Moving Cross Country need suggestions/advice

[MindinAction]

Perfect thread -- we're moving from CA to OH this year. My husband is from OH but I'm a lifelong Californian. It will be interesting. While I am a little apprehensive, it's his turn -- he's been here over 50 years. My biggest apprehension is traveling with two large dogs and two cats, but I may hire an animal transport company to do that. They have the experience and it would save the constant worry during the trip.

Instruments, I'd wrap/tape the latches and bubble wrap the interior of the cases to keep the instruments from shifting... it wouldn't hurt to invest in some "this end up" stickers.. Take a look at some of the posts in TB about how to prepare a bass for air travel.

Exactly! I'd add -- be sure to protect the headstocks with bubble wrap or dish towels.

No mover, or anyone else looking at the wardrobe boxes, would have a clue what's inside.

BRILLIANT!

No matter how you do it, get replacement value insurance from Music pro or another reputable company.

Great reminder!

 

[bherman]

Just be sure to go easy on the bubble wrap with the wife and dog

 

[FullumMusic]

Thanks for the advice. I'll go with packing my basses, guitars, and amps (removing tubes) up and sending with the moving company. My oldest basses and my B-15N (with tubes removed) will go in the SUV, along with my dogs, and wife.

It might seem like a pain, but absolutely take the basses & B-15N into the hotel room with you overnight. I mean, obviously, don't leave anything in the car that you wouldn't want stolen. But especially your expensive basses and amp.

 

[Bob_Ross]

speaker facing down

…unless it’s front-loaded, and then you want the speaker facing up.

I moved 10 basses, 4 guitars, and 3 amps cross-country a couple years ago, and I simply packed each one in its own heavy-duty cardboard shipping carton (instruments were in their respective hard case or gig bags, and there was additional bubble wrap and/or clothing around the cases inside the cartons) and then let the movers deal with them along with all our other possessions. Worked great!

 

[MCF]

Looking forward to hearing about your move, as my wife and I are also considering one to be closer to our grand babies.
Are you long time Californians? Weve lived here our entire lives, even though we're well traveled, the idea of ripping our roots up and settling elsewhere is...scary.
For me, most of my gear can ride in the moving van, whatever. .. but.
My primary bass would be with me, one way or another. Never leave it in your car or truck at hotels. Take it in with you.

Leaving Bako, huh? As muck as we would like to move out of state to Massachusetts, our roots are too deep to ever leave SoCal.

Were we to do it though, I would drive back with my three best basses and a few other important items. The other basses and amps, properly inventoried and documented, would have to go on the moving van.

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

So my wife and I are moving cross country to be closer to our grandkids. The move is from Cailfornia to Maryland. Need advice on the best way to move my basses/guitars (5 basses /8 guitars) and amps (4) biggest amps being a Ampeg an a Ampeg BA1152 and a B-15N. Need suggestions/advice on moving everything.

It's HOT... EVERYWHERE. ALL the time. I would not move ANY instruments in anything less than the closed cabin of a well-air-conditioned passenger vehicle. The amp/cab, I MIGHT consider packing very well, and moving in a non-airconditioned vehicle that was enclosed, with no ability to see those two items from outside the vehicle.

Other people would possibly advocate for less safety, OCD, or whatever. I'm approaching the question as if it was MY stuff, and what I would or would not be comfortable with.

 

[darwin-bass]

Another option.

Don't.

Sell the stuff. Put the cash in your bank account. When you get there, use the cash to buy replacement items that fit your new life and new living situation.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

Leaving Bako, huh? As muck as we would like to move out of state to Massachusetts, our roots are too deep to ever leave SoCal.

Wellll....were considering it.

 

[turf3]

It's HOT... EVERYWHERE. ALL the time. I would not move ANY instruments in anything less than the closed cabin of a well-air-conditioned passenger vehicle. The amp/cab, I MIGHT consider packing very well, and moving in a non-airconditioned vehicle that was enclosed, with no ability to see those two items from outside the vehicle.

Other people would possibly advocate for less safety, OCD, or whatever. I'm approaching the question as if it was MY stuff, and what I would or would not be comfortable with.

How do you think musical instruments get shipped from the manufacturer to the store where you buy them? In an un-cooled trailer. If the container ship docks in LA in early August and the instruments are going to Phoenix, New Orleans, and Atlanta warehouses of the distributors, they're going to get hot.

Now sure, if you're talking about world class violin family instruments, Strads and Amatis and the like, OK, those get different treatments. But mass produced solid body electric guitars and amps?

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

How do you think musical instruments get shipped from the manufacturer to the store where you buy them? In an un-cooled trailer. If the container ship docks in LA in early August and the instruments are going to Phoenix, New Orleans, and Atlanta warehouses of the distributors, they're going to get hot.

Now sure, if you're talking about world class violin family instruments, Strads and Amatis and the like, OK, those get different treatments. But mass produced solid body electric guitars and amps?

When basses and guitars are shipped:
A.) You don't own them YET (!) and have no control over how they are shipped or handled.
B.) You don't have them tuned up and dialed in to your specs.

If you have an air-conditioned vehicle to transport instruments, it simply makes no sense NOT to take advantage of that great resource.

My recommendation as safest, best choice for the OP stands.

But you do what you want to do with your instruments.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Having dealt with several moves, ensure you have accurate documentation of your inventory. My last move I actually ended out with more stuff than I shipped, to include the dolly the movers were using to move my stuff. ardgedee nailed it, not only are there transfers, but many times items are stored in a warehouse at the destination point.

This. Personal experience (not sll good) with all of this.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

We moved long distance. Not as far as you! I let the moving company move the amps but my instruments I carried in my car along with firearms. BUT you will be spending the night on the road, don’t leave instruments in the car.

 

[1999 Epi]

Actually, shipping stuff with a moving company is much safer than air travel. The objects go onto the moving van while you're there, they don't get shifted till they come off the moving van at the destination while you're there. Far better than the airport where every knucklehead and gorilla in the place gets a whack at your fragile instrument.

 

[1999 Epi]

oh, but things go missing... "mysteriously"

 

[HardNHeavy]

Unless you're transporting a van full of pre-CBS Fenders, renting a van one-way for a cross-country drive would cost more than the gear is worth once you factor in gas, food, hotel, etc.

right,.........or knock off a few bucks and sleep in the van and eat ramen noodles for a week

 

[gln1955]

If you can possibly take the basses and guitars in your own vehicles, that would be best. Amps, I wouldn'y be as concerned about. I've seen moving comapnays break things that I didn't think could be broken. I wouldn't count on their insurance covering something like a vintage bass and even for less expensive items, it will take forever to get reimbursed. If you must put them in a moving van, pack them up as you would expect a dealer to ship a new bass. Even then, anything high dollar and irreplaceble would go with me, even if it had to ride on my wife's lap.