How to ship a guitar

[Black Mariah]

Re: How to ship a guitar

I'll answer the detuned/tuned question once and for all.

It doesn't matter.

An impact hard enough to break a neck is going to break it, end of story. If the break is in the right place, the strings may make the problem worse, but that's quite unlikely.

One of the major problems is that people fill a box up a little ways with peanuts, put the box in, and throw some peanuts on top. [img]graemlins/nono.gif[/img] It isn't going to work that way. You need a box big enough for peanuts to get all around the case. The peanuts, not the box and not the case, are your impact protection. They are what absorbs the hit. You HAVE to have enough packing material all around the case, not just at the ends.

One final note. From what I saw, there weren't any guitas sent out from Jackson that were just the cased guitar in a box. Everything I saw was the cased guitar in box tossed into a bigger box with a lot of peanuts in it. They may have shipped stuff out other ways, but I didn't hang around the shipping department all day asking about it. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Chameleonfong]

Re: How to ship a guitar

Originally posted by Chuckracer:

Here's a GMW Strat ready to be put in a box:



"Get Justin to appraise it" ROTFLMAO!! [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Chucker is that GMW Strat a replica of the Jake. E.Lee's Charvel? Man!!she is SWEET!!! [img]graemlins/drool2.gif[/img]

Fong

[Newc]

Re: How to ship a guitar

BM - Yup, Jackson did ship JCF01 out in a single box with no packing other than two single-wrapped layers of bubblewrap at the top and bottom of the case (head and body, whatever). The carton was kinda thick, IIRC, but it wasn't a box within a box.

Newc

[Black Mariah]

Re: How to ship a guitar

Originally posted by Newc:
BM - Yup, Jackson did ship JCF01 out in a single box with no packing other than two single-wrapped layers of bubblewrap at the top and bottom of the case (head and body, whatever). The carton was kinda thick, IIRC, but it wasn't a box within a box.

Newc

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Alright, I'll toss a caveat onto my above statements. I have no clue what they did out in Ontario, I'm just speaking about what I saw here in Fort Worth. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Newc]

Re: How to ship a guitar

Oh yeah, the imports you worked with at Ft Worthless [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img] were probably done that way, but then again when I got my DK2 brand new from Lloyd it was just the guitar in the SKB in a Charvel box that was just big enough to hold the case - no padding, no nuttin [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Newc

[Black Mariah]

Re: How to ship a guitar

Originally posted by Newc:
Oh yeah, the imports you worked with at Ft Worthless [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img] were probably done that way, but then again when I got my DK2 brand new from Lloyd it was just the guitar in the SKB in a Charvel box that was just big enough to hold the case - no padding, no nuttin [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Newc

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I know this place is worthless, you can't taunt me with that. [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

What the dealers did after the guitars left here is up to them. They were supposed to open the packaging and inspect the guitars for shipping damage. Not all of them did, so of course I'd get a call from a really nice guy that just happens to be super mega ultra pissed because his $1000 SLSMG has a snapped headstock. They were always REALLY happy when I told them to take it to their dealer and make them handle it. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

BTW, all the SKB cases had the Charvel logo on their boxes. I'm not certain why. It wasn't a Charvel box, just a box with a Charvel logo. Umm... yeah, I'm gonna go with that. I'm tired and it makes sense to me. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Chuckracer]

Re: How to ship a guitar

Fong, no it's a 1 hum 1 single maple board with a Floyd. Rippen guitar and one I should have kept.

Econ owns it now and I believe he's looking to sell it.

[Chameleonfong]

Re: How to ship a guitar

Originally posted by Chuckracer:
Fong, no it's a 1 hum 1 single maple board with a Floyd. Rippen guitar and one I should have kept.

Econ owns it now and I believe he's looking to sell it.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">24 frets?


Fong

[shreddermon]

Re: How to ship a guitar

Awesome info, Pete and Chuck. This ought to be a sticky topic! [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

The custom shop does ship guitars exactly as Newc described it. Guitar in its SKB case, in a snug-fit Charvel-logo'd box. And there's just a tiny foam sheet at the top and bottom, between the box & case. No double-boxing. I've received several new guitars just like this. And I'm totally with BM on tuning.

However, one thing to add with respect to Floyd'd guitars: loosen the locknut clamps! If the box takes a hit in the area of the neck, the longer stringed neck area will flex a bit, while the shorter headstock... NOT so much! The reduced wood around the Floyd nut and the differing tensions contribute to SNAP, CRACKLE, POP! It's even worse for through-the-neck screws. Loosening the clamps allows the headstock tension to vary along with neck.

BTW, every guitar that I've received from the custom shop has been received like that: standard tuning (..well, special UPS microtuning in transit [img]graemlins/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] ) and with the locknut loosened.

[Chameleonfong]

Re: How to ship a guitar

Originally posted by Chuckracer:
Fong, no it's a 1 hum 1 single maple board with a Floyd. Rippen guitar and one I should have kept.

Econ owns it now and I believe he's looking to sell it.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Chuck,

Notice you have a 5 way swtich on her. Here's the question, how do you config it with your 1 hum?


Thanx
Fong

[Chuckracer]

Re: How to ship a guitar

Here's a better pic. It's a three way actually.



My silver one has a five way and the same pickup config, and that one is bridge hum, outer coils of both, both hum, inner coils of both, and neck hum.

I want to point out again that I no longer own this guitar, Econ does. It's a good one. Wanna see it in a black pickguard with two hums?



That's cooler than the Custom Shop Generator, isn't it? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Chameleonfong]

Re: How to ship a guitar

Originally posted by Chuckracer:
Here's a better pic. It's a three way actually.



My silver one has a five way and the same pickup config, and that one is bridge hum, outer coils of both, both hum, inner coils of both, and neck hum.

I want to point out again that I no longer own this guitar, Econ does. It's a good one. Wanna see it in a black pickguard with two hums?



That's cooler than the Custom Shop Generator, isn't it? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">[img]graemlins/drool2.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/drool2.gif[/img]

Fong [img]graemlins/drool2.gif[/img]

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: How to ship a guitar

Originally posted by Black Mariah:
I'll answer the detuned/tuned question once and for all.

It doesn't matter.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Common sense would say otherwise. A set of .10s tuned to standard pitch exert over 100# of force on a guitar neck. Granted a lot of that is in a direction perpendicular to the neck, but not all. If force is applied (due to being tossed out the back end of a truck, etc.) a direction that the strings are already stressing the neck, the applied force and that static force simply combine until they reach the failure point of the material. Thus, when you start with a static force applied to the neck (from the strings), it then takes relatively less force in that same direction (from rough handling) before the neck reaches the point of failure.

[j2379]

Re: How to ship a guitar

I have to agree with SLACK THE STRINGS. last week my almost 2 year old son knocked over my ST-3. it fell flat forward onto thick carpet, its was not thrown down just fell forward. now the headstock & neck are 2 seperate peices. its was strung with 10-52's & the crack starts right at the OFR bolt holes, nopt a top mount. every guitar ive shipped out & had shipped to me has had the string slacked & knock on wood all have made it.

[Black Mariah]

Re: How to ship a guitar

Commons sense says a lot of things. What you're forgetting is that the truss rod essentially equals out the force of the strings over much of the neck. Any impact that will break the neck will break it whether the guitar is strung or not.

Unless you're using 14's tuned to a step and a half above standard on an Ibanez. Then all bets are off. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]