Question: How should I pack an F-30 for NZ?

[jgmaute]

I've got GuitarDude's (Ian's) F-30 and am getting ready to pack it to ship to NZ. Obviously I don't want to be the person who messes this up. I've looked at some videos on YouTube...here's where I am so far...any suggestions will be appreciated (by all three of us, the F-30, Ian, and me)

I've read this article someone posted in an earlier thread Packing Up My Old Guitar
It is in a new nice fitting hscase.
I've taken the end pin out and loosened the strings.
I've got some newspaper to crush and put in the case to fill any open space so it won't move around (especially around the neck and head)

I've got a Martin Guitar shipping box
The shipping box comes with two very substancial corrugated cardboard inserts,
one that goes in the bottom of the box to support the base of the case
one that goes in the top of the box, on top of the top of the case, that immobilizes the case

Has anyone used a Martin box to ship? John, the owner of my local shop where I got the box, said new Martins come packed in these boxes without any paper between the case and the box because the cardboard inserts take care of keeping the guitar/case from moving around. I tried Ian's case in the box and this seems to be the situation.

So...I'm thinking I don't need to put any newspaper (or anything else) inside the box...well, maybe some beneath and above the cardboard inserts but not any on the sides...

Suggestions?

Here's a picture of the case in the inserts in front of the box so you can see what I'm talking about.
Thanks for your help, joan

 

[Qvart]

I've got GuitarDude's (Ian's) F-30 and am getting ready to pack it to ship to NZ. Obviously I don't want to be the person who messes this up. I've looked at some videos on YouTube...here's where I am so far...any suggestions will be appreciated (by all three of us, the F-30, Ian, and me)

Hey Joan,

I don't have a lot of experience shipping acoustics (I've done more electrics) but after hanging around here for awhile I have a feeling you'll get as many opinions and personal stories as there are ways to pack up a guitar.

It looks to me like you've got everything pretty well covered - good HSC, good box, pulled the end pin, loosened the strings, packed the inside spaces of the case, etc. I don't know about not packing around the case and relying solely on the cardboard inserts. It might be okay if Martin does it like that, but I'd still probably feel the need to pack something around it. I prefer to use the styrofoam peanuts, but newspaper would probably do well too. Even if the box is sturdy I would worry about something puncturing it where there's empty space underneath and maybe some more packing would help. And anything to act like a cushion or cocoon around the guitar case.

I don't know.......can you really overpack? Sometimes I have a guy I trust up the road pack them and he always fills in every bit of space with some kind of packing material. The UPS store staff here have said the same too. And since it's going more than halfway around the world I'd overdo it rather than under-do it.

Sounds like you have it well under control. Good luck!
-G.

 

[jgmaute]

I've got GuitarDude's (Ian's) F-30 and am getting ready to pack it to ship to NZ. Obviously I don't want to be the person who messes this up. I've looked at some videos on YouTube...here's where I am so far...any suggestions will be appreciated (by all three of us, the F-30, Ian, and me)

Hey Joan,

I don't have a lot of experience shipping acoustics (I've done more electrics) but after hanging around here for awhile I have a feeling you'll get as many opinions and personal stories as there are ways to pack up a guitar.

It looks to me like you've got everything pretty well covered - good HSC, good box, pulled the end pin, loosened the strings, packed the inside spaces of the case, etc. I don't know about not packing around the case and relying solely on the cardboard inserts. It might be okay if Martin does it like that, but I'd still probably feel the need to pack something around it. I prefer to use the styrofoam peanuts, but newspaper would probably do well too. Even if the box is sturdy I would worry about something puncturing it where there's empty space underneath and maybe some more packing would help. And anything to act like a cushion or cocoon around the guitar case.

I don't know.......can you really overpack? Sometimes I have a guy I trust up the road pack them and he always fills in every bit of space with some kind of packing material. The UPS store staff here have said the same too. And since it's going more than halfway around the world I'd overdo it rather than under-do it.

Sounds like you have it well under control. Good luck!
-G.

