packing

There's a lot of guitar buying and guitar selling going on over long distances these days. While dealers and private sellers have sold items by mail and phone for many years, the internet has made long distance selling easier for both types of sellers as well as for the average guitar player who has something to sell. And while the vast majority of the thousands of guitars that are shipped each year will reach their destination unharmed, inevitably some will get damaged. Some of that damage can be due to rough and careless handling on the part of the shipper, but as often as not the situation is aided or caused by poor packaging. When you ship a guitar it WILL experience some rough handling, you can count on that. But with a little careful packaging and care you can do a lot to make sure that the handling doesn't result in damage to your guitar. A few very important guidelines for packaging are as follows:

---be certain to loosen ALL of the strings on the guitar completely. Guitar strings exert a great deal of tension on the neck, and if the guitar receives a significant shock during shipping the tension can contribute (not cause, contribute) to the likelihood of a headstock or heel fracture.

---be sure to pack bubble wrap around the headstock of the guitar so the void in the case at the end is completely filled with bubble wrap, immobilizing the headstock. I usually like to put enough bubble wrap below and above the headstock so that you have to gently push the lid closed, compressing the bubble wrap around the headstock. The headstock is vulnerable due to the weight of the tuners and the fact that it has no support anywhere, it's just hanging out there. Packing the headstock as described will lessen the likelihood of a headstock fracture.

---pack bubble wrap around any and all voids or empty spaces that appear between the body of the guitar and the lining of the case. Pay particular

attention to the voids around the heel of the guitar. If there is any space at all between the back of the heel and the back of the case, put padding in to that space. When you latch the case lid, the guitar should not be able to move if the case is shaken.

---when the case is packaged inside the shipping carton, fill all voids around the case with packing peanuts or bubble wrap. If using packaging peanuts, realize that there will be settling during shipping. To protect against settling the shipping carton should be filled to the very top and then shaken to settle the contents. After shaking the carton you'll have an inch or two of space at the top. Refill the new space with peanuts, overfilling slightly so that you have to push the lid flaps closed over the packaging material, providing some compression of the Styrofoam. Sealing the box in this condition will lessen the likelihood of settling that could allow your guitar to shift in the carton. Make sure that you familiarize yourself with the packaging guidelines of the carrier you use so that you will use approved packaging materials. Improper packaging materials will result in the denial of your insurance claim if the instrument is damaged (for example, UPS does not allow the use of crumpled paper as padding for a 'delicate' item like a guitar).

Following these guidelines will help your guitar make it's journey without being damaged. While nothing can take all the risk out of shipping your guitar, you'll have done what is in your power to safeguard your instrument if you pack it properly.