Shipping a guitar

[billboogie]

Shipping my first one and I want it to all go down smooth.
Best method of packing?

Thank you Rig Talkers.

 

[stratjacket]

Go to Guitar Center or nearest music store and ask for a guitar box. You may have to pay $10 or something but it’s worth it to get a manufacturers shipping box.
If your guitar has a hard shell case, then make sure the guitar fits snug and does not slide around at all. If it does, then bubble wrap it wear there is space. Make sure the headstock cannot take a direct hit on any hard surface.
Wrap in bubble wrap or use styrofoam peanuts to fill any open space between the guitar case and the shipping box.
I usually turn the tuners a half turn to loosen just a hair of tension on the neck. I’m not sure that makes a difference, but it’s a habit.

 

[Racerxrated]

Go to Guitar Center or nearest music store and ask for a guitar box. You may have to pay $10 or something but it’s worth it to get a manufacturers shipping box.
If your guitar has a hard shell case, then make sure the guitar fits snug and does not slide around at all. If it does, then bubble wrap it wear there is space. Make sure the headstock cannot take a direct hit on any hard surface.
Wrap in bubble wrap or use styrofoam peanuts to fill any open space between the guitar case and the shipping box.
I usually turn the tuners a half turn to loosen just a hair of tension on the neck. I’m not sure that makes a difference, but it’s a habit.

Agree with this, I would loosen the tuners more though to take the tension away completely. To the point where they are on but just resting on the frets. If no case then I would bubble wrap the shit out of the guitar, like 5 layers. It needs to fit snug in the box, no room to move during shipping. HS case is ideal though. Same thing, put some wrap in so the guitar is tight in the case, no movement.

 

[cardinal]

I wrap bubble paper around each end of the case/gig bag so that it fits snuggle into the box and cannot shift. I tend to leave the center without any wrap so that the box can take an impact without it immediately putting pressure onto guitar itself (like a crumple zone). A lot of high end guitars ship like this with custom foam bits just at the end of the case.

I also wrap up the case handle so it can’t rattle.

I also put a few sheets of paper under the strings to protect the frets in case something hits the box and smashes the strings against the frets.

If anything is in the case pocket, pack some tissue paper or something in there so it can’t rattle around or possibly get free and bang around inside the case.

If it has an angled headstock, I’ll probably detune it. But a Fender style I don’t unless the buyer wants it detuned.

A lot of hard cases and bags don’t really fit the guitar snug, so I’ll pack foam or something similar into the case to make sure the guitar cannot side around in the case either.