Transatlantic shipping costs?

Anon2962 · #1 04-14-2010, 06:19 AM

Has anyone shipped a bass from the US to the UK? Any idea how much this would cost to do safely?

Bruce Lindfield · #2 04-14-2010, 06:27 AM

The cost for me would be the worry that it is going to be smashed to pieces in transit and what would you do - ship it back again...

I have been to international shipping depots and seen the automated sorting systems, where things go round the ceiling of a warehouse then get dropped down chutes - inevitably some fragile item, is siitting at the bottom of the chute, when a huge refrigerator or similar, comes sliding down at speed, completely flattening what it lands on!

I would never risk anything as fragile as a DB to this...

I remember there was a thread round here where a TBer was shipping a DB from the US to Scandinavia and it was damaged in transit...can't remember the outcome, but no doubt painful.

Anon2962 · #3 04-14-2010, 06:52 AM

Thanks Bruce,

But if it HAD to be done, in a flight case and all precautions taken... if anyone has done it before.

MIKMAN · #4 04-14-2010, 08:20 AM

Well my friend, String Emporium shipped a double bass from Phoenix Arizona to Italy with a cost of $250. It happened 4-5 months ago, safely and promptly.
My nephew shipped a double bass from NY La Guardia to Athens airport five years ago. He built a crate and secured the instrument
with styrofoam.The bass arrived safely in two days. Total cost was $600. The airline was Delta.
I have used many airlines in Europe to ship my newly acquired basses, most of the times Czech Airlines, Malev and KLM. No problem at all,providing that there is a flight case or a proper crate
and bridge and soundpost are taken out.
Good luck, since Murphy's law is always a possibility.
Mike

Anon2962 · #5 04-14-2010, 09:43 AM

Great, thanks Mike.

robobass · #6 04-16-2010, 06:28 AM

I've airfreighted basses from US to Germany via Lufthansa Cargo in flightcase, plywood crate, and cardboard carton. It wasn't cheap, but they all arrived pristine. With airfreighting I'd worry less about damage than with import duties. Research it and make sure you have all your paper in order when you go to pick it up.

chancletarock · #7 04-17-2010, 10:52 PM

I'm thinking of moving to Spain sometime, and was quoted $750 by Upton Bass - I believe it was implied that it would go in one of their awesome crates and be stood upright the entire trip. The $250 deal from String Emporium sounds awesome though...

robobass · #8 04-18-2010, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chancletarock

...The $250 deal from String Emporium sounds awesome though...

It really sounds too good to be true. Could it be ocean freighter cargo?

Bruce Lindfield · #9 04-19-2010, 04:45 AM

I wonder if the ash cloud from Iceland will push up the price of air freighting even further...?

I can see that if you are paying maybe $10k for a bass then 600-750 seems like a sensible investment - but if you are paying maybe 1500 -2000 for a bass then it is more than half of what you are paying for the bass itsefl!!