The Steel Guitar Forum

I will also add that when I purchased my Bigsby, I had the shipping company OVERNIGHT the package to me. Very expensive to do so, but my rationale was that it was a lot easier to find the money than it was to find another Bigsby. Something to consider when shipping a one-of-a-kind item. Just sayin'...

Damir Besic wrote:JD , double boxing doesn’t do any good here, this damage was done on the inside the case after they dropped that guitar really nice and hard several times … tuners broke off on impact inside the case , it wouldn’t made any difference if guitar was triple boxed … after tuner broke off it was tumbling inside the case , and eventually damaged formica when guitar was dropped hard again … this has been happening quite often lately …not really worried about selling volume, I work 10-12 hours 6 days a week , so don’t have much time for guitars anyway

If it can MOVE inside the case/box... it will self destruct. It's like hitting a car without seat belts and airbags to hold you in "place".

The sad truth of today's business "culture" (or rather total LACK of any CULTURE) is that you have to count on the fact that NOBODY cares. Employees at shipping companies and airports seem to believe that actually WORKING and CARING is some form of abuse or "micro-agression".
I have long come to conclude that one needs to pack taking the WORST in-humane behavior into account. I want my packages to be "throwable" and to withstand a same size and weight package being thrown on top of it, not "accidentally" but with intention.

I haven't had any losses but I still expect to be proven one day that I have underestimated the destructiveness of stupidity.

I am very sorry for your loss, and Boy, do I get the way you feel.

Mid 60's I was a tech for a jukebox and background music co in Harrisburg, Pa. The vendor that the company bought receivers (for background music) demonstrated packaging testing for our Supervisor. He said they packaged a receiver (with tubes) and then dropped it 6 times from the packing table to cement floor. Then opened the package to check the receiver, both physical and electronically. If all was OK they considered the way it was packed was OK and could be used for shipping.

brand new MSA, factory packed in heavy duty flight case, nothing moves , nothing rattles , 100% perfect fit … arrived with cracked neck … if you ship it, they can break it…

Damir,
Does UPS reimburse you for the cost of the repairs?

I recently shipped a Peavey VB2 head (about the same size and a bit heavier than a cased S10) and the customer paid to have it packed by UPS. IIRC, I dropped it off at a UPS location where it cost about $150 and that included all packing material and insurance. That was double what it had cost me to ship a similar amp (packed myself) 10 years ago, but at this point it's worth it to me for them to do the hassle and bear all the responsibility/liability.

Karl Paulsen wrote:Damir,
Does UPS reimburse you for the cost of the repairs?

I recently shipped a Peavey VB2 head (about the same size and a bit heavier than a cased S10) and the customer paid to have it packed by UPS. IIRC, I dropped it off at a UPS location where it cost about $150 and that included all packing material and insurance. That was double what it had cost me to ship a similar amp (packed myself) 10 years ago, but at this point it's worth it to me for them to do the hassle and bear all the responsibility/liability.

yes, and if they packed it , they’re on the hook , and you’re good

This is a new one on me. UPS tracking this morning, from the "Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction" department:

Estimated Delivery
Wednesday
October 27
Today

Status
Undeliverable

Shipping Activity
Oct 27
1:00 AM
Merchandise is missing. UPS will notify the sender with additional details.
All merchandise missing, empty carton was discarded. UPS will notify the sender with details of the damage.
STATE COLLEGE, PA

Oct 26
3:13 PM
Arrived at Facility New Stanton, PA
.
.
.

that is a new one for me too 🤔

Damir Besic wrote: the other day I was cashing my paycheck and they started asking me why I need the money, and for what …

I would have told them that hookers require the money up front.......

I always used FedEx Ground and never had so much as one bad experience with them.
PRR

Paul Redmond wrote:I always used FedEx Ground and never had so much as one bad experience with them.
PRR

you are very lucky man Paul

What I worry about when shipping is securing the space between the pickup and the case. 2 to 4 lb. of weight hanging by 2 or 4 little screws will not hold if the steel falls then stops solid.
An area steeler shipped a steel to Texas to meet a bus for a tour. When he opened the case a pickup was flopping around between the strings and the casting, Had to rent a steel and sent his steel back home. A local tech repaired the steel.
Never heard the outcome with the insurance.

That is why I met a buyer and delivered a steel last summer, The guitar made the trip under my insurance till in his possession.

