Posting a Guitar!

[TGEvans]

I need to send a Strat to my sister in Dublin. Never sent a guitar before. Who are the best/cheapest companies to do it with? Any advice would be great. Thanks, Tim.

[Samba_83]

Pretty cheap & efficient [url="http://interparcel.com/"]Interparcel[/url]

[Buzz]

Personally I've never had a problem with Royal Mail Standard Parcels.

Obviously you take bigger risk of it being lost as it's not a courier service but ah well.

[Big_Stu]

Unless you've got some hefty boxes to put it in, or a hard case for it, I'd strongly recommend unscrewing the neck & taping them together in a well packed smaller box. Wrap it in bubble-wrap then put it inside another box.

I did that with a Gretsch & it made it all the way over from New York in a nice compact box. I didn't fancy the chances of the neck being snapped off.

[bigjohn]

TAKE THE NECK OFF!!

[Mr. Foxen]

Masking tape extra padding to the extremities, and take off the bottom strap button, that is the bit that gets smacked into the wood when its dropped. In fact, masking tape on interior packing is great, makes the unwrap so much easier.

[BigRedX]

Don't take the neck off unless you've OK'd it with the person you are sending it to first. I'd be extremely unhappy if an instrument arrived disassembled unless I'd specifically agreed to it being sent that way and the postage savings were significant. Especially if the neck has been shimmed in which case you'll need to mark the exact position and orientation of each shim in the neck pocket. Also mark which screw goes in which hole as it's always best to use the same screw in the same place each time if they are going into wood.

If you package it properly - ideally in a hard case, or failing that double boxed with plenty of padding - then there's no need to be taking it apart.

[warwickhunt]

I have to say that with a BO neck bass/guitar I'd actually be happier with the neck removed if it didn't have a dedicated hardcase!

+1 for Interparcel (intermediary for UPS TNT etc but actually cheaper than booking direct with UPS TNT... try figuring that one out). Check out this thread for more details on couriers. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=36625"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=36625[/url]

[Lozz196]

I used (and will continue to use) APC. there is a thread on here somewhere.

Not the cheapest company, cost me £27 to send a bass in a hard case from Herts to Newcastle, but when you call them you actually speak to a human being, who deals efficiently. No booking something online, only for them to not turn up etc.

Worth paying the extra for, in my opinion.

[waynepunkdude]

You can speak to a human at Interparcel and because they are a massive clients of the courier companies you get an answer pretty damn quick.

[Bilbo]

[quote name='TGEvans' post='942533' date='Sep 1 2010, 07:39 PM']I need to send a Strat to my sister in Dublin.[/quote]

Buy it a seat for £1 on Ryanair.

[Bigwan]

+1 to removing the neck AND to shipping with APC.

[RichardH]

[quote name='Buzz' post='942697' date='Sep 1 2010, 09:22 PM']Personally I've never had a problem with Royal Mail Standard Parcels.[/quote]

..except they only ship items up to 2kg overseas.