Thanks G...Good suggestion to fill in the space. I'm sure I can find something around here to do the trick.

By the way, did you go hear Nanci Griffith last night in Asheville? I heard her in Newberry on Friday then spent some time with the band and tour folks yesterday morning (we were at the same hotel and they saw our guitar cases...)...great concert and really nice folks. (Tommy, her backup/lead guitarist, played my M-20 and loved it. He also left comp tickets at the box office for my friend who was with me who lives in Asheville.)

 

[FNG]

I've always put some bubble wrap on the top and bottom of the inserts, just for luck.

Put everything loose in a zip lock in the cargo compartment.

Some folks say keep some tension on the strings...tune it down a half step.

Pack the headstock well. The guitar should not be able to shift at all in the case.

No need for any packing materials in the box, if the case fits tightly in the inserts.

Good luck!!!

 

[Qvart]

By the way, did you go hear Nanci Griffith last night in Asheville?

No, I didn't. 1) I don't know who she is. 2) I was the epitome of lazy this weekend! I got the Mountain Express paper to see who was playing here this weekend but all I did was the crossword. Haven't done anything but sit around strumming guitars, and playing the cheap bass my roommate had that he gave me. Oh, I guess I did take the DCE1 outside for a bunch of pics because I might sell it. The weekend went by way too fast!

 

[West R Lee]

Joan,

I sent Coastie's A25 to him Texas to New Zealand and here's what I did.

Either remove or pack with bubble wrap both sides of the endpin at the bottom of the guitar. I didn't remove it, I packed both sides of the endpin enough to take up any slack between the bottom of the guitar and the case. If dropped on the bottom, this would not allow the endpin to be crammed into the bottom of the guitar.

Loosen the strings......about a step or two. This supports the neck without stressing it.

Support the back of the headstock, while allowing the neck to lay in the neck supporting part of the case. You don't want to have the headstock be able to flop around in there.

Do put any loose objects in a bag of some kind in the case compartment. I learned this one the hard way as I bought a D55 and the seller sent it with a spare set of bridge pins in the compartment, they shook out and put a deep gash in the top.

Allow enough room in the shipping carton to pad the guitar top, bottom and sides if you can with newspaper or bubble wrap that the case will be supported and cushioned inside the box for the trip.

And use USPS. It will take them longer, but will literally cost about 5 times less than UPS or Fedex, they are reliable, and I'd think in the unfortunate event of a claim, you won't have a problem. To ship Gary's guitar, UPS and Fedex wanted around $600, USPS shipped, insured for twice the value, for $127.

Just make sure the entire guitar and case can't move, either in the box or in the case, without mashing it in there in anyway. Just take up all of the potential movement.

It took Gary's guitar 1 1/2 to 2 weeks to arrive in New Zealand, and USPS's tracking system isn't the best, but Gary said she arrived without so much a a dent, crease or a hole in the box on the other side of the world.

Good luck,
West

 

[Default]

Just to mention, USPS doesn't do surface shipping anymore and hasn't for a while. In the States, Fedex uses it's planes to ship the USPS expedited packages. Not sure what carrier takes it overseas, but it's going in a plane, not a boat. It's also cheaper because there are certain fees that are waived between national postal services. Fedex and UPS have to pay those fees and hence the higher cost.
Archtop.com has a superb set of instructions on packing guitars, if you want to check your packing job against that.
Steve

 

[Ian]

Hi All,

And a quick note of thanks to all involved from this end. I really appreciate the effort you are putting in to this for me Joan, as you know I was stuck getting it otherwise. Really looking forward to finally receiving the Guitar. BTW Joan that case looks great, I wasn't expecting that !!

Thanks for everyones input with this.

Cheers, Ian

 

[southernGuild]

Hey, good on ya Ian!!! that packing looks great and that guitar should be a real winner!!! I look foreward to hearing from you that all is well and GREAT with that new F30!!! Stress NOT!!! ....it is the guitars destiny to come to YOU!! LUCKY LUCKY YOU!!!!!

