Shipping a guitar without a case? How to?

[beggar_guitar]

I sold my tele and gave the buyer the option on a soft case, but they turned it down.
I'm kinda nervous to ship it without the case though. Any tips on packing it safely? It will definitely be shipped insured!

Thanks!

 

[StJimmy]

Re: Shipping a guitar without a case? How to?

If you're not even using a gig bag, then release the tension on the strings, mummify the entire guitar (body and neck) in bubble wrap and tape it shut, place the bubble wrapped guitar inside a SMALL guitar box with wadded up newspaper used for cushion in the voids, THEN place THAT box inside a larger guitar box surrounded with your favorite packing material....newspaper, peanuts, etc. The double boxing is extremely important IMO. Anytime I have ever bought a guitar new that came without a case, it was always double boxed from the factory.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Shipping a guitar without a case? How to?

The bubble wrap "mumification" (as Fender punk so eloquently put it ) is good, pay special attention to the horns and headstock end. A double box sounds good, but the way matt99camero shipped to me was the bubble wrapped guitar, shrinkwrapped to a sheet of foam, in a box filled with peanuts. It arrived exacyle as it left.

 

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Re: Shipping a guitar without a case? How to?

Yup... bubble wrap, double box.

 

[tc]

Re: Shipping a guitar without a case? How to?

it wasnt fender punk....and yeah wrap it up in bubble wrap, no spots left unwrapped, wrap the headstock and horn more, then double box, peanut filled...pretty much what they said was perfect

 

[millsart]

Re: Shipping a guitar without a case? How to?

I'd honestly get a cheap case. You can get generic no name cases for $30 or so.

It will cost you half that much just in packing supplies to protect a no cased guitar so its almost a wash price wise.

If something does happen to it, its 100% easier to get your damage claim approved by the shipping company if it was in a hard shell case.

If it wasn't then they can give you the "it wasn't properly packed" BS, but if its in a case then its pretty obviously their fault.

I used to deal a variety of instruments and shipped a few hundred with a number of incidents resutling in claims having to be filled.


Maybe if its a very cheap guitar you could risk it, but if we are talking any instrument of maybe $400 or more, the price of a case is such a small part of the transaction that I think its a must have