How to Pack a Guitar for Shipping

Many fears can go through your mind when you are packing a guitar for shipment.

Will a part of the instrument be broken, scratched or moisture has reached it, these are just a few of the concerns that you will have until you see it after it arrives.

For musicians, a guitar is like a child to them and everyone wants to receive their guitar the same way they shipped it – in one piece. With that said, safety is our number one priority.

If you’re going to pack a guitar by yourself for shipping, ask for extra insurance. The liability coverage that movers provide is only about $0,60 per pound and it’s not valid if you pack it yourself.

When purchasing extra insurance, also ask for the conditions according to which it will be valid. After all, guitars are not very heavy but they are very expensive. Guitars come in all shapes and sizes, so pick the right case and box for yours.

Keep in mind the following steps when you’re going to pack your guitar for shipping and you will have no problem with the task at hand.

Important to read before following the steps

Before starting the packing process, you have to consider these two options:

• Option 1: Pack it by yourself – If you choose this one, that means that you are fine with all the risks that may occur when you are packing a guitar for shipment yourself.
• Option 2: Let a professional moving company do it – By choosing this option, a team of movers specialized in moving fragile items will pack and deliver them for you. They have done this countless times and you can be sure that no mistake will be made.

Step 1. Find the right moving company

When looking for quotes from moving companies, don’t forget to ask if they offer extra insurance. Ask about the price and the time it will take for the guitar to arrive at the destination.

Think when you want it to arrive and make sure you are there so that you can receive it and it doesn’t have to stay in a dusty old storage facility where it can be damaged.

Choose a mover who has done guitar shipping services before because this is a very expensive and fragile musical instrument and you don’t want to take any risks with it. Read reviews of the best 10 top-rated movers and make your choice wisely.

Step 2: Get the needed materials to pack the guitar

• Guitar case – A hard-shell case will give you the best protection when shipping a guitar.
• Box – Measure the case of the guitar: how long, how wide and how deep it is. Get a box that is 3 or 4 inches longer than your case so that you can have room for padding. You can get a guitar box from your local guitar shop or order a box online.
• Tape – Don’t use duct tape or paper tape. Use 2-inch brown tape like those in a UPS store.
• Paper – Use packing paper or if you don’t have one, use any old newspapers you can find.
• Bubble wrap – Use lots of it.
• Rubber bands – Whatever you can find. You will use them when putting bubble wrap on the headstock.
• Never use packing peanuts – Peanuts tend to shift during transport and may prove to be useless when protecting your guitar.

Step 3: Protect the Guitar

Before you start packing your musical instrument, choose the right case for it. You can’t use the same case for electric, bass, and acoustic guitars.

You can use a hard-shell case or a soft-shell case, but keep in mind that the hard-shell will keep your guitar safer while it is being transported. If you don’t have a guitar case, you can buy one from any local or online music shop.

• Loosen all the strings down(not necessary to completely detune the guitar) so that they aren’t under a lot of tension to prevent a string break or damage to the guitar. Also, separate them from the fretboard with packing paper.
• Put bubble wrap on the headstock and use a rubber band to keep it from moving because it is the primary guitar component that we want to protect.
• Put paper under the heel and the headstock. All gaps in the case must be filled with paper or bubble wrap so that the guitar doesn’t move. Also, place some paper on top of the neck.
• Remove all external things from the guitar such as end pins if you have and put them in a department of the case so that you won’t lose them.
• Pack all accessories such as amplifiers, straps, cables, and picks in a different box and label it GUITAR ACCESSORIES so that you can find it easily when the move is completed.
• Close the case and do the shake test to see if the guitar is shifting. If it is not moving, carry on packing.
• Don’t ship your guitar only in a gig bag because no matter how much newspapers and bubble wrap you put in it for padding, damage can easily occur.

Shipping a guitar without a case is not a good idea, but if you are going to go down that road, make sure you add extra padding with newspapers and bubble wrap and get a box made of thick cardboard.

