Proper packing is the secret to successful guitar shipping. Preparing a guitar for shipment is not difficult or expensive, but it does require some planning.

How to pack a guitar is a question that comes up frequently among eBay buyers and sellers. The mystery surrounding packing guitars stems from their fragile nature. Guitars can suffer damage from extreme changes in temperature and humidity. A severe impact during shipping can crack the wood or even snap off a headstock. A good packing job will ensure that your guitar arrives safely with a minimum of risk.

There are 2 steps to packaging a guitar: Finding the packing materials and packing the instrument.

The Packing Materials

The first step is to gather the packing materials. They can be purchased at most shipping supply stores, or they can be scavenged. You will need:

• An exterior carton:
  Use double-wall corrugated cardboard with a high burst-test rating. The guitar in its case should fit into the box with at least 2 inches of clearance left all the way around. You can obtain a ready-made guitar box from a music store for cheap or free. Or you can get some corrugated board and make your own box.             
• A plastic bag to put the guitar in:
  Manufacturers use a plastic bag to keep moisture out if the humidity changes during shipping. A trash can liner works just as well. Be sure to squeeze the air out and tape the bag shut.
• Polystyrene peanuts:
  The large "C-shaped" styro nuts work better because they are self-locking. Avoid using foam nuts; they do not offer enough protection. Most guitars require 2 or 3 cubic feet of styro nuts.
• A roll of bubble-wrap:
  Wide sheets of bubble wrap with small bubbles works best for wrapping the guitar body inside of the case. I prefer bubble wrap with the large bubbles for securing the headstock. You'll need 10 or 15 feet of small-bubble wrap and a couple of feet of large bubble wrap.
• A tape gun with box-sealing tape, an exacto knife, and a metal ruler or straight edge:
  Use 2-inch wide clear plastic shipping tape or monkey tape. You'll need a whole roll. An exacto knife and a metal straight edge are necessary if the box needs to be cut down.

Packing the Guitar

Once the materials are gathered, the guitar can be packed in just a few minutes

First, loosen the string tension and place the guitar in a plastic bag. Position the bubble wrap so it can wrap around the guitar body easily.

If the guitar is a loose fit in the case, wrap it in layers of bubble wrap. The guitar should be snug but not too tight in the case. This guitar needed several layers of bubble wrap to make it snug. The idea is to cushion the guitar so that the bubble wrap can act as a shock absorber in the event of an impact. The guitar must not be rigid or too tight in the case.

Wrap the neck and headstock with bubble wrap, preferably the kind with large bubbles. Make sure to fill the headstock cavity completely - top and bottom. The headstock should be snug but not too tight in the case. You can pop some of the bubbles by slitting them with a razor blade until the top closes snugly.

Securing the headstock is the most important step in packing a guitar. A snapped-off headstock is the most common injury guitars suffer during shipping. A headstock that is properly cushioned and supported will remain intact except in the most extreme circumstances.

Place the guitar in the exterior carton. Fill the box with polystyrene peanuts. UPS requires at least 2 inches of styro nuts or other "dunnage" on all sides of the instrument. Don't overpack the box with styro nuts, but do remember that they will settle some during transit. Push them in gently until the box is full, but don't force them.

Finally, tape the box shut and carefully cut a small narrow oblong hole in the side to use as a carrying handle.

Other Issues for Consideration

• Shipping a guitar without a case:
  If a guitar has no case you can make one out of corrugated board to take the place of a regular guitar case. This inner protection is important because it creates a nested effect (a box within a box). Some carriers will deny damage claims for guitars that have no case and are not double-boxed.
• Oversize guitars:
  Some guitars, such as bass guitars, have longer necks and may be too large for some shipping carriers to accept, especially if the guitar is in a large rectangular hardshell case. Most regular guitars, both acoustic and electric, will fit within the size requirements of the major shipping companies.
• Shipping companies:
  I've had good luck with all of the major carriers including USPS, UPS, and FedEx. I prefer quick shipping (overnight or air) because I figure the less time a guitar spends in an uncontrolled temperature and humidity environment, the better. Shipping guitars early in the week reduces the chances that they will spend the weekend in a truck or warehouse that is too hot or too cold.
• To loosen the string tension or leave it up to pitch:
  This debate is ongoing and will never be resolved. Some manufacturers and luthiers insist on shipping their guitars with the strings fully tensioned while others do just the opposite. Pro and con arguments notwithstanding, many shipping companies require that strings be de-tensioned as a matter of policy. If the shipper says to loosen the strings then you should do it. Otherwise they may refuse to honor a damage claim.

Packing a guitar is quick and easy when you have the proper materials. I've shipped many guitars over the years without incident. Good packaging ensures that a sales transaction will go smoothly and that both buyer and seller will be happy.

Ashby (Bridg) Allen
AllenConsignments on eBay