What Does It Cost to Ship a Guitar These Days?

[Trussrod]

I just shipped a guitar with the neck removed and USPS charged a little under $26. It was in a box that was 25 x 21 x 9 inches and weighed 13 pounds. There was a balloon charge and $400 worth on insurance. Seems really expensive to me.

So what have you guys paid recently? I'd hate to think what it would cost to ship a guitar in a case...

[Twitch]

Yours.

On a serious note, I just shipped a guitar in case from IN to CA for around $30 or $40. That was a large box and $350 insurance through FedEx. I cant remember exactly, I already threw the receipt away and dont save my sent PMs. Maybe it was $45, fuck it, I dont remember.

[Michael Scarn]

wow, that's cheap. I remember paying quite a bit more to ship guitars around the country back in my gear wh0re days.

[Twitch]

What will really bite you in the ass are Vs, Kellys, and amp heads(dont even think about shipping a combo). I shipped a JCM900 4100 from Columbus, IN to Lima OH area(2 and a half hour drive), $500 insured and it cost me $80.

[Trussrod]

What will really bite you in the ass are Vs, Kellys, and amp heads(dont even think about shipping a combo). I shipped a JCM900 4100 from Columbus, IN to Lima OH area(2 and a half hour drive), $500 insured and it cost me $80.

I bought a combo a few months ago and the seller sent it from Texas priority mail. It arrived in two or three days. The guy paid $400 for the amp (which he bought new two months prior) and sold it to me for $250--no extra fees. Take 10 percent off the price he got for it minus at least $50 for shipping and you have to wonder why he didn't just keep the thing--lol.

These shipping fees are only going to get worse.

[Ward]

I sold 4 guitars about a year ago. Shipped them all through the post office with insurance, in cases.

The standard cases (fusions & a dinky) were about $40-$50. But Twitch is right, the big cases get you. I sold a warrior and it cost me $91 to ship that to Chicago from NH with insurance. I think the shipping was $73, insurance was $18 if I remember correctly.

[djpharoah]

I've shipped and sold a lot of guitars (100+). I saved myself a ton of money by switching to Geico.. no really- what I meant to say is that I saved a lot of money by making an online account with Fedex. Then I'd setup my shipping there and then just go drop it off at a store.

Average guitar prices are like $25-30 (depending where in the US) but sometimes for high insurance (Custom guitars) items it can go to like $60.

[Trem]

70 bucks for a RR1 in it's case. Fed Ex.

[Chad]

I use the FedEx account at my workplace. It's around $20 to $40 depending on how far it's going, residential or commercial, insurance value and other add-ons, etc. Back in March of this year, I shipped an ESP EX (oversize case) from Indiana to California residential insured for $1,000 with a Direct Signature and it was $31.

[Animus]

I've shipped and sold a lot of guitars (100+). I saved myself a ton of money by switching to Geico.. no really- what I meant to say is that I saved a lot of money by making an online account with Fedex. Then I'd setup my shipping there and then just go drop it off at a store.

Average guitar prices are like $25-30 (depending where in the US) but sometimes for high insurance (Custom guitars) items it can go to like $60.

Weird. I have a Fedex account setup and got quoted online for this one guitar and it was like 75 bucks. I actually drove down to the Fedex and it was only $46 for the same everything.

[Trem]

I guess i'm doing it wrong, it's usually over 60 bucks here, fuck.

[Michael Scarn]

I guess i'm doing it wrong, it's usually over 60 bucks here, fuck.

nah bro, I never spent less than 60 to ship a guitar. I don't know how these guys are getting such great deals. I mean I think I maybe paid 40 to ship an ESP kh2 to NY, but that was uninsured USPS. Never again lol. The guitar did arrive, but it got lost like twice (with no means of tracking) and took approx 4 weeks to get there.

Since then I went insured UPS/Fedex and never spent less than 60.

[Michael Scarn]

don't remember what the insurance cost, I thought it was cheap, but it may have made the difference that I was shipping guitars that were worth 1-2k, and I always had them insured for the proper amount.

[tomanyjacksons]

I've seen it brought up on here before. We need to start a shipping service of our own where all of the members around the country share a part of the ride. One person takes a little ways to another and so on. But you can't trust everybody so I guess it's all just a dream. I won't ship anything bigger than the size of my hand. I would rather deal locally or just hand deliver it. Road trip!!!!!

[DalyTek]

I guess i'm doing it wrong, it's usually over 60 bucks here, fuck.

Yeah, this is pretty much how I feel too.