It becomes much more likely that a product will get damaged while it is being shipped to someplace else if the product is not prepared for shipping conditions. For example, glass objects should be covered in materials like peanuts to protect them from shattering or taking damage in transit. Today, we are going to be specifically talking about how to prepare a guitar for shipping to lessen the likelihood of it taking any damage.
Preparing a Guitar for Shipping:
There is a 3 to 4-step process written by FedEx on how to prepare a guitar for shipment that will provide the guitar with more protection for shipping.
The first step is to loosen the guitar’s strings. There are two benefits to this. First is the fact that strings are more prone to snapping when they are in high tension and loosening the strings will prevent that from happening. Also, sharp corners or similar things can cut into or damage strings more easily if they are tightened as well. The second reason is that tightened strings with tension will give more stress to the neck of the guitar and especially in lower-quality guitars, the tightened strings can increase the chance of the neck separating from the guitar because of the high tension the neck of the guitar is under.
The second step is to secure the guitar in a case. If you have a guitar case with cushioning, putting the guitar in the case and tightly closing it before you put it in a box will highly improve the security of the guitar and the package will have a very low chance of taking any damage whatsoever. Shipping a guitar without a case is highly risky but if you have to do so, fill the package the guitar is in with foam or soft material and make sure that the guitar does not have place to move around the box. This will also increase the security of the guitar if you are unable to ship it in its own cushioned case.
Shipping a Guitar From a Shipping Location:
After you are done with packaging, you have to take the box the guitar is into a shipping office and give your information about shipping along with a payment method.
Most shipping companies will also provide cushioning materials and packaging services with an additional fee for the shipping process. You can opt for this option and only bring your guitar in a guitar case to the shipping office and the shipping company will handle it from there when you are done giving information like your information, a return address, and a shipping address.
Shipping a Guitar From Home:
Some companies also can pick up your shipment from your home. Keep in mind that the company will ask you to create your packaging where you can use loose-fill peanuts or various cushioning materials to fill the box your guitar is in. Also, don’t forget to write the information on the box, the company can help you with the details. You will also have to use plastic tape to close the box yourself and after giving an application to the shipping company, they will come to your house at a designated time and pick up your package from home.
With this method, you can ship a guitar from the comfort of your home without the need to carry your guitar or package to a shipping company’s office to get it shipped to your desired destination.
Companies That Ship Guitars
Almost every shipping company will accept guitars. Some of them might not accept the shipment if the guitar is not in a case, however, so you have to keep that in mind. There are also companies such as ShipGuitars that are specialized in shipping guitars. If you have a high-value guitar that you need to make sure doesn’t get damaged in the shipping process, these services can be of highly tremendous value to you.
Yes, every shipping company will ship your guitar. However, we recommend that you secure your guitar in its cushioned case and then bring it to the shipping company’s office. This will give you the best chance for the guitar to be not damaged during shipping.
Shipping something as intricate and valuable as a guitar can be a stressful task but with the right precautions, things will most likely go well. However, there is still the chance that something may go wrong but companies have policies against such things we recommend that you read up on.
How expensive is it to ship a guitar?
On average, shipping a guitar will cost $100 to $150 if it is in a cushioned, hard-shell case.
What happens if my guitar gets damaged in shipping?
If you took all the precautions and your guitar still got damaged in shipping, you might be eligible to get paid for the damages that were caused because of the company. However, shipping companies are always elusive in these sorts of topics, and you might need to contact the shipping company you are a customer to confirm their policy on this issue.
