Foul-smelling vintage BOSS pedals

[Pepe]

I have purchased a PH-1 lately. This one has a smell that I don't like too much. My vintage BF-2 has an even more intensive stench, just like the two other MIJ BF-2's that I have had in the past. I think it's really awful.

I tried using soda to reduce it (I put the BF-2 with lots of soda in a paper bag for several weeks), but that didn't have a noticeable effect.

Do you know any tricks? My nose thanks in advance!

[laurie]

My approach is to completely dismantle the pedal then scrub the metal housing and plastic parts with an old toothbrush in soapy water:
- Main body
- Treadle
- Knobs
- Baseplate
- Plastic shield

And replace the glide bushing.

That usually does the trick.

[Pepe]

Well, it does not in the case of the BF-2. I've already tried that. If you have an old BF-2, just take a smell at it. It has a distinctive odour.

[Dirk]

Is it the circuit board perhaps?
I can't imagine a metal enclosure smelling...

You could leave it outside for a while, preferably without the bottom, but make sure to put it inside again when it rains

Unless you're going for the "bottom of the ocean" look like somebody's CE-3 here many years ago. Remember that?

[Pepe]

It is the metal enclosure, I'm very sure. The circuit board itself does smell a bit as well, but mainly it's the enclosure. I have clened them very thoroughly already, but the smell remains.

[fernieite]

I wonder if naphtha would help? Assuming it's safe for Boss pedal finishes?

I wouldn't touch the bottom sticker label with the stuff though!

[Pepe]

Naphtha doesn't sound too safe for me. I don't really want to use petroleum-based stuff.

I used vinegar-based cleaner to scrub the enclosures. Normally that helps to reduce bad odours to a certain extent. I mainly used it on the outer side, but these still have a distinct stench.

[zentropa]

I wonder if naphtha would help? Assuming it's safe for Boss pedal finishes?

I can verify that naptha is fine on Boss finishes. It is my go to for removing stubborn stickers off of the cases and/or sticker/tape residue that Goo Gone can't solve. It evaporates pretty quickly as well, but isn't great for your health to use extensively.

[Pepe]

The second try with sodium carbonate was more successful! This time I have put the PH-1 and BF-2 (each wrapped in a sheet of a newspaper) in a box with two big bags of soda (natron) and I completely closed the box with packing tape to ensure that it was airproof.

After several weeks I opened the box. The pedals were a bit covered by the fine soda - annoyingly the newspaper sheets did only prevent them from being completely coated by it - so I had to give the pedals a second proper cleaning.

I would say that the smell has been reduced by 75% or more. I can live with that. It's not perfect, but way better than before.

[Zerksies]

I've had some pedals that had a very bad cigarette smells to them. I've used glass cleaner and a scrub brush sucessfully everytime. And it good just for a general cleaning too.