Thunderbird Club

[JIO]

I guess, tuning down half a step favors the singer and easy with the strings, not so much when you got piano in the lineup....I'm as hesitant to use electronic pitch control as most keyboardists I know.....

I just meant that one should learn to tune and transpose w/o a machine. (other than a tuner)

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I sold the limited edition BABE blackburst G&L yesterday. Just came back from the post office. Anybody have and spare heart medicine? I used the box that was a little bigger so I could get some packing all the way around it instead of one that would have allowed for nothing. The slightly extra size added extra to shipping with a whopping total of $253 bucks to ship to Arizona. Normally with no extra size it would have been $226. Wow! I should have gone by UPS just to see, but they are always more expensive. But maybe not this time. And for some reason every time I sell a bass or head it always goes way our West and is never nearby.

No last photos?

 

[MCF]

I sold the limited edition BABE blackburst G&L yesterday. Just came back from the post office. Anybody have and spare heart medicine? I used the box that was a little bigger so I could get some packing all the way around it instead of one that would have allowed for nothing. The slightly extra size added extra to shipping with a whopping total of $253 bucks to ship to Arizona. Normally with no extra size it would have been $226. Wow! I should have gone by UPS just to see, but they are always more expensive. But maybe not this time. And for some reason every time I sell a bass or head it always goes way our West and is never nearby.

If you’re shipping a bass in a case cross country, it’s pretty much at least $200. Just a fact of living in these times. Only way to do it cheaper is it’s a bolt on, pop the neck and forget about the case.

 

[JIO]

Thank you George. It's easy to make it bombproof when the instrument has a case. Or even a boxed guitar or bass in a bag in a second oversized box. But something as long as a that BaCH with no case and that infamous headstock called for extreme measures. I still sweated it until you let me know it arrived safely.

I've shipped enough basses/guitars in HSC's, gig-bags and just the bass to do it so it gets there in good condition, but even still - shippers are skilled at damaging the best boxed instrument and FedEx are the most skilled.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Ouch! That seems crazy high. I alway put the dimensions, weight and insured value into all three of the major shippers (USPS, UPS and FedEx) calculators to find the best price. I have never found USPS to be even close to the other two. I shipped my Bach NR to George from NY to CA for less less than $175 via UPS. I suppose it depends on where you're shipping from though. I have huge UPS and FedEx hubs very close to me.

UPS nearly always works best for me for shipping a bass. Smaller packages like pickups or pedals usually work out best USPS. And that's with a FedEx hub nearby in Round Rock.

 

[JIO]

If you’re shipping a bass in a case cross country, it’s pretty much at least $200. Just a fact of living in these times. Only way to do it cheaper is it’s a bolt on, pop the neck and forget about the case.

I've yet to have to pay that much even in a HSC, but prices have increased exponentially. When I first started Gildaxe 13yrs ago, shipping a bass in a HSC was around $60. Now, double that unless close to SF. I primarily use UPS and sometimes USPS. Never use FedEx.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I just meant that one should learn to tune and transpose w/o a machine. (other than a tuner)

One should learn to tune a guitar and piano but transpose a fish.

 

[MCF]

I've yet to have to pay that much even in a HSC, but prices have increased exponentially. When I first started Gildaxe 13yrs ago, shipping a bass in a HSC was around $60. Now, double that unless close to SF. I primarily use UPS and sometimes USPS. Never use FedEx.

Last two basses shipped from back east to me, were right around $200. One was one FedEx, one was UPS.

 

[JIO]

One should learn to tune a guitar and piano but transpose a fish.

 

[JIO]

Last two basses shipped from back east to me, were right around $200. One was one FedEx, one was UPS.

Do you ship from a UPS depot or a UPS Store. I've found the 'stores' to be more expensive. What really sucks here in SF is our large UPS depot hub in Potraro Hill not far from where I live closed doors recently. !!! No UPS depot in SF, only stores - and now that it's weeks before Christmas the stores are completely swamped with packages. It's unbelievable really - a major shipping company with no main depot hub in a major city.

