Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

PoorMan

PoorMan

MoneyForNothingologist
I have an LTD-1000VB that is a very nice quality guitar, but just isn't for me so I want to sell it. I've sold and shipped many guitars, but they always had a hardcase...don't have a case for this one.

Has anyone shipped a guitar without a case safely? How did you do it?

Thanks.
 
Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

Without the original box and any purposely designed packing pieces, I think you're going to find yourself limited to "buyer collects" only.
 
Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

If you take your time and pack it well, it'll go around the world twice in one piece. Packing well means guitar is double boxed and immobilized in the package, supported and cushioned where it should be. It's all about how you place the cardboard, the bubblewrap and the foam inside the package.

That is your job and the rest is luck. A hardcase is barely a protection against badly driven forklifts, you know.
 
Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

As with any guitar shipment, you should loosen the strings so they're slack, and wrap them in something so they won't abrade any part of the guitar.
 
Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

My friend and I shipped a cheap Jackson import super Strat with no case a long time ago. Essentially, we wrapped the guitar in a total of about 4" thick of bubble wrap. The small bubble stuff first, then the large bubble stuff. We put it in a guitar box filled with packing peanuts. The guitar made it there fine (it was probably safer than in a cheap case) but I could see some scratching happening depending on the finish of the guitar. You might want to start with a layer of soft foam or cloth first to protect against abrasion. Either way, good luck. :)
 
Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

My EVH Striped came in the mail double boxed- the EVH box, inside the musicians friend box. It was packed with special cardboard pieces, keeping it from touching any sides of the box, and the guitar itself was wrapped in a foam sheet to prevent scratches
 
Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

Go down to your local music shop. They'll give you the two boxes you need; the odd-shaped inner box that a lot of guitars come in, and the outter big rectangular box.

Just bubblewrap and styrofoam the crap out of everything so it doesn't move around.
 
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Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

I'd add corner protectors along the four long edges.

Cardboard20Corner20Protectors20300.jpg
 
Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

Double box, the trick being that there needs to be a fluffy layer between the two boxes of course.
 
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Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

Just tell the buyer that you are going to buy a hard case and add it to the price. Then ship it in a case. I have picked up hard cases(molded plastic) for about $50 new but you might check Craigslist you might get lucky and find one for $10
 
Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

The company I work for ships out big folk harps every day...often without a case. We get guitars and other acoustic instruments shipped from England every month. We get other guitars from across the country. MOST are not shipped in cases. Virtually all instruments arrive in new condition.

My point...you don't need a case if you pack it properly, as described in a few posts above. Double box and all that.

Good luck!
 
Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

Double boxed with lots of padding inside. I've shipping many guitars this way. If the headstock is angled, make sure there's something under it for support. Assume that the box wil be banged around and dropped; pack accordingly. And insure.
 
Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

Gig bag + bubble wrap + nothing else + UPS = THIS!
image.jpg
 
Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

jmh151 said:
My EVH Striped came in the mail double boxed- the EVH box, inside the musicians friend box. It was packed with special cardboard pieces, keeping it from touching any sides of the box, and the guitar itself was wrapped in a foam sheet to prevent scratches
Click to expand...

Over the last year, I have bought a handful of used electric guitars w/o a case from Guitar Center stores from out of state, and each time they arrived fine. Some were packed in two boxes, some were not. If you can't get a second "inner" box, you will be fine as long as you bubble wrap (and bind w shipping tape), the headstock, and then the whole guitar. Surrounded by peanuts. The key is ample packing material.

You do NOT need a gig bag or a case. But you do need to pay for the shipping insurance, as shipping carriers (UPS, USPS) can be brutes no matter how well you packed it.
 
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Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

I might add- my EVH arrived with 5 out of 6 strings in tune and perfectly set up, so I wouldn't be worried
 
Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

Bludave said:
Just tell the buyer that you are going to buy a hard case and add it to the price. Then ship it in a case. I have picked up hard cases(molded plastic) for about $50 new but you might check Craigslist you might get lucky and find one for $10
Click to expand...

+1.
 
Re: Shipping a Guitar Without a Case?

I forgot to mention...I would NEVER ship a guitar through UPS. They have destroyed our instruments before.
 
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