Hello All! So, I am the (proud?) owner of a mid-60's highly molested Oyster Blue Pearl Ludwig kit (13, 16, 20). Serial numbers are very close, so I'm pretty confident they were all together from the factory. The good news is that the wrap is in very decent shape and the shells are relatively round, the better news is that I got it for a song, the best news is that it came with a 6.5" pre-serial b/o badge supra as a throw-in! (I didn't know about the supra when I originally set out to go see the kit). It can't all be good news, so here's the bad news... it stinks! The kit was obviously stored in a damp basement for many years and the insides of the shells smell like an old musty dungeon! What can I do to fix this??? Help! I was going to pass on them for this reason, but then the price kept dropping, and then the supra came out! I couldn't refuse. Anyway, my other vintage Ludwigs have always sounded funky, but this kit just smells funky DOH. Any advice???
My New Old Ludwigs Smell Funky!
A good cleaning is in order.
Strip it down, soak all the hardware in any good metal cleaner, buff off and oil threads.
Wash the shells off with a mild dishwashing solution, to get surface dirt off, wipe dry.
In a gallon of water add a cup of white vinegar and a quarter cup of bleach. Do this outside, basement or garage. Use clean rags or sponges. Wash twice, rinse and wipe dry.
Most of the smell should be gone after they dry a few days. If not, repeat the washing. Sometimes that funky old basement smell can be stubborn.
Reassemble and enjoy.
Thanks JR, I'll definitely give it a try over the weekend. I left them out in the tool shed to air out in the meantime. Would you wash the wrap in that mixture as well, or just the insides of the shells? I'll definitely take some pics to show you guys once I can get close enough so I don't pass out from the smell. Violin
Wash it all down. Chances are there is mildew residue on the wrap as well.
Good luck with your cleaning. I hope the suggestion does the trick. Damn mildew can be a real pain in the ass to get rid of.
Thanks guys. I really hope I can get the stink out so I can enjoy these things. I also found a product a Home Depot today that apparently stops mould and it's supposed to neutalize the smell. It's apparently non-toxic and won;t discolor surfaces. I'll try JR's suggestions first and if I need to, I'll grab a bottle of this other stuff. They are so cool looking and I'm so excited to play them, but I guess nothing good comes easy. I'll definitely keep you all posted.
There's a product called "Ozium" that's a pretty good smell-killer. Also, a box of baking soda in there may help (on second thought--probably not. Sounds like the smell's too strong). Report back with results....marko
How are you making out with this?
i had a similiar problem with a kit i picked up. you know those baking soda boxes that are for your fridge to absorb the smell? i put one of those in each of the shells for about a week. it helped.
12, 13, 16, 22, 14 (supraphonic)
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