Anyone able to give any advice on how you go about this? I'm looking to sell one of my guitars(probably through eBay) and need to find the easiest and least stressful way of shipping it. I've never done it before but I'm presuming that using some sort of courier service is my best bet? Also, what are the best ways to make sure it gets to it's destination without any damage? Do people usually ship them out in large boxes? I have a hard case for the guitar but obviously that isn't enough.
I've used Parcelforce sending a Jaguar to Fran before using their 24 hour service (around £30). The 48 hour service is way cheaper (around £15) so I would use that as the extra fee on ebay will put people off. If you can, always pack with a hardcase, or even plush gig bag will help a lot. If you don't have either use lots and lots of bubble wrap (even with a gig bag too actually). Using a hardcase you need to rock it from side to side, if you hear/feel the guitar moving you have to keep it in place using bubble wrap or cardboard or whatever.
I'd sling a bin bag round the each end of the case to get it waterproof then use large cardboard boxes broken up so they're flat, then wrap it round the hardcase about two layers deep (or at least on the corners) using lots of parcel tape to keep it taut. You have to be a bit creative with making it fit but you'd be surprised how secure it is afterwards. After that, wrap another bin bag round each end of the case and mummify it a bit with more parcel tape. The last two bin bags offer more waterproofness and keeps it as one solid unit.
Garnish with "FRAGILE" and "THIS WAY UP ^" before serving.
GeorgeF wrote:I've used Parcelforce sending a Jaguar to Fran before using their 24 hour service (around £30). The 48 hour service is way cheaper (around £15) so I would use that as the extra fee on ebay will put people off. If you can, always pack with a hardcase, or even plush gig bag will help a lot. If you don't have either use lots and lots of bubble wrap (even with a gig bag too actually). Using a hardcase you need to rock it from side to side, if you hear/feel the guitar moving you have to keep it in place using bubble wrap or cardboard or whatever.
I'd sling a bin bag round the each end of the case to get it waterproof then use large cardboard boxes broken up so they're flat, then wrap it round the hardcase about two layers deep (or at least on the corners) using lots of parcel tape to keep it taut. You have to be a bit creative with making it fit but you'd be surprised how secure it is afterwards. After that, wrap another bin bag round each end of the case and mummify it a bit with more parcel tape. The last two bin bags offer more waterproofness and keeps it as one solid unit.
Garnish with "FRAGILE" and "THIS WAY UP ^" before serving.
Ah that's some excellent advice. Thank you. I've got a mate who works in a supermarket who I'm sure can hold me back a shed load of cardboard boxes. I've got a hardcase so I'm wondering whether it's worth packing some bubblewrap inside the case itself with the guitar? It's a 335 shape case for my Sheraton so it's pretty snug already, it doesn't tend to move around much, if at all.
I also read that it's good to loosen the strings off a bit so there's no tension in the neck. Is that worth doing do you think?
i'd loosen the strings a bit and stick some bubble-wrap round the headstock etc, it won't do any harm and you're better safe than sorry. though if it's a decent fitting hardcase i can't see much going wrong, to be honest.
if i'm shipping stuff in gigbags i'll bubble-wrap the guitar, fill up all the extra space inside with scrunched up newspaper, make a big box, and pack that with newspaper too then wrap it completely in tape.
Those 335 cases tend to have quite a big headstock area so I would maybe plush that out with something to stop it moving, but you may not even need to. I would loosen the strings a tone at the most. If you have a loose bridge clanging around on any guitar you're likely to damage the bridge or body they rely on tension to keep them in place, that means bridge and tail piece on a Gibson type guitar.
GeorgeF wrote:Those 335 cases tend to have quite a big headstock area so I would maybe plush that out with something to stop it moving, but you may not even need to. I would loosen the strings a tone at the most. If you have a loose bridge clanging around on any guitar you're likely to damage the bridge or body they rely on tension to keep them in place, that means bridge and tail piece on a Gibson type guitar.
Yeah, the headstock area of the case is the only place where there's any real space to fill it out with newspaper/bubblewrap. I'll put some in there just to be on the safe side.
Stewart, do you make up the cardboard box to fit the guitar out of a few flattened out one's? Is that what you mean?
I sent a jag to Noirie using parcelforce 48, and paid extra for the insurance, cause I'm a worrier :p
I wrapped the guitar up in bubble wrap inside a soft case. The soft case was then put in a cardboard box full of other bits of cardboard for rigidity, and wrapped up securely with lots of tape. The guitar arrived safely Noirie did the same thing to send me a DuoSonic, but without the soft case, and it still arrived fine
