Packaging a Stringmaster D8 for shipping

Jarret Crawford · From: New Jersey, USA

Hi all, I just recently sold a 61 Stringmaster D8, and need to ship it out. I've safely packed and shipped tons of guitars, but never a steel like this. Any recommendations on safe and secure shipping techniques or considerations? Thank you!

Bill Sinclair · From: Waynesboro, PA, USA

The big thing with shipping a steel guitar seems to be making sure that it can't move around in the case. Use bubble wrap, cardboard or dense styrofoam sheets to insure that it is immobile. Same goes for the legs. If one of the legs breaks lose from its compartment and contacts the guitar it's not a pretty sight. Also, with a Stringmaster, the guitar should be placed upside down in the case so the leg sockets are facing up - not the strings. Provided the body supports are still in the case. Probably wouldn't hurt to tape over the latches to make sure they don't pop open. After that, I pack the case in a cardboard box with enough room for styrofoam sheet padding on all sides. This has worked for me but someone might have a better suggestion or tweeks to my method.

Noah Miller · From: Rocky Hill, CT

+1 on everything Bill said. Along the lines of legs scratching the body - if there's an accessory compartment, never assume that a bar or fingerpicks will stay in there. I have often opened cases for the first time to find rusty metal in direct contact with the instrument.

Cartwright Thompson · Posted 18 Oct 2022 9:28 am

On a Stringmaster case, the little ends in the case lid that hold the legs are metal covered with red velvet/plush, they have sharp corners that can wreak havoc and severely scratch the guitar. I would not ship the legs inside the case and make sure there is cardboard or something to protect the guitar from the aforementioned “leg keepers”.

Chris Sattler · From: Hunter Valley, Australia

I had a stringmaster T8 shipped from Gryphon Music to Australia. It came with no case. It arrived in a cardboard box designed to fit a 6 string acoustic. The case was then filled with polystyrene peanuts. The guitar basically was free to slide around and smash up against either end or sides of the box. How it didn't come out of the box is anyone's guess. The necks were loose and ready to part from each other. The legs, I seem to recall, were boxed together. All in all, a disaster. Never again Gryphon.

I'm sure you will better than this.

Cody Farwell · From: Sunland, CA

I'll add that with some finishes, bubble wrap in direct contact with the guitar can eat thru the finish and cause little marks.
Might not be much of an issue, but if it's being sent overseas, I would wrap the guitar in a T-shirt or some cotton cloth before putting bubble wrap around it.
Hasn't happened to me thankfully, but I've seen pictures and heard of it happening with vintage & new instruments

Bill Eisele · From: New Mexico, USA

I had a forum member ship a Remington T8 to me and the packing job was superlative. If I recall correctly, there were foam or cardboard bumpers over each corner of the case and then going in both directions were pieces of heavy thick cardboard wrapped around the case and the bumpers. There may have been sheets of styrofoam on at least the large flat sides of the case between the case and the cardboard. Then the cardboard outer wrapping was secured with either plastic bands or strapping tape.

I second Cody's warning about not using bubble wrap directly in contact with the guitar. A friend came to me with an archtop guitar that had been shipped to him wrapped in bubble wrap. You could see the imprint of the bubbles all over the body of the guitar. I believe it was a nitro finish on the guitar. I tried my best to get the imprints out with varying grades of StewMac polishing compounds but they were still visible when I finally gave up.

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: