Insects in guitars (Full Version)

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Schieper -> Insects in guitars (Jun. 8 2020 22:43:27)

Hi all,

just a weird question; the other day I believe I saw a moth of some kind flying out of my guitar [I know; a bad sign. probably means I need to play more or close the window at night]. Is it possible a guitar gets wood worms, termites or whathever eating up the wood?

I understand this happens if I burry it in the garden; but under normal conditions?




Andy Culpepper -> RE: Insects in guitars (Jun. 9 2020 3:31:41)

Unlikely, unless the bugs or larva were somehow present in the wood when the guitar was buillt. Certainly possible for a moth to fly inside a guitar though and I could imagine a spider setting up shop in there if you left it out of the case for too long.
Interestingly, Cypress has antimicrobial, rot resistant, and insect repellent properties. Part of the reason why it was used for coffins, and the guitarreros would use offcuts to make guitars, so the story goes. Cedar also is known to repel moths. So a Cedar/Cypress flamenca would be best if you want a bug-free guitar [:)]




Stu -> RE: Insects in guitars (Jun. 9 2020 9:18:21)

crazy stuff! Never even thought about things like this. Interesting stuff guys. thanks.




JasonM -> RE: Insects in guitars (Jun. 9 2020 16:37:43)

It could be some sort of gitano omen!

I was thinking the same as Andy. Spanish cedar has got to be a natural bug killer! I know my lungs do not like it!




devilhand -> RE: Insects in guitars (Jun. 9 2020 16:46:52)

quote:

crazy stuff! Never even thought about things like this.

It's not crazy. When human beings finally accept that bugs and animals, whatever that is, can also have a passion? I'm pretty sure the bug was inspecting the bracing of his guitar to build an exact replica for their size. Ever heard of flamenco bug?




Tom Blackshear -> RE: Insects in guitars (Jun. 9 2020 18:55:25)

Funny......... but there are some things that can be detrimental to wood, like mold, which I saw inside a 1951 Barbero flamenco.

It appeared like someone had sprayed bleach inside to kill the mold, and possibly put a new top on it, as the top was mold free.

Nice job and the sound was very good but these things can happen.




Echi -> RE: Insects in guitars (Jun. 9 2020 19:37:52)

Yep. My ‘74 José L. Bellido had them.
I bought the guitar second hand many years ago. but I don’t know when and how the little insects entered the box of that guitar.
In fact they had a starter with the main transverse strut apparently made of larch wood (and saved the spruce top).
They left some sort of little galleries.
I spread a specific bug killer for a couple of times and then carefully filled the little holes in the strut.
Fortunally the transverse bar is structurally sound and I never had problems since.




Stu -> RE: Insects in guitars (Jun. 10 2020 0:51:28)

quote:

like mold, which I saw inside a 1951 Barbero flamenco.


Jeez. Urgh. I was always slightly unsettled by a news item of a bagpipe player dying with respiratory issues due to mold growth that had developed inside his bags and he'd been inhaling the spores over many years.

quote:

Ever heard of flamenco bug?


Haha. Very clever!




Schieper -> RE: Insects in guitars (Jun. 10 2020 8:11:35)

Thanks for all the replies.

Nothing to worrying then.

and another great reason to avoid negra's ;-)

I spoke to a Luthier in Hamburg who could not make flamenco's anymore cause he just could not cope with the sawdust and all that time I was just thinking that was a polite way to tell me to piss off :-)




beno -> RE: Insects in guitars (Jun. 11 2020 15:36:22)

I had bark beetle in my cypress flamenca! I had them in the fretboard, and even in one side. I paniced immediatelly....but a local luthier solved it shortly. He introduced me JOBECK, a special liquid that he used during expensive furniture-restauration. It was very effective, and had all natural ingredients.




Flamingrae -> RE: Insects in guitars (Jun. 12 2020 0:03:10)

quote:

Is it possible a guitar gets wood worms, termites or whathever eating up the wood?

This question cropped up a while back for me. If you are playing on a regular basis, not too much is going to hang around unless already in there. Considering the thicknesses we work to, that shouldn't happen much. I sometimes happen across bugs in planks. I bought some Italian cherry that was beautiful, then I started ripping it on the saw and I found a load of of big white (not for long) grubs. If it's any consolation, I picked up one of my guitars that had been "resting" for a while. I looked in the sound port and a few cobwebs had gathered as well as some dust. Every now and then I give mine the rice treatment. Pour in a generous cup of cheap long grain. Shake it all about - you can do this to music if you want!! Get a newspaper and shake all the grains out on to it. You should notice a difference in the colour (grey from dust) and if it's been dormant for years, a few dust balls too and just about anything else. It's a good maintenance trick. I'm sure you could use other things, but the white of the rice gives a good indication as to what is coming out.




BarkellWH -> RE: Insects in guitars (Jun. 12 2020 1:58:20)

Unless the bugs or grubs were embedded in the wood to begin with, I think you would prevent them from infesting your guitar by always keeping it in a reasonably sealed case when not playing.

Bill




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