Question about shipping guitars and amps?

StratTom

StratTom

New member
How do you go about this? I've never had to ship anything before so I'd like to hear how some people go about this. One of my friends told me that I could just take an item to one of those MailBox etc. stores and they will package it for you. Is this the best way to go about it?

Thanks,
Tom
 
Re: Question about shipping guitars and amps?

Crate GLX212 combo amp
Digitech RP3
Gibson SG

Unless I can find someone locally who wants any of these within the next month, I'll have to put them up on Ebay because I need some money.
 
Re: Question about shipping guitars and amps?

I personally prefer to go to a music store and hunt down my own shipping boxes for music gear I sell. It saves the labor charges that you would pay MAILBOX Etc to pack what you want to ship. I just walk into Guitar Center and ask for an empty guitar or amp box and they give it to me. It would be a wise choice to call them first though and make sure they have a box that hasn't been thrashed or broken down yet. I'd recommend getting foam peanuts from either Guitar Center (If they have them) or buy a big bag of them from like Fed Meyer or something. When you get home get a big plastic garbage bag and put the amp in the bag and tie the top (The garbage bag keeps the foam peanuts from sticking to the amp because of static electricity etc..)
Next just fill the box with foam peanuts and spread them around and fill in all the spaces. Be sure to fill the box to the brim with foam peanuts so you can be sure that the amp won't shake around during its shippment. The last step requires you to tape the hell out of the box. Its better to overtape than to not tape enough and risk the bottom or top of the box from breaking during shippment. So for reinforcment purposes be sure to tape the top and bottom of the box thoroughly.
 
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Re: Question about shipping guitars and amps?

The guitar can be packed the same way.

1) Get a guitar box from a music store

2) Put the guitar in the box with or without case (If your not shipping with a gig bag or hardcase get one or two garbage bages and put the guitar in them. Again this keeps the foam peanuts from getting in the electronics, input jack, etc.)

3) Fill the box to the brim with foam peanuts and spread them around and make sure they are evenly dispersed throughout the box so the guitar has good support.

4) Last step is tape the hell out of both the bottom and top of the box. As I said before, its better to overtape the box than to not tape it enough.
 
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Re: Question about shipping guitars and amps?

Tom,

If you end up selling the stuff on Ebay be sure to insure all the gear you sell through the shipping company you go through. Insurance costs extra but its well worth it.


WITHOUT Insurance:
The shipping company isn't responsible if the product you shipped is lost, damaged, or broken during shippment.

WITH Insurance:
The shipping company is responsible for the item you shipped to show up on your buyers doorstep unharmed. If the product happens to be extremely damaged the shipping company has to pay the buyer the amount that the guitar was insured for upon its shippment.
 
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Re: Question about shipping guitars and amps?

My step dad bought a 1x15 bass combo off Ebay about 3 weeks ago. Upon its arrival my step dad opened the box and found out that the seller didnt pack it. There was no newspaper, no foam peanuts, NOTHING. The amp was simply shipped in the box alone. The box was quite a bit bigger than the amp so needless to say the amp was thrown around alot during its shippment. The amp wasn't extremely damanged but three of the plastic corners were cracked, the metal grill was dented in, and the wood on the bottom of the amp suffered a gash. I couldn't help but laugh..... I couldn't believe that someone could be so stupid. It's common sense.. you dont ship a 75 pound amp in a box without packing it first.... :smack: :lmao:
 
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Re: Question about shipping guitars and amps?

Guitars -> ship with USPS. Put bubble wrapping around guitar inside hardcase which has bubble wrapping in a cardboard box.

Amp - > ship with shipping container . wrapped up with bubble wrapping and foam peanuts in box.
 
Re: Question about shipping guitars and amps?

I always ship vintage style tube amps upside down with the weight of the transformers, etc. in the bottem of the box. Keeps the amp from falling over and off of the conveyer belts UPS, FedEx, etc. use. When top heavy boxes get jammed up on those conveyer belts, that's when alot of the damage happens because they tend to fall off the conveyer belt and crash on the concrete floor. So keep the weight in the bottem of the box by shipping a combo amp upside down. I always remove all of the tubes and warp them in bubble wrap. Lew
 
Re: Question about shipping guitars and amps?

I always ship vintage style tube amps upside down with the weight of the transformers, etc. in the bottem of the box. Keeps the amp from falling over and off of the conveyer belts UPS, FedEx, etc. use. When top heavy boxes get jammed up on those conveyer belts, that's when alot of the damage happens because they tend to fall off the conveyer belt and crash on the concrete floor. So keep the weight in the bottem of the box by shipping a combo amp upside down. I always remove all of the tubes and wrap them in bubble wrap. Lew
 
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