive daily in the Caribbean for a few years and have had mold colonies grow on plastic; UV lights were our long-term solution.

A UV-lamp might be non-invasive solution for a guitar. Not particularly expensive, and can be put to good use warding off bacteria in lots of places-closets, air conditioners, etc.

Best of luck!

I'd go with the UV light then since RussD had a similar problem and solution

 

[marcellis]

There are some really good ideas here.

Wow! The fungal cream is one I'd never thought of. And UV light is a brilliant idea.
Boric Acid? There's no mold smell involved here. It's just the binding. But it's worth
a try too. I have a lot of potential solutions here.

It's still at the luthier's. I'll keep y'all posted.

For the record, when I dropped it off. Here's what it looked like.

 

[taabru45]

See if your luthier can put the scrapings in s mini plastic baggie, and find a research lab, I know some universities love to research this stuff, to identify this sh*t and maybe suggest a solution...Steffan

 

[adorshki]

Just found this thread and I want to play, too! I used to dive daily in the Caribbean for a few years and have had mold colonies grow on plastic; UV lights were our long-term solution.

I'm thinking that part of the problem is that we've deduced that this binding is probably nitrocellulose based plastic which is a different animal from the modern petrochemical based plastics. I'm suspecting that there's a porosity to the NCL which allows the fungus to permeate it, as well as it being a good source of "food" for this type of mold. I don't think the same is true of the kind of plastics you were treating with UV, I suspect the mold was pretty much confined to the surface and therefore was completely exposed to the UV.
But I could be dead wrong.
[/quote]

 

[adorshki]

to identify this sh*t

Slight veer: I just noticed on another forum (was doing some nutrition research) that the proper spelling is "isht" . Imagine my surprise after all the years. :lol:

 

[taabru45]

to identify this sh*t

Slight veer: I just noticed on another forum (was doing some nutrition research) that the proper spelling is "isht" . Imagine my surprise after all the years. :lol:

Sometimes found on an apple? :roll: Steffan

.....and now back to our story.....

 

[Brad Little]

then seal it with nail sealer.

One of the luthiers I use regularly uses super glue for this sort of thing.
Brad