 

[Ian]

Hi Southernguild,

Yes I'm really looking forward to it's arrival. I'll write a detailed description of events when it gets here, but suffice to say it's been a very protracted and frustrating exercise, of which Joans been an absolute tower of strength throughout.

A full review and photo's to follow upon it's arrival (be warned: It's not pretty....)

Cheers, Ian

 

[stig]

Well, it's coming up on summer there, so I guess some shorts, flip-flops, and sunscreen... 8)

 

[jgmaute]

Thanks to everyone for your help. Ian's F-30 (and he's right, it isn't pretty but man does it know how to sing!) is safely packed from inside to outside, all taped up, arrows pointing up, and ready to go to the USPS today. I'm sure it's looking forward to its new home and is so glad it didn't need any shots or to renew its passport. By the way Ian, I've been playing my M-20 this weekend and I'm finally getting used to the 1 5/8 neck. Later today I'll post some pictures of it being played by some serious guitarists all of whom told me to suck it up and adjust to the neck because there's no way I should let it go!
joan

 

[Ian]

OOOOh It's just like Christmas when I was a kid.......

 

[jgmaute]

Ian...Is it there yet?

OOOOh It's just like Christmas when I was a kid.......

Well Ian, it left South Carolina on Monday and they said 6-10 days so by now it should be at least half way...let's hope it's through Georgia! No tracking #...I guess maybe you don't get them on international packages even when they're insured. Look out the window...can you see it approaching? I think I'm as interested as you are, I just want to know it made it there safely. You may want to check previous posts about cleaning it. I sent it to you just as I got it. It'll be ready for a good old cleaning followed by a spit shine with your favorite polish. jm

 

[West R Lee]

Joan,

If you don't mind my asking, what did it cost to ship? Did you check with other shippers? Like I said earlier, when I checked on shipping Coastie's, UPS and Fedex were in the $600 range, USPS shipped, insured for $1000 for $127, I'm curious as to if the difference is still so dramatic?

West

 

[jgmaute]

Joan,
If you don't mind my asking, what did it cost to ship? Did you check with other shippers? Like I said earlier, when I checked on shipping Coastie's, UPS and Fedex were in the $600 range, USPS shipped, insured for $1000 for $127, I'm curious as to if the difference is still so dramatic?
West

Yes, it's still that dramatic..the reason I got it and shipped it for Ian is that the store would only ship UPS and it was in the 450-550 range. USPS was around $130 including insurance. I think someone said the difference is that USPS packages get reduced rate on the planes that take the packages...not sure. BUT, with USPS you've got to make sure your box doesn't exceed 108" in girth (the martin box just made it with an inch or two to spare) or you're back up in the 450-550 range. The weight, 19.5 lbs, didn't seem to matter as much as the size.

 

[West R Lee]

:shock: Yes, I remember now. I shipped a D55 to Scratch down in San Antonio via USPS and the girth was like 107 1/2". She commented that I barely made it.

Thanks,
West

 

[Ian]

Hi West,

Joan's bang on about the shipping cost, but the funny thing is that the Martin I got from Elderly via Fedex was nothing like their usual cost, only $245.00 to get it here. I tried to get an explanation from Fedex here about the discrepancy (they quoted me over $600.00), but didnt get any clear reason. My guess is that Elderly get some sort of preferential rate with Fedex due to the amount of business they do ?

Has anyone else struck the same problem getting a guitar from the US ?

Cheers, Ian

 

[jgmaute]

Ian...while you're waiting

Ian, getting bored waiting for the F-30? Well, you might as well check out this thread for some ideas as to how to clean and spit shine your F-30 once you get it Guitar Polish jm

 

[southernGuild]

Just a note of support to JG and Guitardude on that postage cost, Yes, USPS is excellent...even to Australia, cost is around $130-$175 tops. insurance and tracking included......arrives in about 6 days. UPS wanted to charge about $600 us for the SAME deal . I have never had a problem ..YET. That D25 will be coming here at a cost of about $170us. Just gotta fit within that 108 Girth scale. Thats all! Cheers SG