Loosening Strings to Ship YOUR bass....

[jeffreylee]

I'm glad that this thread happened! I'm heading off on my third overseas tour in a couple of weeks and this time I won't detune. From Australia it's a 24 hour flight so my bass and guitar will spend a lot of time in the air. I always assumed detuning was recommended because that's what I'd been told to do. One time I did forget to detune, but even three weeks later after the flight my Fender P was still in tune.

 

[fishdreams]

The only time I shipped a bass with slacked strings (as I wanted to impress the buyer, and I thought it the proper thing to do) it caused a lot of trouble with the buyer, because I did ruin a very low setup on a expensive bass with a thin neck.Duh. Never again.

The only time I shipped a bass in 2 parts (internationally) the neck was delivered in 10 days while the body was held in local customs for 6 months => from that I learned that making out 2 separate custom declarations to the best of my knowledge instead of one, is exactly doubling the risk of potential trouble, and also that it is the smaller packages with lower declared values that customs have interest in, rather than bigger expensive ones. Duh. Never again.

 

[Double E]

Wow... I had no idea this topic warranted all this discussion.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

I haven't read the entire thread, so if this has already been covered, I apologize. The last bass I shipped was via Fed Ex. I've shipped a number of basses over the years using various shippers; but this time was a bit different.

I took it in all packaged up and ready to go. As the woman was measuring, weighing, etc., she asked what it was. I told her a bass guitar. A guy was standing near her and asked me, "Is it detuned?" Seeing where he was about to go with it, I told him it was detuned a bit. But then I said, "You do know though, that most experts suggest they be tuned to pitch when shipping?" He said, "Well WE will not accept one if it's not detuned."

I have worked at FedEx for over 20 years. I have never heard this as being our policy. Never. I don't know who the "WE" was he was referring to, but it was not FedEx.

This could be the game changer. The rules for what FedEx covers with insurance, and those limits, have been updated recently. Counter people can also open the box to see if it's packed to the guidelines.

For large companies, they do not purchase FedEx insurance, hence, they do not deal with counter people, and most FedEx rules do not apply as large companies are 'self-insured'.

But if you are one who does purchase their insurance, I suggest getting their latest information, especially since instruments over twenty years old now have pretty low limits of coverage.

 

[jwr]

I've always loosened the string, then I put bubble wrap around the headstock inside the basses case. I may be overly cautious, but I've shipped a crap ton of basses and had no complaints. So I'll just keep doing it. LOL

 

[jwr]

Oh and Fed Ex sucks about shipping instruments in my area. They have given me crap so many times for trying to value my instruments for what they are worth and have even told me they could only do 500 bucks on a bass guitar, which of course I laughed about. That was from a store manager. I ship with UPS now even though I don't like them either, but at least I can value my instruments for what they are actually worth.

 

[jeffreylee]

I would be super pissed off if I had to reassemble and setup a bass simply because a seller wanted to save a few bucks.

I live in Australia and have had several basses and guitars shipped disassembled. Shipping them assembled can add hundreds of dollars to the overall cost because of size limitations, and also customs charges in Australia.

 

[KeithPas]

A couple of weeks?
It should be right in 24 hours or less.

I agree but it never worked out for me that way which is why I do not like to have the strings slacked.

 

[guy n. cognito]

I live in Australia and have had several basses and guitars shipped disassembled. Shipping them assembled can add hundreds of dollars to the overall cost because of size limitations, and also customs charges in Australia.

I got it. That's why I don't buy or sell basses internationally.

 

[Double E]

I'd have no problem with a seller disassembling the bass so long as they mentioned their intentions ahead of time so I can factor that into my decision not to buy.

 

[Gard]

if its an acoustic ,chambered/hollow body you detune to accommodate possible massive fluctuations in air pressure than could cause undue stress on structural integrity ,thats true of ANY ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENT ( unless its graphite )....solid body electric guitars and basses , no need to detune

Fluctuation in air pressure? Go back to the first page of the thread - you will find that the cargo hold in all commercial airliners AND air freight aircraft are PRESSURIZED. Non-issue.

 

[Gard]

I said "Well, you must not have realized that cargo holds aren't pressurized. At altitude the small amount of nitrogen in the bottle would expand and pop the cork."

The amount of misinformation in this thread is mind-boggling. You are incorrect, the cargo hold in a commercial airliner is pressurized. I don't know why the corks in your guy's bottles popped out, but it wasn't from being in a non-existent unpressurized commercial airliner's cargo hold that doesn't exist.

Data: Invalid Link Removed

 

[rtslinger]

I traveled with my basses the ones I took I was able to remove strings and the necks which I did had no issues this was back in the day before I bought flight cases that have automatic ambient pressure equalization valve.
If you are not going to use a TSA approved case you may run into issue so make sure you cover all the bases.

 

[gln1955]

The amount of misinformation in this thread is mind-boggling. You are incorrect, the cargo hold in a commercial airliner is pressurized. I don't know why the corks in your guy's bottles popped out, but it wasn't from being in a non-existent unpressurized commercial airliner's cargo hold that doesn't exist.

Maybe he was flying on an Air Kyrgyzstan DC-3.

 

[Gard]

Wow... I had no idea this topic warranted all this discussion.

Frankly, it doesn't. However, there are those that cannot accept the factual information that detuning for shipping is a BAD IDEA - for multiple reasons - and stick to their incorrect opinions. Much like many other aspects of human existence.

 

[BassIsBoss]

Whenever I see a good shipping box at the big music stores, I grab it and store in the garage.....especially those with the good Styrofoam corner pieces and those with cradles for acoustic guitar cases. For me, it's all about movement.....in the case and around the case. Stop that and you're 99% of the way there. Also keep long strips of Styrofoam to line the outside of the case. Make it tight.....make it right. Of course none of that works when the forklift forks drive through it.

 

[Gard]

Maybe he was flying on an Air Kyrgyzstan DC-3.

Well, since the DC-3 was unpressurized, it wouldn't have flown at altitudes that pressurization would have mattered.

Good memory: flying from San Juan, PR to Charlotte Amalie, USVI in a 1937 DC-3, just an awesome experience.

 

[JoelFT]

I am a major airline captain so, I speak from some experience here. Every single passenger and cargo jet's cargo bins are pressurized and climate controlled just like the cabin. It's all the same air coming from the same air conditioning packs. In fact, there is no way to change it. I can't pressurize one part of the jet and depressurise another. It's all or nothing. I hope this helps.

 

[Double E]

Frankly, it doesn't. However, there are those that cannot accept the factual information that detuning for shipping is a BAD IDEA - for multiple reasons - and stick to their incorrect opinions. Much like many other aspects of human existence.

It's a simple matter really...you don't have to argue any science at all. The fact is, the overwhelming, vast majority of electric stringed instruments are shipped with the strings tuned to pitch. I'd venture to say that the success rate is closer to 100% than even 90% or else this discussion would have a completely different complexion.

 

[Gard]

I am a major airline captain so, I speak from some experience here. Every single passenger and cargo jet's cargo bins are pressurized and climate controlled just like the cabin. It's all the same air coming from the same air conditioning packs. In fact, there is no way to change it. I can't pressurize one part of the jet and depressurise another. It's all or nothing. I hope this helps.

This.

/discussion.