Bobby, that’s the best way to do it , if possible

Damir Besic wrote:It’s not just about a damage , guitar before the last one they lost, and couldn’t find it for weeks… but the other big problem is cost, I can’t hardly ship and insure any guitar for less than $200, if I’m shipping more expensive guitars price goes up fo almost $400 … this is ridiculous…. like Johny, I think maybe not stop shipping all together, but not sure about that… the other problem are banks , holding checks and money orders for days , and on the brink of collapse any day… the other day I was cashing my paycheck and they started asking me why I need the money, and for what … world around us is changing rapidly, and it looks like it’s going to be only “cash and carry” option for me soon …

Damir,
For shipping amps I have had several trouble free experiences using Greyhound…yes the bus people…they do shipping and cost is less than the “Big 3” major shippers. Also a plus is package doesn’t change vehicles at ten different hubs so there is much less hands on handling. They run a tight regular schedule and delays are pretty infrequent. Meet the bus at the scheduled arrival time and driver unloads it from under the bus, you take it and open it right there if you want, take it and go. The downside is if i am not mistaken they have a $1,000 limit on insured value.

You can pack immaculately ,everything perfect with no movement and still get body cracks if its dropped.. seen it more than once..Also the very best packing job on the planet can't withstand a forklift right through the box,case and into the body of the steel guitar.. THEN, they denied making reimbursement for the damage, until I finally got hold of upper management and told them they WERE coming to court here locally, or paying for the damage.. finally they payed but it was a big pain, and I don't want to go through it again. they tried desperately to delay and deny.That was Fedex, whom I trusted for years and years.. I no longer trust ANY of them.... bob

Patrick , Grayhound sounds great, but just a thought of walking in the Grayhound terminal down town Nashville , gives me chills lol…

Bob, you nailed it … exactly my experience

I had a steel shipped to me via Greyhound, and it was great. Very economical as well. The box was hand loaded into the bus baggage compartment and not handled again until it was unloaded at the destination. Some routes may require a change of busses, but still, the handling is minimal. The receiver should to be there to meet it at the station, but I'd certainly do that before relying on home delivery by UPS, FedEx, or some other entity.

It is sad that shipping is such a hit or miss proposition. I know people who work for shipping outfits who are very conscientious but I think they are getting to be the exception and not the norm. My Sho-Bud Pro II was shipped from Texas to Jersey via UPS and I had it sent to a local UPS Store because I didn't want to take any chances with it being left outside in the elements. It arrived and everything was just fine, HOWEVER, I had it sent to the UPS Store because of a previous BAD experience. I had bought a guitar from an online outfit once and it was sent as "SIGNATURE REQUIRED UPON DELIVERY" but the carrier left it on my uncovered front porch while I was out and of course the skies opened up and we got a rain storm. The guitar was shipped in a case and there was a plastic sheathing over it so there was no damage but still I was fit to be tied and called UPS and the Retailer (not really their fault) but it doesn't do much good as they just BS you and yes you to death.

I think overnight service would be good with Fed-x or UPS but the price is just over the top. You just cannot afford it. I was going to do that one time and I was in complete shock when they told me the price. And their is no guarantee it will get their in good shape. But, $500 might be cheap compared to loss of $3,4,5 thousand dollar guitar. J.R.

You would think a company like Gryphon would know better, but this is what they did to me. A triple neck Stringmaster didn't come with a case. They put it into a cardboard box for an acoustic guitar and filled it with packing peanuts. As it was already 55 years old it was difficult to say what damage occurred but I did have to bolt the three necks back together.

Jerry Gleason wrote:I had a steel shipped to me via Greyhound, and it was great. Very economical as well. The box was hand loaded into the bus baggage compartment and not handled again until it was unloaded at the destination. Some routes may require a change of busses, but still, the handling is minimal. The receiver should to be there to meet it at the station, but I'd certainly do that before relying on home delivery by UPS, FedEx, or some other entity.

Jerry,
EXACTLY! Less handling is less opportunities to break it. I had a Session 500 shipped from Georgia to Texas with zero issues and met the bus at the local truck stop that also serves as the Greyhound terminal. Watched the driver unload it. Took possession of my new emergency aircraft carrier anchor n headed home no issues.
The other plus was you know pretty much EXACTLY what time it arrives no waiting at home all day while some Fedex truck has it “out for delivery “ and it will “be delivered between noon and nine PM” 🙄