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How do you pack a guitar for shipping?   You are logged in as Guest
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Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

How do you pack a guitar for shipping? 
Hi,

Dumb question maybe, but how do you package a guitar up for shipping by couriers such as DHL etc?

Do you get the box and bubble wrap or whatever from the courier?

I mean most folk surely can't have suitable size boxes and heaps of bubble wrap just kicking around spare in the loft or garage?

cheers,

Ron
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 10 2012 11:30:16
 
keith

Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston

RE: How do you pack a guitar for shi... (in reply to Ron.M) 
ron--i have shipped a few guitars and offer this:
1. cartons can be found at places that sell guitars. guitar center is a good resource. just ask for a shipping box they have received. i believe ups sells boxes but they cost money.
2. instead of bubblewrap one can use cardboard from boxes, plastic milk or soda bottles, newspaper, etc. the intent is to keep the guitar (in a hardshell case) from moving around and provide some protection.
3. for the united states, if a shipper does not have an account with one of the shipping companies the post office will ship safely, quickly and the cost is less. i have shipped a few guitars via the usps and found them to be superb. outside of the usa i have no experience.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 10 2012 13:06:46
 
Richard Jernigan

Posts: 3431
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA

RE: How do you pack a guitar for shi... (in reply to Ron.M) 
At the end of 2009 I shipped my '73 Romanillos and '82 Arcangel Fernandez blanca from Honolulu to Austin via UPS. They were in well fitted Karura cases. A UPS store in Honolulu packed them in bubble wrap and tri-wall cardboard boxes while I watched. They arrived safely, not even a scuff on the boxes.

My 2001 Arturo Huipe cedar/cocbolo traveled from Texas to Kwajalein and back via the U.S. Postal Service in the foam case and cardboard box that Arturo packed them in, and shipped via DHL from Paracho to Houston. My daughter sent it on from there. Much cheaper than UPS, insurance probably works.

In the USA, UPS will pack your guitar, even if you ship it some other way.

A famous luthier told me that UPS and FedEx will take your money for insuring a guitar, but if you make a claim for damage they will not pay. There is a clause in their contract saying they won't insure fragile or custom made musical instruments. If you complain that they took your money, they will say, "Oops, sorry, it was a mistake," and give you a refund.

Furthermore he said that if you paid, there was no damage, but you discovered later that they would not have paid a claim, they won't give your money back!

So check with your shipper about insurance coverage. But be aware that the owner of the UPS store in Honolulu swore to be damned that UPS insurance would cover my fairly expensive guitars. She couldn't produce the insurance policy, though.

I trust the luthier's knowledge more than the UPS store owner's.

RNJ
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 10 2012 16:48:48
 
Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: How do you pack a guitar for shi... (in reply to keith) 
Trouble is that there are no Guitar Centres near here :(

I could try the supermarket, but I doubt if baked beans or cheese come in that size of carton.

I was hoping mabye they courier company could perhaps pick the guitar in case up and pack it suitably since they have all the materials and experience?

The end cost would be to the buyer at the end of the day.

Never done this before.

cheers,

Ron
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 10 2012 17:59:19
 
keith

Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston

RE: How do you pack a guitar for shi... (in reply to Ron.M) 
ron--several mac and cheese boxes, a box knife, duct tape and a little time and what do you get: franken-guitar shipping box. a regular guitar store may have the cartons--say if they just received a guitar case shipped to them. guitar center has more receivables. richard's idea works especially since the buyer is paying for the cost of shipping.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 10 2012 20:54:07
 
edguerin

Posts: 1589
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania

RE: How do you pack a guitar for shi... (in reply to Ron.M) 
Anders gets heavy-duty cardboard boxes from a motorcycle-shop. He then folds them to size.
So my guitar came in a box labelled "Yamaha" that smelled of oil and petrol ...
(Happily, the guitar inside didn't )

_____________________________

Ed

El aficionado solitario
Alemania
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 11 2012 6:02:33
 
Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006
 

RE: How do you pack a guitar for shi... (in reply to Ron.M) 
I think it was Kawasaki....

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Blog: http://news-from-the-workshop.blogspot.com/
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 11 2012 15:31:13
 
CieloAzul

 

Posts: 19
Joined: Aug. 28 2011
 

RE: How do you pack a guitar for shi... (in reply to Ron.M) 
I also recommend that the guitar has no slack within the case. A few linen free cloths will do the job.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 11 2012 17:43:21
 
edguerin

Posts: 1589
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania

RE: How do you pack a guitar for shi... (in reply to Anders Eliasson) 
quote:

Kawasaki


Well I know it wasn't an Indian

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Ed

El aficionado solitario
Alemania
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 16 2012 17:17:58
 
Ruphus

Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010
 

RE: How do you pack a guitar for shi... (in reply to keith) 
Hey Ron,

I prepared my guitars for an overseas container by wrapping them into neswpaper and then into shrink wrap ( against humdity fluctuation ).
Also make sure to underlay the space beneath the headstock with scrumbled newspaper thelikes ( to help preventing the headstock from snapping off after heavy collision.)
- And slack the strings, but that you know anyway.

quote:

ORIGINAL: keith

i have shipped a few guitars via the usps and found them to be superb. outside of the usa i have no experience.


I had a guitar transported perfectly well from USA to Europe per USPS.
Could be them to be more reliable and safe than todays private shipping companies.

Ruphus
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 16 2012 18:27:58
 
Pgh_flamenco

 

Posts: 1506
Joined: Dec. 5 2007
From: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

RE: How do you pack a guitar for shi... (in reply to Ron.M) 
quote:

I mean most folk surely can't have suitable size boxes and heaps of bubble wrap just kicking around spare in the loft or garage?


I have a lot of boxes (broken down to take up less space) and bubble wrap for shipping guitars. If you know anyone who buys and sells a lot of guitars you could ask if they have boxes and packing material.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 16 2012 18:37:38
 
keith

Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston

RE: How do you pack a guitar for shi... (in reply to Ron.M) 
this weekend i spent about 6 hours raking leaves and i think putting leaves into grocery store plastic bags and tying them up might not be a bad idea for padding. leaves are readily availabe and plastic grocery store bags are likewise. furthermore leaves in a bag provide good cushioning and they have to beat styrofoam peanuts.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 16 2012 20:19:26
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