Official Luthiers Forum!

OK, my Healdsburg guitars are done and now I've got to get them to Santa Rosa. I need some advice on the best way to get them there. My cases are on the way (hopefully) from Cedar Creek and I should have them early next week. I'm thinking I'll use the boxes the cases came in with some extra packing material and send them off. I know some of you guys out there have shipped guitars all over the country and might be able to give me some helpful hints.

Questions:

Who's the best shipper? USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc.
How much time should I allow for them to arrive @ LMI? (They need to be there no later than 8/17, I'm shipping from Central Texas)
Ballpark cost figure for three guitars?

Thanks.

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Jimmy Caldwell
http://www.caldwellguitars.com

Jimmy, Look into USPS REGISTERED MAIL. It's a very secure service. If they aren't physically in transit, they are signed for and under lock and key in an inside location. No sitting in hot trucks all night...
It's pretty reasonable, cheap infact, to ship them this way. $30-50 one way. Hopefully you won't be shipping them back. :^)
Now, here's the kicker. You have to have PAPER tape on all edges and seams of the box. They go through and date stamp it to make sure it hasn't been tampered with. Also, there are maximum dimensions so you might check on that. Not sure how big your boxes are.
Other than that, I would choose FedEx over UPS. I had a very bad UPS experience involving a crushed guitar and a huge size 12 footprint smack dab in the middle of the box. That bad experience aside, it just seams like FedEx stuff is cleaner and better treated than UPS stuff.
I'd allow 7-10 days for shipping. It won't take that long but better safe than sorry. Mine will go out at the end of next week.

I have had just the opposite experience with USPS as Paul. I have had brutal service with them and filing an insurance claim tok NINE months to resolve! I had to threaten to sue before they finally settled.

I use now UPS. It's a bit pricy and I have had two guitars damaged by them but they paid both insurance claims in less than two weeks.

Do NOT ship a guitar under string tension nor with an endpin installed. Don't ask how I know it is a bad idea.

My six HB guitars shipped yesterday. I placed 2500.00 insurance on each one, through UPS and it cost $242.34 total, from Ohio.

You might also consider purchasing insurance from a separate source. Many of us use Heritage Insurance. They cover your inventory, guitars in process, shipping is covered, fire, theft, damage at the HGF show, etc...

Here is their website - http://www.musicins.com/
Ask for Joan Gallo. She and all of the staff are very easy to work with. They will also be at the show.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

Guys, guys...just ship them to my home address and I'll take care of it from there! Seriously, FEDEX overnite works for me, but then I get a huge airline employee discount. Why the endpin caveat Tim? Shouldn't a good (Cedar Creek??) case take care of that? I ask because I have 3 to ship next week and the endpins are already in...

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

   I sell out and shipping works out best with UPS. If something were to happen the USPS will grag it on for Months. UPS will be alot better. Yes they are a little more costly in shipping but when the thing has to get there and get there in 1 piece then UPS is the way to go.
john hall
Blues Creek GUitars

[QUOTE=L. Presnall] Guys, guys...just ship them to my home address and I'll take care of it from there! Seriously, FEDEX overnite works for me, but then I get a huge airline employee discount. Why the endpin caveat Tim? Shouldn't a good (Cedar Creek??) case take care of that? I ask because I have 3 to ship next week and the endpins are already in...[/QUOTE]

If your endpins are tapered ... Imagine a shipping gorilla (insert your choice of companies) tosses your guitar and it lands squarely on the endpin, the case padding foam compresses, transferring the shock to the endpin, like a blow from a 12 or 16 lb sledge hammer (depending on the height and strength of the gorilla), the end pin tries to go in further but it has no where to go so the tapered fit transfers the energy outward ... the result is a cracked end block and sides. I have two guitars I could show you, that proves it works quite well!

Put the endpin in the neck compartment and let the person on the receiving end install it after the guitar arrives.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I'd be more concearned about the cases arriving from ceder creek on time. My one time dealing with them the case too over 2 months to get shipped to me.