Folkway Music instructions for packing a guitar for shipping

[onewilyfool]

Folkway Music’s Guitar Packaging Instructions

 

 

 

1. Use a good guitar shipping box. You can get one at any quality guitar shop. The ones that the expensive guitar brands use to ship with are generally the best – i.e. Martin, Taylor, Santa Cruz, Collings, etc. You can purchase these at the UPS store, too.

 

 

 

2. Detune the guitar and remove the endpin. If the endpin is glued in, ensure adequate padding surrounds it inside the case to avoid impact damage.

 

 

 

3. Write down the shipper’s and receiver’s addresses on a piece of paper and put it inside the guitar case.

 

 

 

4. Stuff crumpled newspaper all around the headstock of the guitar, and in any air cavities within the case – so that the guitar does not move around inside its case. No matter how good or expensive a case might be, don’t trust that it will prevent a headstock break!

 

 

 

5. Make sure that there is a double thickness of cardboard lining the inside of the cardboard shipping box.

 

 

 

6. Make sure that the box you are using is big enough to allow the guitar’s case to have a good 1 to 2 inches of space between it and the cardboard – space which you should fill with crumpled up newspaper.

 

 

 

7. Stuff crumpled up newspaper, packaging peanuts, or bubble wrap all around the case, between it and the cardboard, on all sides. The idea here is that the guitar is not moving around in the case, but if the box is thrown or falls, there is enough cushioning to break the fall, and prevent impact.

 

 

 

8. Tape up the box and write the destination address and the sender’s address on it. Remember to include the country, postal/zip code, and all phone numbers.

 

 

 

9. Get a big marker and write FRAGILE!, TOP LOAD ONLY! All over the box, and draw big arrows pointing to the top.

 

 

 

Doing all of this will ensure that even the most careless shipping company employee will have a hard time breaking the instrument!

[jedzep]

I would add one thing. Look at the inside lining of the case to see if there's an imprint of the bidgepins where the case rests against them. If there is one, consider removing the pins to give additional freeplay inside the case. This is another spot that can wreak havoc on the top in shipping. If you remove the pins, feel free to add some bubble wrap to stabilize the body inside the case, but beware stuffing tightly. A touch of freeplay is just right.