NGD.....F*&^(N UPS and friends

[lerxstcat]

UPS and Fedex are about the same when it comes to shipping damage. I've had holes punched clear through road cases with UPS and a brand new Rhoads arrive through Fedex with its SKB case crunched at the corner of the long wing so badly that the case had to be opened with a prybar! I've had Marshall cabs arrive with holes in the back of them. Of these scenarios I'd say all were the shipper's fault, whether it be UPS or Fedex, except for the Marshall 4x12 cabs. Marshall pretty much ships their cabs with nothing more than a cardboard box and some corner reinforcement strips! And this is supposed to survive the trip from England to here and then on to the buyer? :think: The back of the cab is right up against the cardboard box. Anything that tears the box is pretty much going to hit the cab. BTW, I don't recall where I heard this but I was told whether you write "Fragile" or not on the box makes no difference as they don't pay any attention to that. I would assume the same goes for "This End Up". The box is going anyway it can fit.

Manufacturers ship with minimal packaging because they are big enough customers to have some pull with the shipper if there's damage. UPS owns their own insurance company so they will always try to stiff the little guy shipping A package. They'll deny based on insufficient packing. They aren't going to do that with a manufacturer and lose that huge amount of yearly business. The individual buying and selling to finance GAS? He can fuck off as far as they're concerned.

[roodyrocker]

Ship in cone shaped boxes. I just saved everyone of you some broken packages.

UPS and Fedex would just flatten the point for you and make it stand on that end anyway

Rudy
Metal inc.

[roodyrocker]

Manufacturers ship with minimal packaging because they are big enough customers to have some pull with the shipper if there's damage. UPS owns their own insurance company so they will always try to stiff the little guy shipping A package. They'll deny based on insufficient packing. They aren't going to do that with a manufacturer and lose that huge amount of yearly business. The individual buying and selling to finance GAS? He can fuck off as far as they're concerned.

True, but the fact that Marshall ships those cabs with the back of it right up against the flat outer cardboard has to mean a high rate of damaged cabs. The heads are shipped packed much better, the cabs FAIL

Rudy
Metal Inc.

[MetalHeadMat]

UPS and Fedex would just flatten the point for you and make it stand on that end anyway

Rudy
Metal inc.

[toejam]

Manufacturers ship with minimal packaging because they are big enough customers to have some pull with the shipper if there's damage. UPS owns their own insurance company so they will always try to stiff the little guy shipping A package. They'll deny based on insufficient packing. They aren't going to do that with a manufacturer and lose that huge amount of yearly business. The individual buying and selling to finance GAS? He can fuck off as far as they're concerned.

Good point. I've always found it amazing that manufacturers ship with minimal packing, yet most of us will pack well and be denied when there's a problem.

[lerxstcat]

I also think the shippers' employees are more apt to handle the stuff they get from major customers with care, and toss around our stuff. They probably get reamed if they fuck up a manufacturer's shipment where the company has to work with those customers, so they probably save their angst for our stuff, where they know the company will try to stonewall us.

[roodyrocker]

I also think the shippers' employees are more apt to handle the stuff they get from major customers with care, and toss around our stuff. They probably get reamed if they fuck up a manufacturer's shipment where the company has to work with those customers, so they probably save their angst for our stuff, where they know the company will try to stonewall us.

I don't think they handle the stuff from the manufacturers any better than our own. reason I say that is because back when I bought my Randy Rhoads Marshall from Matt's Music, they damaged 2 out 3 cabs sent to me! One damaged one would go back and another would arrive until I got one in good shape. Matt was awesome taking care of that stuff too

[diatom]

NEVER the headstock

Why not? Just curious. What if the packing around the headstock isn't actually putting any pressure on anything, and is only there in case the guitar moves?

[MetalHeadMat]

Why not? Just curious. What if the packing around the headstock isn't actually putting any pressure on anything, and is only there in case the guitar moves?

If the body is packed well enough, the headstock shouldn't move. That way, if the case gets hit, the body might move, but the headstock will be nice and safe.

If you pack around the headstock so it doesn't move, then that's just it: It wont move. If it gets hit, it'll break off of the packaging.