From professional shredders to aspiring pickers, guitar players are notoriously careful when transporting their prized possessions. But many musicians have never had to ship a guitar long distance. Shipping a guitar long distance isn’t as easy as tossing it in the case and sending it on its way. While a guitar case protects the guitar during short transports, it won’t guarantee safety during a long-distance shipment. Here are a few strategies for properly shipping a guitar.
Remove or secure gadgets.
Remove or secure any items in the guitar case. Tuners, capos, picks, slides, and more -- the more items that are removed from the case, the less likely you are to damage the guitar. These items can be placed in the compartment on the inside of the case or in the outside pocket of a gig bag.
Loosen the guitar strings.
Being out of tune isn’t as embarrassing as breaking the headstock. Lower the tension on your strings to take some pressure off the headstock and also avoid snapping your strings.
Secure the headstock with bubble wrap.
The headstock, including the tuners, are among the most vulnerable parts of the guitar during shipping. Wrap the headstock with bubble wrap to keep it from moving in the case and potentially breaking.
Place padding between frets and strings.
Any pressure placed on the strings during shipping can cause damage to the guitar’s frets. You can avoid sustained pressure on the frets by placing a thin padding material between the strings and frets.
Secure the guitar in its case.
Simply placing a guitar in a hard case provides adequate protection for guitars when traveling shorter distances. But when shipping, we recommend filling in any empty spaces in the cases to prevent the guitar from moving or shifting. You can use bubble wrap or foam to fill in the gaps.
Use a proper box or shipping container.
The box or shipping container that you place the case in is as important as the case itself. This box or container provides the final layer of protection for the guitar during shipping. It’s essential that you find a box that allows the case to be tightly packed.
First, wrap the guitar in a layer of two of bubble wrap. You’ll want to leave a little space between the ends of the case and the box or container. Once the guitar case is placed in the box or container, you will again fill in any gaps with bubble wrap, foam, or tightly packed shredded newspaper.
Finish packing the guitar and guitar case by securely taping the box or shipping container. If you’re able to shake the box without hearing anything moving, you’re ready to ship your guitar. You can take the packed guitar to a Pak Mail location near you for the lowest prices and most secure shipping in the industry. Or if you’d rather have the peace of mind of professional packing and shipping, we can do that to. Contact your nearest Pak Mail for more information.