Why is it so friggin' difficult to find bass boxes!!

[Jamvan]

I suppose I'll be flamed for recommending to take the neck off and put it in a regular ol' guitar box? Safer to ship this way anyway (unless you're shipping in an actual case) with little chance of cranky, post holiday, Fed-Ex/UPS/USPS warehouse mishandling the box and cracking the neck.

EDIT: Doh! Just re-read it and realized it's already in a case. Monday reading comprehension in effect.

 

[BluesWalker]

I have started to use the method used by Status-Graphite when they send a new base in a hard case: wrap the hard case in a couple of layers of quality bubble wrap with an outer layer of packaging tape.

 

[Mike Sorr]

GC and Sam Ash. You have to find out on what days they get their shipments and at what time. At my GC, every Tuesday and Thursday between 1 and 3PM, they have plenty of boxes to throw away. When I've needed boxes, they've set a few aside so I pick the one I want.

If the guys at GC told you they can't do it, try calling back and talking to someone else. If someone there told you they can't or won't give you a box, they're lying. They have dozens to spare every week.

I think GC must train their employees, at least in New Jersey, to say they don't offer them. I offered to pay and they still said no. I called every GC in the state and they all gave me the same story. I even called what few mom and pop music stores are left and they didn't have anything either. One guy told me that they reason no stores will provide them is because everyone sells online these days and they hoard their boxes. Makes sense.

I appreciate the advice. I have a couple of basses coming in over the next few weeks, so I'll have at least two.

 

[BluesWalker]

A couple of times when I shipped from FedEx, they used a golf box to pack the bass. Packaging, including lots of paper and bubble wrap was about $25. You have to go to a FedEx/Kinko's location to get this service (I have done it in Cambridge, MA and downtown Baltimore). If you go to one of the commercial shipping places that will send out your box via FedEx or UPS, they will charge you a lot more.

 

[Pilgrim]

U-Haul has plenty of boxes in various sizes; so do moving companies.

I'd go to a U-Haul place and pick up a box that's large enough or bigger. You can always cut one down a bit. Leave room for filler/padding material. For a combo, you're going to want to pad it with solid styrofoam or some stout peanuts, or a mixture of both. Nothing less will stand up under the weight. Bubble wrap would have to be multi-layered.

Last time I shipped a combo I also taped a piece of 1/8" plywood over the speaker grille.

Shipping a combo is a pain.

 

[REV]

I have gone to bicycle stores in the past. You have to cut the box down a bit but the bike box is usually a little thicker and holds up better.

 

[bassdude51]

Sometimes I find flat screen TV boxes on trash day and I can fit a bass into it but I have to cut the box down.

 

[eldoryder]

The answer to this is NEVER, ever EVER get rid of any bass box you receive! It's hard for apartment dwellers to do this, I know, but still..... I have every box from every bass I ever bought, all kept on the assumption that if the worst happened, and I had to liquidate, I would need the exact box the bass shipped in. I even have them marked as to which bass came in each box. Anal, I know, but I hate surprises! I already have too much junk, so I have a plenty big enough storage unit to hold all these boxes. YMMV, of course.

 

[bassburner]

UPS has the box you need. They are like $15.

That's where I get mine if I don't have any extras.

 

[Ritchie_Darling]

Minimum is five on this, but they are great carton for shipping basses. I shipped ten Ricks out in these, some overseas, and no complaints. To keep the cased bass from rattling around inside the carton, I padded them with opened (and obviously empty) egg cartons:

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail...5-lb-FOL-Side-Loading-Corrugated-Guitar-Boxes

These are great! I still have one in my living room from the last bundle that I bought....

 

[Jazzcat]

Furniture stores are great sources for free large boxes, for building your own bass boxes.

 

[GeneralElectric]

Sometimes it's tough finding the right size box. I usually wrap the bass in bubble wrap a bunch of time and then put sheets of cardboard over it with a ton of packing tape.

 

[xaxxat]

Auto body shops are a good source of large pieces of cardboard that can be shaped into boxes.

 

[okcrum]

Any small music stores in your area? Go in with $10-20 in hand and they'll find you a box in the back somewhere. It's worked for me before in a pinch.

 

[wraub]

Find a bike store near you.
Use a bike shipping box, a razor knife and some tape.

Creativity is also encouraged.

Uline works too.

 

[okcrum]

Better yet, Uline will have it to you in 2 days, typically. And OP will have 4 spares.

 

[Ken R]

Mike,
Where in NJ are you? I have a couple. You can have one.
Ken R

 

[bolophonic]

Yeah, if GC or Sam ash doesn't have one, I just make my own out of whatever big boxes I can find, from furniture stores or whatever. Exacto knife and packing tape is all you need. That way I can double up or do whatever I need to do a good secure packing job.

Guitar boxes are easier to come by. Two guitar boxes can easily be reformed to fit pretty much any bass in its case.

This is what I'm talking about.... I custom make all my packaging. Mattress stores, furniture shops, you name it. Cut it out, fold it up and tape it like crazy.

 

[bolophonic]

Not to mention the fact that if you buy an off-the-shelf box, you run the risk of paying more for empty space, based on the size of the box.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

I'm OCD. I save every box, from every bass, cab, head, laptop, monitor, computer, camera, hi-fi, everything. And did I mention that I'm OCD?

If you don't have the space, cut the tape, flatten them and stuff them somewhere. I'm OCD.