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I have a problem - I can't pass up an interesting project, even when my bench is already full. I think the OM is the most versatile acoustic body/scale length combo. Easily fits under your arm, and with the longer 25.4" scale length, has the projection and power that I like.

So when a mid-'90s Martin 000-1 popped up for a deal, I couldn't pass it up. They gave this guitar a 000 designation, but with the long 25.4' scale, its by all measure an OM. These were only made for a few years - solid spruce top, solid mahogany back, mahogany laminate sides, tortoise binding, rosewood bridge and fingerboard. A-frame bracing being the primary difference from a standard 000-18.

Covered with stickers, and wreaking of smoke, this is not a show piece. It's a players guitar, through and through. Clearly there are a few layers to peel back to see what I've really got...

There's an old saying "don't pick that scab"

Any great approaches to removing SMOKE smell from inside an acoustic?

The smoke smell would be a deal breaker for me just like a used car or buying a house that had been owned by a smoker. Maybe stripping and refinishing will kill it, you'll probably have to do that anyway to get the stickers off.

While you are at it this is probably a good time to check the neck angle and fix it if its bad (I think the X-1's are Martin's A frame M&T joints) and if its been played that hard I'm going to guess it needs frets. Post some pictures when its done.

Baking soda in the case might work? plus just airing it out might help to eliminate some of it.

In extreme cases I've wiped them down with a very light amount of vinegar a couple of times, while leaving it near a window and it helped quite a bit.

Great news is that the previous owner didn't change strings very often, and the bridge plate is in really good shape.

Pickup popped right off - I love removing pickups from acoustics - set them free! I try to remove 2 for every one I install

Dan, fortunately it didn't come with a case - smoky, stinky or otherwise. Seems the smoke never comes out of those, and I would have spent weeks trying to freshen it up.

I just have to deal with the instrument...

May want to give this a try- Sanabul Boxing Glove and Sports Deodorizer (Cedar) or Meister. These have a very powerful sent and would fit through the sound hole. It totally eliminates the smell of any sporting equipment (boxing gloves, hockey bag.)

How about Fabreze? It seems to work on other bad smells.

I bet you get rid of the stickers and the smell is half gone. Soaking the stickers in lighter fluid works great!

Most of the stickers peeled off with ease. I tried warming some slightly with a hairdryer, but that seemed to weaken the sticker material causing more tearing.

I used naphtha to get any stubborn residue, and it cleaned up pretty well.

The top has some interesting bear claw figure. There are, of course some cracks in the back, and one in the top that will bee to be glued and cleated - easy.

This guitar has had a lot of hours of play over the last 20+ years. Some pick wear "mojo" around the sound hole.

Give it a good scrub down with lots of paper towels and toothbrushes soaked w/mineral spirits (dissolves the tars and other condensed smoke components) everywhere you can reach inside and out. I've had the best luck with using lots of activated charcoal granules (aquarium supplies section of your local box store) inside the body in open containers to get rid of smells...try a decomposing field mouse for a tough smell to deal with Baking soda will work but not as well as the activated charcoal granules. Covering it up with other smells won't do much either.

Check, naptha/lighter fluid should get the stickers off.

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Ozium should take care of the smoke smell...might take a few treatments.

Any concern about Ozium around lacquer?

Looks like not so good of an idea around lacquer...sorry!

I may try to apply it to a carrier—sponge/paper towel—and place it inside the body on a secure surface (like I do wet sponges for heavy humidification) - we'll see if it will combat some of the odor.

I'll be sure to keep it away from lacquered surfaces.

Very nicely done Daniel!

Thanks everyone.

I ended up using Ozium - sprayed onto a folded paper towel, suspended inside the body, hanging from the strings so that it wouldn't touch the wood. Laid the guitar on it's back, and draped a towel over the sound hole to keep the Ozium fumes in. Smells like its working pretty well to neutralize the previous smoke smell. I'm doing a second overnight treatment, and we'll see whats left of the old smoker.

I do not know if Ozium fumes would effect lacquer, so I'm not yet ready to recommend this for use on a nice guitar. But I was willing to take a risk with one. I did not spray it anywhere near the instrument - only onto a paper towel that I hung inside the instrument.

This is the stuff:
https://www.amazon.com/Ozium-Air-Saniti ... B000CSWCAG

New saddle, fret level/dress (frets are getting pretty low, so I'll refret as soon as I figure out the correct wire to use), dialed in the setup, and it's sounding really good.

Glad to hear it's working for you.
We had to use "bombs" of the stuff 3 times over a couple of weeks when the O2 rental company delivered an O2 concentrator that reeked of cigarette smoke. Fortunately, it was not the one I use around the house, but one I used to supply O2 to a compressor to fill tanks.
How someone can have COPD, continue smoking while using oxygen is beyond me.

Nice Daniel, looks loads better.

Hans, I'm with you but I have an aunt with COPD that just can't seem to give up the cigerettes - beats me.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

How did the Ozium work out?

I'll admit I was very skeptical about the Ozium - blown away with the results.

Ozium was only a couple bucks in town, so it was worth a shot. I did the treatment over three nights - each evening spraying the folded paper towel with a 1 second shot of Ozium (not much) and hanging it on the strings with the guitar laying gently on its back. Covered with a cloth to keep the Ozium fumes inside. Opening up each morning to air out for the day.

Converting a guitar humidifier to deliver the Ozium could be a great option too - something like the Planet Waves that hangs between the strings.

The smoke smell is not entirely gone, but it is so much better—Reduced by 70-80% maybe. Still a faint smell of Ozium, which is its own thing.
The outside is getting much better too - for that I've been using Naphtha, oil soap, and Preservation Polish.

Daniel thanks for reporting that the Ozium works.

I used to buy it and use it when I was a teenager to cover up a smell but I can't remember what it was..... Man I'm hungry all of s sudden....