How to pack a guitar for shipping?

Given the fragility and preciousness of guitars, please pack them carefully before shipping. Always use a sturdy case, preferably the original guitar case. Carefully fill all gaps with packing foam, foam pellets, bubble wrap, and packing tape to ensure the instrument won't move excessively inside the case and cause damage. Additionally, it's best to loosen the strings slightly to reduce the risk of them breaking due to excessive tension. The following is a detailed process for packing a guitar:

First, tune the guitar itself, most importantly, loosening the strings. Lowering the pitch by about two octaves releases tension on the fretboard, protecting the string springs from breakage and damage, and preventing scratches on the body. You can also place a cloth or thick paper between the frets and strings to reduce wear. Furthermore, any moving parts of the guitar should be securely wrapped in packaging material to prevent damage. The headstock is one of the most vulnerable parts of the instrument, so be sure to wrap it properly to avoid unnecessary damage.

Secondly, choose your instrument case carefully. If you already have one, that's ideal. If not, here are three ways to obtain one: First, use a military-grade SKB instrument case. If you're shipping multiple instruments, Enki, Scott Dixon, or Quantum Industries instrument cases are the top choices for ensuring safety. Second, visit your local guitar shop; there, you can find a perfectly sized case with padding on all sides. Third, choose a discarded electrical appliance box and cut it to the appropriate size. A sturdy instrument case provides extra protection inside the packaging.

Next, wrap the guitar with cloth, then wrap the entire guitar with bubble wrap. This prevents the guitar from rubbing against the sides of the case. Be careful to avoid direct contact between the bubble wrap and the finish, as nitrocellulose lacquer can easily be damaged by the chemical reaction of the bubble wrap.

Then fill in the gaps, especially around the headstock, as this area is most susceptible to damage during transport. The neck also needs extra support. Place some filler—such as cloth, newspaper, or more bubble wrap—between the fretboard and strings for protection. Fill all gaps until the guitar needs to be slightly pressed down to fit.

Finally, pack the instrument case into a suitably sized box or crate—the box shouldn't be too large to minimize movement during transport. We recommend using our plastic crates, as they offer excellent protection for temperature-sensitive items—especially stringed instruments. Leave some space between the case and the crate, filling it with bubble wrap. Pack all small, loose parts (such as vibrato arms, capos, etc.) separately to prevent scratching the instrument. Then, securely seal the box crate and clearly affix your shipping labels.

Of course, if you find that troublesome, you can also have us pack it carefully. You will only need to pay an extra packaging fee. As a logistics agent, we have professional logistics personnel, so you can rest assured! You may be a little worried about the cost, but don't worry, I will answer all your cost questions in the next chapter.

How much does it cost to ship a guitar from China to the USA?

The shipping cost of a guitar from China to the United States is determined by several factors, such as distance, weight, and size. These factors have been detailed in our previous blog post. This applies not only to guitars but to the shipping of all items.

Below is an example price for shipping a 20-pound guitar case measuring 50 inches x 20 inches x 8 inches from Shenzhen, China, to the United States. Of course, if your origin and destination, size, etc., are different, you can also directly use ChinaDivision's built-in calculator to search and check the cost.

In addition to the basic costs mentioned above, shipping a guitar requires additional expenses, such as packaging, insurance, etc. Here's a detailed list:

How to save the cost of shipping a guitar?

After reading the above two chapters, you should have a general understanding of how much it costs to ship a guitar from China to the United States. You might think the price is a bit high, so in this chapter, I will introduce some tips to reduce costs:

• Arrange shipping as early as possible and avoid expedited shipping:

Expedited shipping is much more expensive than normal speed shipping, and it usually requires air freight. For cost-effectiveness, it is best to choose land transportation.

• Avoid peak season transportation:

such as shopping seasons like Christmas and Black Friday, when transportation demand surges, leading to increased transportation costs. Heavy trucks consume more fuel, and increased freight volume also drives up labor costs. Carriers will pass on these additional costs to shippers in the form of surcharges. It is recommended to choose off-peak periods such as November and December.

• Choose the smallest possible packaging box:

just big enough to fit the guitar case, as guitar shipping costs are usually calculated based on volumetric weight, not actual weight. Volumetric weight billing means the carrier charges based on the package's volume, not its weight. This method is typically used for items that are relatively large but lightweight, such as guitars.

• Partnering with logistics providers for greater discounts:

By partnering with professional logistics providers, you'll enjoy their shipping discounts. This is because these logistics companies have long-term partnerships with international logistics companies like DHL, allowing them to secure larger discounts. If you don't regularly ship large volumes of goods, you won't be able to enjoy the discounted prices offered by international logistics companies like DHL.

FAQs

1、Can I ship my guitar in a guitar bag?

While it's possible, shipping a guitar in just a bag is extremely risky. A guitar bag offers far less protection than a sturdy cardboard box, and the risk is significant. Furthermore, most courier companies won't accept this method if your guitar is valuable. Therefore, it's highly recommended to use a hard-shell guitar case and place it in a suitably sized cardboard box to prevent damage.

2、How to ensure the guitar packaging is secure enough?

After all the packaging is complete, you can shake it. If there is no sound, it means the guitar is packaged very securely, and there is a high probability that there will be no problems during transportation. If you can still hear a sound, I still suggest you open the box and repack it to ensure secure transportation.

Reference:

1、With package theft at an all-time high, Amazon and others are fighting back

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/10/package-theft-how-amazon-google-others-are-fighting-porch-pirates.html

2、HOW TO SHIP GUITAR AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS INTERNATIONALLY

https://www.dhl.com/discover/en-hk/logistics-advice/import-export-advice/ship-guitars-and-other-instruments

3、How to ship a guitar

https://www.fedex.com/en-dm/shipping/packaging/how-to-pack/how-to-ship-guitars.html