Shipping a guitar, finding a box for it

[PascalT]

I need a box, around 2.5ft high and about 1.5ft wide.. good for a guitar/amp. I need to ship this out but i don't have a box for it. where would be a good place to look? does FedEx sell boxes or offer to pack things for me? What about hardware stores?

Also, any tips on how to pack it, things i should be careful about, etc..

need some help

thanks

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

I've never shipped a guitar, but are you at least putting it inside a gig bag or case before you put it in the box?

 

[fliguy84]

fedex-kinko in my area offers packing service. just give em the thing, they pack it properly for u. but the charge for it is quite a killer imho

 

[PascalT]

yea I got a gig bag.. I'll probably wrap the whole tihng in bubble wrap as well. gotta make sure to put a big FRAGILE sticker on the box..

 

[CptObvious]

Good luck. I just had FedEx deny a claim after they broke a $600 guitar I shipped. F'in crooks...

 

[Tiamat]

Sometimes the FRAGILE sticker prompts fedex employees to purposely drop kick, toss, step on, sit on, the box.

 

[PascalT]

yea fedex doesn't inspire confidence... i'll try something else.


obvious: what happened? why wouldnt they deny your claim?

 

[Kalmah]

Put it in a guitar case!! Unless you want to risk the neck getting messed up then having messed up intonation permanently.

 

[upsciLLion]

I would ask any of the local music shops in your area. Guitars are shipped to them all the time. I'm sure they'd be willing to set aside a box to give you. I have a box that my new guitar arrived in yesterday, but I doubt you want to pay to have it shipped to Quebec just to use it. I'd ask around the local shops first.

Good luck with that.

 

[PascalT]

I don't have a case.

it should be fine as long as they don't flip it around..the main thing is making sure the neck can't move.

 

[aplefka]

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
I would ask any of the local music shops in your area. Guitars are shipped to them all the time. I'm sure they'd be willing to set aside a box to give you. I have a box that my new guitar arrived in yesterday, but I doubt you want to pay to have it shipped to Quebec just to use it. I'd ask around the local shops first.

Good luck with that.

Threadjack... you got your new guitar?

 

[EyeMWing]

Put it in a hard case. Go to a guitar shop, have them give you a box for a hard case (you may have to wave a few dollars at them)

 

[PascalT]

http://www.uline.com/ProductDetail.asp?model=S-4922

pretty cheap but they sell it by 5s, i only need 1

 

[upsciLLion]

Originally posted by: aplefka

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
I would ask any of the local music shops in your area. Guitars are shipped to them all the time. I'm sure they'd be willing to set aside a box to give you. I have a box that my new guitar arrived in yesterday, but I doubt you want to pay to have it shipped to Quebec just to use it. I'd ask around the local shops first.

Good luck with that.

Threadjack... you got your new guitar?

Yes, see here.

 

[CptObvious]

Originally posted by: PascalT
yea fedex doesn't inspire confidence... i'll try something else.


obvious: what happened? why wouldnt they deny your claim?

I shipped it to their packaging spec in a hardshell case, but it arrived with a huge crack. I filed a claim, but either the buyer didn't pack it the way I sent it or the inspector at FedEx lied. For example, the damage report said there was no damage to the box, but when I got it back, there was a 13" gash and it was beat to hell, and half the packaging I put it in was missing. Someone also tried to add wadded up grocery bags to replace it.

It's just a mess, and wasted days of my time for nothing. Now I've got to deal with a PayPal dispute and probably have to end up selling the guitar for scrap (maybe $100 if I'm lucky). $500 down the drain.

/takes some Tums

 

[PascalT]

yikes that sucks. so much for taking insurance huh? What kind of packaging did you put in there?

 

[CptObvious]

Originally posted by: PascalT
yikes that sucks. so much for taking insurance huh? What kind of packaging did you put in there?

Yep, their insurance policy is a fraud. If you read the terms of their Ground Tariff, it doesn't give you any clear standards. Basically they arbitrarily set the standards to whether they approve the claim or not. UPS and DHL are the same way. I went with FedEx because *usually* they are better with handling packages.

I used crumpled brown paper, the same kind used by Musician's Friend and some of the other big mail-order companies.

Here's the lesson I learned: if you're going to ship an expensive fragile guitar, have it packed and shipped at the UPS Store. They charge you up the ass (probably $30 for packaging and another $30 for shipping) but if UPS damages it then they can't deny the claim for insufficient packaging because they packed it. AFAIK FedEx doesn't offer such a service though.

 

[intogamer]

Originally posted by: CptObvious

Originally posted by: PascalT
yikes that sucks. so much for taking insurance huh? What kind of packaging did you put in there?

Yep, their insurance policy is a fraud. If you read the terms of their Ground Tariff, it doesn't give you any clear standards. Basically they arbitrarily set the standards to whether they approve the claim or not. UPS and DHL are the same way. I went with FedEx because *usually* they are better with handling packages.

I used crumpled brown paper, the same kind used by Musician's Friend and some of the other big mail-order companies.

Here's the lesson I learned: if you're going to ship an expensive fragile guitar, have it packed and shipped at the UPS Store. They charge you up the ass (probably $30 for packaging and another $30 for shipping) but if UPS damages it then they can't deny the claim for insufficient packaging because they packed it. AFAIK FedEx doesn't offer such a service though.

:Q:thumbsup:

 

[PascalT]

I found a local guitar shop that has a box for me. Now to buy plenty of fluffy things to wrap the guitar.

 

[TitanDiddly]

Fridge box, and cut it down. Definately ship the amp seperately.

 

[pac1085]

When we ship guitars, we get custom boxes made, they only run about $10-15 and are really nice boxes...super thick cardboard.

 

[Ns1]

Go to guitar center and ask for a box.

Pad your guitar SUPER WELL, with aLOT of padding around the neck area

 

[PascalT]

yea wish i could find one of those boxes pac..

thanks for the advices

 

[PascalT]

i got it packed by UPS/sent, cost 106.00 CDN

 

[Rudee]

Never ship a guitar in a gig bag. Use a hardshell case.