Insects in guitars

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Insects in guitars

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Schieper

Posts: 208
Joined: Mar. 29 2017
From: The Netherlands

Insects in guitars

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?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 8 2020 22:43:27

Andy Culpepper

Posts: 3023
Joined: Mar. 30 2009
From: NY, USA

RE: Insects in guitars (in reply to Schieper)

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

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http://www.andyculpepper.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 9 2020 3:31:41

Stu

Posts: 2526
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England

RE: Insects in guitars (in reply to Andy Culpepper)

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

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 9 2020 9:18:21

JasonM

Posts: 2055
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore

RE: Insects in guitars (in reply to Schieper)

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!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 9 2020 16:37:43

devilhand

Posts: 1598
Joined: Oct. 15 2019

RE: Insects in guitars (in reply to Stu)

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?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 9 2020 16:46:52

Tom Blackshear

Posts: 2304
Joined: Apr. 15 2008

RE: Insects in guitars (in reply to devilhand)

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.

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Tom Blackshear Guitar maker

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 9 2020 18:55:25

Echi

Posts: 1132
Joined: Jan. 11 2013

RE: Insects in guitars (in reply to Schieper)

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.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 9 2020 19:37:52

Stu

Posts: 2526
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England

RE: Insects in guitars (in reply to Tom Blackshear)

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!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 10 2020 0:51:28

Schieper

Posts: 208
Joined: Mar. 29 2017
From: The Netherlands

RE: Insects in guitars (in reply to Andy Culpepper)

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 :-)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 10 2020 8:11:35

beno

Posts: 881
Joined: Nov. 3 2006
From: Hungary

RE: Insects in guitars (in reply to Schieper)

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.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 11 2020 15:36:22

Flamingrae

Posts: 220
Joined: May 19 2009

RE: Insects in guitars (in reply to Schieper)

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.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 12 2020 0:03:10

BarkellWH

Posts: 3458
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC

RE: Insects in guitars (in reply to Flamingrae)

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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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 12 2020 1:58:20