Double Bass International shipping

[ubassman]

Anyone got any tips / expertise on the best way to ship a double bass internationally? Its going to be packed in a wooden crate and hopefully not subject of too much moisture between Hungary and Great Britain.

Is it best to slacken off the strings to loosen the tension?

....or should they be removed completely along with the bridge - or is it likely that the sound post will drop out of position?

I am just mind full of the fact that not every courier will respect the words 'Fragile' and 'this way up' !! Any comments/ advice welcome!!

 

[eh_train]

I think you should remove the strings, bridge, and ** especially ** the sound post. Ordinarily, it's a carefully fitted piece of wood that transmits sound between the top and back. In transit, if it's still in place, it transmits any bumps or falls to either the top or back. If the bump is big enough, you could very easily have a soundpost crack - in the top, bottom, or both - to deal with.

A luthier can easily reset the soundpost, so please don't try to keep it in position during shipping.

Cheers,

Paul (Eh_train)