Shipping a guitar
- Thread starter solspirit
- Start date
I would say it depends a bit on the guitar. I also assume you are talking shipping a uesd guitar. Food for thought, most new guitars ship in tune. If a guitar is going to be in a plane, always down tune. If a guitar has a Floyd and is not being flown I would always try to keep it in tune for however it is set up to be in. Anything with a massive headstock back angle (like a Les Paul) I would detune so long as it is a fixed bridge just to alleviate string tension and pull on the neck should it be drop kicked across the shipping yard.
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
I’ve shipped and received lots of guitars of varying construction types. Pretty sure none have ever been downtuned. I’d be more concerned with packing it securely.
Ascension
Well-known member
BINGO! Have sold and shipped guitars al over the world both as an individual and at a couple Pawn Shops and have never downtuned one.The only guitar I would likely down tune or remove the strings on would be a arch top with a floating bridge.Can count on one hand the number of issues I have had over the years because of how I pack. I always ship in a case make sure everything in the case is secure ( had a trem bar get loose one time after the shipper really banged the guitar around and damaged both the case and the guitar) I make sure the guitar is tight in the case and many times will add packing to secure the guitar in the case. Bubble wrap the case before it goes in the box and always pad both ends of the box plus make sure I use a high quality thick guitar shipping box ect. In the winter I will wrap the case and bubble in a large trash bag as a moisture barrier also. Do this every time and you should have no issues unless the shipper gets absolutely crazy with the package and in that case insurance will cover it.
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JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
The other thing to consider is if you’re going to loosen the strings, you’ll also need to loosen the truss rod.
I did loosen the strings, truss rod, and remove the floating bridge from a mandolin I shipped.
I did loosen the strings, truss rod, and remove the floating bridge from a mandolin I shipped.
solspirit
Ultimate Post Liker
Excellent point or it totally makes it useless
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
Further, a local PRS dealer told me when he gets guitars shipped in, he opens the case, strums a chord, tweaks the tuning if necessary, then hangs them on the wall.
That leads me to believe PRS ships them tuned to pitch and setup.
That leads me to believe PRS ships them tuned to pitch and setup.
Metalman_666
Well-known member
I've bought only 3 guitars that were shipped to me from outside Canada. One Kramer with a Floyd on it was absolutely perfect when I opened up the case!
The other two fixed bridges were slightly out of tune but rock solid after I broke them in a bit.
If we're talking acoustics then more caution maybe. When I brought a flamenco guitar back from Spain I loosened the strings completely, and wrapped the whole guitar in a towel inside the case. No idea if all of that was necessary but traveling from an Oceanside climate to frigid Canadian winter, it survived
Maybe it has to do with Gremlins from time to time?
Enviado desde mi SM-F926W mediante Tapatalk
The other two fixed bridges were slightly out of tune but rock solid after I broke them in a bit.
If we're talking acoustics then more caution maybe. When I brought a flamenco guitar back from Spain I loosened the strings completely, and wrapped the whole guitar in a towel inside the case. No idea if all of that was necessary but traveling from an Oceanside climate to frigid Canadian winter, it survived
Maybe it has to do with Gremlins from time to time?
Enviado desde mi SM-F926W mediante Tapatalk