Step 4. Protect the guitar case

First, put some bubble wrap or paper on the bottom of the box before putting the case with the guitar in it. After the case is placed in the box, surround it with more of the soft materials and put some on the top of the box so that there are no gaps left.

Step 5. Protect the box

After everything is in the box, do the shake test again. Safe guitars make no sounds. If the test is successful, you can go on to taping the box with tape. Make sure you put tape on the top and bottom of the box.

Also, put tape on the edges to prevent any moisture from coming inside. When you are sure everything is taped correctly and nothing can go in, you can mark the container as Fragile and This way up.

Shipping a Guitar in Extreme Weather Conditions

When it comes to adverse weather conditions like extreme heat and extreme cold, never expose your guitar to such climate conditions for long periods of time because damage like warping, cracking and chemical deterioration can happen.

The ideal conditions for a guitar are air humidity somewhere in the 45-55% range and temperature that is kept between 65-75°F.

The key when you are trying to keep your guitar safe is climate stability. Avoid exposing your musical instrument to direct sunlight as much as possible because it can make the wood more brittle and can fade the color of the guitar.

Try to avoid shipping your guitar in such conditions, if you want to prevent the risk of completely ruining it.

Cheapest Way of Packing a Guitar for Shipping

The most affordable way of packing a guitar for shipping is to make a guitar shipping box from sturdy cardboard by yourself. It is not the best way of shipping a musical instrument or the safest, but if you are looking for something cheap and easy, this is the way to go.

You can use any old sturdy cardboard you have lying around from boxes of tables or shelves. The first thing you need to do when making your guitar shipping box is to put a big piece of sturdy cardboard on a flat surface. Then, put your guitar on it.

Make measurements and mark them with a marker, for example, so that you will know where to make the folds and cuts. When making the measurements, don’t forget to leave room for folding the guitar shipping box.

After all of this is completed, cut off any excess cardboard using box cutters or scissors.

When folding the cardboard box, keep in mind that the triangular form offers the best protection for your musical instrument. After your custom-made guitar shipping box is ready, wrap your guitar heavily in bubble wrap and place it in the box.

If there is any space in the box, fill it up with more bubble wrap or packing paper. When all of this is completed, secure the box by taping all of the corners and seams. There is no such thing as too much tape when shipping something as important as a guitar or any other musical instrument.

Different ways of shipping a guitar

There are 4 major ways that you can ship your guitar across the U.S.:

• Moving company
• FedEx
• UPS
• USPS

If you want FedEx, UPS or USPS to pack and ship your guitar, you have to go to their stores and there everything will be done professionally – from perfectly packing your musical instrument to shipping it.

On the other hand, if you want to have your moving company pack and ship it for you, you won’t have to worry about using the right packing materials or packing it properly. The best and safest way of packing and shipping your guitar is to leave the professionals to do it for you.

Cost of shipping a guitar

The price of shipping a guitar depends on its size and weight, the distance between the two locations, if it is in a gig bag or a hard-shell case and the weight of the cardboard box you are going to use.

Generally speaking, shipping a guitar across the U.S. will cost around:

• In a hardshell case: $100-$150 (not including the insurance)
• In a gig bag: $85 (not including the insurance)

The hard shell case adds more weight, but it offers the best protection for your musical instrument.

• A standard bass guitar’s size can be from about 30 inches to 34 inches and its weight will be between 8.5 to 9.5 lbs.
• A typical full-size electric guitar is around 38 inches long and weighs about 7.5-8 pounds.
• A full-size acoustic guitar is about 40 inches long and weighs somewhere around 5-7 pounds.

When you have completed all of these steps, you won’t have to worry about something bad happening to your guitar when it is being shipped. If you don’t feel confident enough to pack your guitar for shipping by yourself, you can always rely on professional movers who can do that for you. That way, you can be 100 % sure that your musical instrument will arrive in one piece at your new location.

Get your quote today or call us directly at (800) 680-6439.

Sources:

1. bestbassgear.com
2. guitargearfinder.com
3. firstguitar.com

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