Broken string during shipping?

[jastraw]

This is most likely my fault. I left the bass on pitch.

Last week I shipped a bass from California to Maine. It arrived today. The feedback I received was the G string was snapped upon arrival. He’s not asking for any compensation. Have you guys experienced this? Is it possible due to a combination of the weather and handling?

 

[Adagietto]

This is most likely my fault. I left the bass on pitch.

Last week I shipped a bass from California to Maine. It arrived today. The feedback I received was the G string was snapped upon arrival. He’s not asking for any compensation. Have you guys experienced this? Is it possible due to a combination of the weather and handling?

A few months ago I bought a brand new bass from a dealer. It was strung-through and shipped with the strings at pitch. There were intonation issues and other anomalies when I got it. It supposedly had been set up and checked by both the maker (Reverend) and the dealer (Wildwood). New strings fixed the problem.

My take after discussing the problem with Reverend and Wildwood was that it's not a good idea to ship a bass with the strings at full tension, especially on a string-through. One would think that they'd know this. It can cause customer anxiety and possibly returns. I mention the latter as the bass displayed symptoms of a mis-located bridge, although it simply was bad strings, presumably from shipping.

 

[Funkinthetrunk]

Never happened to me and I always leave it tuned. If that's all that's broken...I call it a great day. I'm the kind of guy who replaces strings whenever I buy a bass anyways.

 

[jastraw]

The shipped bass was not a string through. It could be. But wasn’t.

I’m trying to come to peace as to what happened.

 

[Adagietto]

The shipped bass was not a string through. It could be. But wasn’t.

I’m trying to come to peace as to what happened.

Yeah, stuff happens and we have to deal with it and move on. I included the part about being strung-through because it likely was that major factor in my case, based on info from Reverend. Regardless, stuff happens in shipping, even if the box arrives apparently unscathed.

 

[Killing Floor]

UPS guy doing slappa da bass?

 

[Geri O]

Every bass I've shipped and every bass that was shipped to me, even from Bellevue, Washington, has been tuned to pitch and was pretty much in tune when they arrived at their destinations.

 

[DWBass]

Never had that issue sending or receiving. I think the package was opened and somebody messed with the bass.

 

[Gustopher]

I have shipped every bass I’ve sold tuned to standard and never had an issue. Every bass I’ve received from people here on TB have also been tuned when I got them, no issues. Who knows?

 

[Bass Jones]

This is most likely my fault. I left the bass on pitch.

Last week I shipped a bass from California to Maine. It arrived today. The feedback I received was the G string was snapped upon arrival. He’s not asking for any compensation. Have you guys experienced this? Is it possible due to a combination of the weather and handling?

Did he say where the string broke? Might be a clue as to what happened.

 

[gln1955]

Basses are shipped from Asia to the US at pitch all the time. That is not the problem.

 

[jd56hawk]

Not for nothing, but the string didn't break by itself hanging in its stand during the time you owned it, right?

 

[elgranluis]

I agree with everyone else: the string didn’t break by itself. Hell , I think I’ve ever only seen TWO bass strings break: one time it was a guitarist tuning a bass, the other time was ME tuning my first bass.

I would think that , during shipping ,it’s easier to break a headstock than to break a string. And even then, the stings don’t break when the headstock does!

 

[CryingBass]

Ship 1/2 cent detuned, or tuned.

And pack it like you would want it shipped to you.

Done

 

[jastraw]

Not for nothing, but the string didn't break by itself hanging in its stand during the time you owned it, right?

No, never. It was a Sire V10. Pretty decent instrument.

 

[Leigh Semmens]

I'd be wondering how well the instrument was packed, given that you were the sender, I'd presume that it was suitably packed. The question I'd be asking is was it broken in transit, or after it arrived? Given that you may not know the receiver that is a question that may never be answered to your satisfaction. The few times I've entrusted an instrument to the vagaries of courier services, I've never de-tuned, nor have they ever arrived de-tuned.

 

[jd56hawk]

I'd be wondering how well the instrument was packed, given that you were the sender, I'd presume that it was suitably packed. The question I'd be asking is was it broken in transit, or after it arrived? Given that you may not know the receiver that is a question that may never be answered to your satisfaction. The few times I've entrusted an instrument to the vagaries of courier services, I've never de-tuned, nor have they ever arrived de-tuned.

I simply have a feeling the buyer broke it or the box was opened before he got it, which isn't easy to believe but not impossible, I guess.

 

[Element Zero]

Had 3 basses shipped to and from Massachusetts/Brooklyn to California twice on 3 separate occasions and the basses arrived in tune with no issues.

Freak accident. Crap happens.

 

[pepj]

Slacken strings and pack properly.

Buy up old cases rather than use a bag.

But if it arrived and played well, I'd fine.
Used basses have all sorts of history you don't get to know?

 

[Biggbass]

Odd indeed. I've never had an instrument arrive either here or at another destination with a broken string...bass or otherwise. But I've certainly changed strings on some that have arrived. So if a string break is the only issue, I'd just put a set of my preferred strings on it and move on. Trying to find out what happened will be like searching for a needle in a haystack. PLus....has anyone here tried calling UPS lately in an attempt to speak to a human? It's nearly impossible now.