shipping guitars?

[rmd]

So, I need to ship three guitars - one acoustic in a soft case, one electric in a soft case, and one acoustic with no case. I assume if I go to the UPS store, they will charge me large sums of money and pack it and ship it. Any suggestions for something not too much more difficult that would be notably cheaper?

I don't think I have any boxes of sufficient size.

I also need to ship an electric keyboard, but that's not nearly so fragile.

Suggestions?

Comments

[sunspiral.livejournal.com]

In a previous life I shipped quite a few guitars. Shipping guitars in a soft case is almost like shipping guitars with no case at all. No way should you trust the UPS Store folks to pack these properly! Most UPS Store folks I wouldn't trust to pack and ship a brick. Go to your local music store and see if they have guitar shipping boxes left over from any deliveries they've gotten. These will be boxes of the right shape, preferably with cardboard inserts to hold the body and neck securely centered in the box. The key things here are to have a decent amount of space between the sides of the box and the guitar, and to keep the guitar from moving inside the box. Lowering the string tension isn't a bad idea either. Also ship them via the speediest method you can afford so they spend the least time in transit. And insure them too. But remember that if something goes wrong, insurance is only worthwhile if you can demonstrate that the merchandise was properly packed for shipping. Any other questions on the subject, call me.

[solarbird]

Lowering the string tension isn't a bad idea either.
..and can be a very, very, very good idea, so do it always.

I agree with everything in this paragraph with one possible hack: as I recall, if UPS packs the items, the damage insurance is automatically good. So you might consider packing the guitars yourself in proper cases (As per sunspiral's directions) and then have UPS pack those boxes inside their boxes, to get the guarantee that the insurance counts.

It's gonna be spendy no matter how you do it, I'm afraid. Large, bulky, delicate - you don't ship that cheap.

[metagnat.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I would go ahead and go to the UPS store and buy the insurance as well as paying them to pack them.

Also: I would probably detune the guitars before you ship them (loosen the strings). Guitars are a difficult thing to ship, and they are easy to break. I would be particularly nervous about shipping one with no case at all, and not much more sanguine about shipping an acoustic with a soft case.

That being said, if you still want to pack it yourself, make sure you pack it so that the neck is supported. Make sure that the packing material you use around the guitar and under the neck is firm enough to keep it in place but cushy enough to cushion the jostling of shipping (Ie wadded up paper or bubble wrap would be a lot better than packing peanuts or other things that can shift around more). I would pack the guitar with firm, contoured packing in a box and then put that box into another box, with more cushioning around it.

For the guitars that have a case, I would put some neck-support padding inside the case and then do the same as above.

There are commercially available guitar boxes:
https://www.mrboxonline.com/advanced_search_result.php?osCsid=db7bf300a368811458e1728d695a5150&keywords=guitar&x=0&y=0 (https://www.mrboxonline.com/advanced_search_result.php?osCsid=db7bf300a368811458e1728d695a5150&keywords=guitar&x=0&y=0)

And some cheaper guitars come in boxes - you might be able to get some of those for free if you ask around.

Either way, when you ship let them know its fragile and get the insurance.

I might even see if you can get a case for the guitar that lacks one. Even a soft case would be better than nothing, and they aren't as expensive.

-E

Go to a music store

[drwex]

I would ask people who ship guitars all the time what suggestions they have.

[irilyth]

You could hire someone to check them as luggage and fly with them on United... Oh, wait.

[hotpoint.livejournal.com]

That was my first thought!

[(Anonymous)]

drop by the music emporium in lexington and ask if they have any boxes from inventory they've received that they might be willing to part with. they're nice people and might help just out of sympathy for your sitch.

[i-leonardo.livejournal.com]

just called the music emporium - they have boxes, cost about $5-$10/ea. will prolly even give you shipping advice. i'll be there on saturday, can pick some up for you, if you like.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

that would be totally awesome. three boxes, if you could. (unless it's okay to stick them together in a box)

thanks!

[donnad.livejournal.com]

Personally I would trust them to the UPS store. Having shipped extremely fragile things before across country via UPS I would trust them to know how to pack them best. If they pack them and something happens to them, they are responsible. If you pack them and something happens, oh well...

Definitely loosen the strings so the neck is not under tension beforehand though.
Just walk in to UPS and tell them where it has to go and when it has to be there, they'll pack them up and send them. Insure the packages, get a tracking number and/or arrival notice as well as require a signature on delivery.

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

I'd be careful. The 1st 6 pictures in http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbsegal/sets/72157605542016230/ were packed by UPS.

[donnad.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's unfortunate. We have never had any problems with damages to things packed or shipped via UPS.
Now USPS OTOH can't even deliver a magazine without destroying the cover.

[tinlail.livejournal.com]

Just don't use United airlines.

However the information from that song might help you.

[whitebird.livejournal.com]

You may want to keep them around. Because after you're through eating bars, you'll only eat up guitars!

[lil-brown-bat.livejournal.com]

Hahahahaha. Okay, that was wicked funny.

[whitebird.livejournal.com]

Why thank you. :)