How to Package a Guitar or Amplifier
Planning to ship a guitar or amplifier? While the risk of damage can never be eliminated entirely, following our step-by-step packaging instructions should help ensure that even the most careless shipping company employee will have a hard time breaking the instrument!
If you are shipping to us from the U.S., please include a NAFTA form and Commercial Invoice with the shipping documents. We are happy to email you copies of these, should you require them.
Folkway Music’s Guitar Packaging Instructions
- Use a good guitar shipping box. You can get one at any decent guitar shop. The ones used by expensive guitar brands are generally the best – i.e. Martin, Taylor, Santa Cruz, Collings, etc.
- Detune the guitar and remove the endpin. If the endpin is glued in, ensure adequate padding surrounds it inside the case to avoid impact damage.
- Write down the shipper and receiver’s addresses on a piece of paper and put it inside the guitar case.
- Stuff crumpled newspaper all around the headstock of the guitar, and in any air cavities within the case – so that the guitar does not move around inside its case. No matter how good or expensive a case might be, don’t trust that it will prevent a headstock break!
- Make sure that there is a double thickness of cardboard lining the inside of the box.
- Make sure that the box you are using is big enough to allow the guitar’s case to have a good inch of space between it and the cardboard – space which you will fill with crumpled newspaper.
- Stuff crumpled newspaper, packaging peanuts, or bubble wrap all around the case, between it and the cardboard, on all sides. The idea here is that the guitar is not moving around in the case, but if the box is thrown or falls, there is enough cushioning to break the fall, and prevent impact.
- Tape up the box and write the destination address and the sender’s address on it. Remember to include the country, postal/zip code, and all phone numbers.
- Get a big marker and write FRAGILE!, TOP LOAD ONLY! All over the box, and draw big arrows pointing to the top.
Folkway Music’s Amplifier Packaging Instructions
- Use a pair of good shipping boxes. Amps are heavy, and require strong, double- corrugated boxes.
- Carefully remove the tubes, and individually wrap them in bubble wrap. Tie up power cord and bubble wrap it as well, so it doesn’t damage the speaker.
- Make sure the transformers and speaker are well secured. If they are loose, they can detach during shipping and cause lethal damage to the amplifier
- Stuff crumpled newspaper in all the air spaces inside the amp.
- Cut a piece of cardboard to fit in front of the grill cloth, then bubble wrap the amp securely.
- Box the amp with packaging materials on all sides, then bubble-wrap it again and put it all in the second box.
- Write down the shipper and receiver’s addresses on a piece of paper and put it inside the box.
- Tape up the box and write the destination address and the sender’s address on it. Remember to include the country, postal/zip code, and all phone numbers.
- Get a big marker and write “FRAGILE! TOP LOAD ONLY!” All over the box, and draw big arrows pointing to the top.
Download printable .PDF versions using the links below.