 

[Stealth57]

Do you ship from a UPS depot or a UPS Store. I've found the 'stores' to be more expensive. What really sucks here in SF is our large UPS depot hub in Potraro Hill not far from where I live closed doors recently. !!! No UPS depot in SF, only stores - and now that it's weeks before Christmas the stores are completely swamped with packages. It's unbelievable really - a major shipping company with no main depot hub in a major city.

Come visit me...hub about 1.5 miles from my house.

 

[JIO]

Come visit me...hub about 1.5 miles from my house.

The UPS store I am forced to use now is not that far away (Van Ness/Fell) but getting there is a hassle as you're dealing with constant city traffic on a main artery including finding parking compared to Potrero which had easy street parking right in front of the door. Since they just closed the depot a month or so ago - the stores will get clobbered this holiday season. I'm sure it was a decision made by the UPS suits to 'save money' or cash in the real estate the huge depot occupies. I wouldn't be surprised if they level it and build condo's.

 

[dagrev]

Ouch! That seems crazy high. I alway put the dimensions, weight and insured value into all three of the major shippers (USPS, UPS and FedEx) calculators to find the best price. I have never found USPS to be even close to the other two. I shipped my Bach NR to George from NY to CA for less less than $175 via UPS. I suppose it depends on where you're shipping from though. I have huge UPS and FedEx hubs very close to me.

UPS is close (and I would never, ever ship FedMess), but the last times I checked, USPS was always cheaper by a good bit. But that's been a couple years. A friend was an exec at UPS here (World Hub), and before he retired a couple years ago he shipped UPS work items through the USPS. Go figure. Not at all doubting your findings. I suspect things have changed drastically in the last couple of years. I will take you advise and check it all out better next time. I should have done that this time!

 

[saltymonkey]

I try and avoid FedEx as well. My Lull was shipped FedEx. It sat for the first day it was supposed to be delivered. The next day It was out for delivery then 30 minutes later it wasn't coming. Got an exception notice. No explanation. I couldn't be there the next day and had to make three phone calls to be able to pick it up because "an adult signature was required". I recently sold a Travis Bean. Shipped via UPS from NY to Seattle for $148. I seems it might be cheaper to go all the way across the country from one city to another that to ship to a state somewhere in between.

 

[JJR58]

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/ups-rate-hike…again.1663357/

 

[MCF]

Do you ship from a UPS depot or a UPS Store. I've found the 'stores' to be more expensive. What really sucks here in SF is our large UPS depot hub in Potraro Hill not far from where I live closed doors recently. !!! No UPS depot in SF, only stores - and now that it's weeks before Christmas the stores are completely swamped with packages. It's unbelievable really - a major shipping company with no main depot hub in a major city.

I don’t ship. Only receive. So I don’t know.

 

[JIO]

I don’t ship. Only receive. So I don’t know.

Shipping through a usually mall located UPS store will always be more expensive.

 

[MCF]

Shipping through a usually mall located UPS store will always be more expensive.

I think you can still go to the terminal here Monday through Friday. But you have to park down the street from it and walk a ways to get to the building. They really discourage it for pickups and drop offs.

 

[saltymonkey]

You can open a UPS My Choice Premium account online for $20 a year. You can print your own labels and drop off any package at a UPS facility, including UPS stores, for shipping. You can also have incoming packages diverted and held at your local UPS store for pick up when you're not going to be home to receive. W/o the membership this costs $5 per delivery. And you definitely save on shipping over taking the package to a UPS store and having them weigh, label and ship. Those stores are privately owned businesses only affiliated with UPS. They're adding their cut to the total. I get my $20 worth every year.

 

[Engle]

Do you ship from a UPS depot or a UPS Store. I've found the 'stores' to be more expensive. What really sucks here in SF is our large UPS depot hub in Potraro Hill not far from where I live closed doors recently. !!! No UPS depot in SF, only stores - and now that it's weeks before Christmas the stores are completely swamped with packages. It's unbelievable really - a major shipping company with no main depot hub in a major city.

Just be glad your postal service isn't on strike - ours is.