The Steel Guitar Forum

I bought several Pedal steels through the years. I was wondering now that I'm wanting to unload some of the Pedal steels as to what all you people do to set up for shipping. Is card board boxes the way to go. I had some pedal steels sent to me with foam board between the case and card board box. I would be most thankfull for your ways of shipping a newely sold pedal steel. TKS Thom

Greg Cutshaw has some excellent information on this subject...
http://www.gregcutshaw.com/Shipping%20S ... teels.html

Thanks Chas for the information. This will be of great help to me. Thank You Vary Much. Thom...

They must be packed properly for sure, but for which shipping company I think it is a crapshoot. I have used them all and have been really pretty lucky. Good luck.

Thom, I have shipped Steel Guitars and Amps here in the US and overseas....usually with UPS or the Postal Srevice. Never had any problems with either.

I always pack the interior of the guitar cases with bubble wrap, including the legs and pedal bar and rods. This is to make sure nothing inside moves. I usually use a U-Haul Cardboard box, since their boxes are thicker and sturdier. They cost a little more but are worth it in my opinion. They have a lot of sizes too.

I will allow enough room in sizing the box to put two 3/4 inch pieces of rigid foam insulation, or more, all around the guitar case or Amp, making sure the guitar or amp is packed solid and can't move around inside the box.

I also cut an extra piece of cardboard to put in front of the amp speaker for extra protection. I make sure I tape all the flaps good......top and bottom.

As long as you are under 70 lbs. and not over 108 inches total, You can send it with the USPS most anywhere and in most cases at less cost.

UPS will take the same sizes and even larger but it costs more. I always insure whatever I send.

I make copies of the receipts and send the copies along with pictures of the guitar or amp via E-mail to the person I am sending the item to, in case there is a problem with transit damage. He will have the paper work necessary, and proof of proper packing to deal with whatever comes up.

I know this is a long answer...but that's the way I've done it for years and never had a problem. I wish who ever I buy from on here would pack the same way.

I think it is safer for the instrument to ship FedEx. Ups is a little rough with stuff. A couple things I do is one, put cardboard between the strings and pickups because if it is dropped, the pickups will usually break, so this prevents this, especially a single coil. The other thing I do is wedge a two by four block at the ends of the pedal bar holder part of case after the pedal bar is wrapped. This also prevents damage to guitar and case if it is dropped. Just got a guitar the other day and sure enough, it must have been dropped and it ripped out the bar in the case but guitar wasn't hurt so I was lucky. The case is repairable. I use foam or bubble wrap inside case to make sure guitar can't move around. Have been really lucky and haven't had any guitars damaged at all and have shipped quite a few past years. Also have received quite a few also.

I've talked to different shippers who tell me Fedex is hard to recover a damage claim from. Anyone had any claim recovery experience with different shippers.
I've built and shipped many acoustic and electric guitars using USPS without any problems. Always insure and I like the photo idea. Great advice.

George, never had a FedEx claim but did have a UPS claim that took me nine months to get my $600 back. It was a 16 track reel to reel that they dropped and totally destroyed. They beat around they bush until I just got plumb irate and finally got my money and it was insured. To anyone, just be sure if you receive a package, keep the shipping container until you are sure it's ok. That's why they were so long paying me because I had thrown away the box it was shipped in.

Good advice, thanks Henry.

I would go with FEDEX. UPS destroys a lot of stuff and unless you are doing a lot of business with them are pretty tough to get a claim out of.

I had a fender rhodes restored and shipped via UPS (because i had an account and was trying to save $$$) that made it back to me in several pieces. UPS denied the claim initially because they said it wasnt packed right. I was in a box inside a box and the rhodes is in a wood case!!! But I was persistent and sent the 73 audio files (one for each key) of broken and way out of tune notes to them and they finally sent me a check...some 6-8 weeks later.

Now I send heavier things GREYHOUND. It only gets touched twice...once to load in and once to load out. You can usually be there for both and make $ure it gets handled gently

Just my 2 cents

Fedex All The Way. Sonny.

I have a steel on its way from Bakersfield via UPS. Cross your fingers, say a prayer, or whatever you do for good luck! Actually, I have been lucky with all the carriers, but I know it is a matter of luck. I tend to pack things for the worst and hope for the best.

Dan

Well it turns out there's many things to keep in mind when shipping. I want to thank you all for the good information on shipping my pedal steels. I am looking forward from others for help also. So I want to again thank you all for help on this project. Thom