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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | I have seen the subject pop up lately so I'd like to share some packing tips from the Godfather of Ovation reshipping, Alpep of Lost Arts Vintage Instruments.
Here we start with a basic already-left-mother-and-sent-to-Al's shipping container.
Note the Illustrator's Skills shown by the brush strokes to fool the barcode reader.
Also note the high tech coding system employed so as not to loose a guitar (only to find two of them 5 years later).
A blend of original engineered packing materials and processes are the sign of a professional.
the recipient will be impressed as they see the care and craft used to protect their arrival.
...to be continued |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | You are not pleasing Mr. Big
Repercussions may follow........ |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | Its not long until some of the trade secrets become apparent.
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/photos/MWoody_80891_AP%20PC%2008.jpg
A little known fact - Pop containers are engineered to double as Force Protection in accordance with MILSPEC OI-812. But not the sugar free units.
A little timely local news makes for an interesting afternoon as well!
Save on advertising costs by using your pre-labelled recyclables!
Snuggness and protection!
Again, Kaman, Pre-Fender engineered Original Packing Process (OPP).
to be continued more... |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | Here is the exploded view...
Without the explosion.
And the Reward is...
A well preserved treat!
and in to join the pack
Now to accessorize...
Thank you Al! |
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October 2006
Posts: 5576
Location: big island | just like the pearl in the oyster shell...beautiful! congrats, woody. |
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December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Save those cardboard 'collar' inserts! They saves a lot of packing material.  |
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April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | But , where do the strings go...??..and accessories... :D |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Cool! Little teeny Boogie-boards... |
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December 2006
Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | Woody, that thing is beautiful! But then again so is everything else on that wall of yours. |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Say Woody, I hope you obtained written permission to share what possibly could be proprietary trade secrets. |
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January 2004
Posts: 1225
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | oooooh.....you're gonna git it!!!
Beautiful guitar though... |
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December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | I was hoping to spot some Mini-Pizza cartons in there this time (as in the 1778LX) but you have to work with what ya got.
If anyone is sitting on the fence about one of the KoaLAVs you need to lean forward and do it! Very light, georgeous wood and tones, wide neck, the best preamp and Waskel has one!!!
enjoy! |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Funny I have NEVER read about any other retailer taking the time or energy to add additional packing to the OEM to make sure your guitar arrives safely!!!!!!!!!
so why does Brother Al take the time to do this? Is he just too lazy to recycle? does he not want to take out the trash? well there is a method to my madness.
I have been doing mail order for the better part of 20 years. some of these so called mail order giants have been in the biz less that 5 years. In the early days I made some mistakes but In recent years I have used my vast experience to your benefit.
For example. there is a hole in the side of the box that damages the guitar. UPS denies the claim because the box was not double walled. Add in some extra boxes and they have to give up on that excuse.
example UPS says the item was not isolated in the box. so you add additional newspaper styrofoam or whatever you have around to make sure the item does not move.
fact, guitars ship at at least one oversized anyway so any additional weight you add to the package is paid for.
fact the factory does not detune the strings, but UPS requires you do so they get detuned.
fact I have had MANY guitars delivered to me from the factory where the cardboard isolation devices failed and the guitar was floating in the box getting knocked from side to side.
so in conclusion, I would rather get my balls busted for OVER packing than for having guitars arrived damaged.
As for the items used for packing, Well I can increase the already high cost of shipping by buying brand new boxes and packing paper and pass it along to the consumer or use what I have available at home and dumpster dive...I wonder how many times Mr, mucizian fiend has dumpster dove for their clients????
So is my packing a little unconventional? Sure but in these days of being "green" I think I am doing my part. |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Wabbit ownership does give an already spectacular guitar a greater air of respectability.
What an excellent guitar. I hope nobody gets upset when I drill a hole in it. |
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February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | I've had a guitar arrive from the factory that was cracked in transit. Their normal packing job is marginally good. Overpacking is worth the trouble, and it doesn't add enough weight to add much to the shipping cost. Don't throw away those pizza boxes or egg cartons.... |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | My bad.....
Mr. Big was pleased..........and shared with us some additional secrets.
Seriously....I did not know about UPS and their policy of the denying a claim because the "box was not double walled"
I have shipped guitars both ways (with and without additional packing) but in the future they will all be with a bit of extra! |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | I think the amount of packing tape on the box you sent the LongNeck to me in would have qualified as a second wall. It would have met most "no air penetration" standards as well. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Originally posted by stephent28:
My bad.....
Mr. Big was pleased..........and shared with us some additional secrets.
Seriously....I did not know about UPS and their policy of the denying a claim because the "box was not double walled"
Please?
never
UPS will use ANY excuse to deny a claim. The best thing is to try to be one up on them.
it is not easy.
BUT
if you pack it right to begin with the chances of needing to make a claim are greatly dimenished |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Originally posted by The Wabbit Formerly Known As Waskel:
I think the amount of packing tape on the box you sent the LongNeck to me in would have qualified as a second wall. It would have met most "no air penetration" standards as well. Hah! Since that box had been used 'multiple" times, without the additional tape it probably would have fallen apart.
Plus I wanted you to have fun and take your time "opening" the package. |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Yep. Pretty much a C-section delivery. |
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December 2003
Posts: 1889
Location: Central Massachusetts | Originally posted by The Wabbit Formerly Known As Waskel:
I hope nobody gets upset when I drill a hole in it. What, adding a lanyard attachment or something?? ;) |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | Let me say this about Alpep.
He is painfully honest.
He cares that you are satisfied.
He extends very reasonable prices and sticks to them.
He knows what he is doing.
He understands Ovations and Adamas' instruments and is held in high esteem by those that he deals with at the Factory.
He IS an Eclair in a box of Twinkies!
And if anyone tries to quote me on this I will deny it and claim that Terrorists stole my password and posted for me...
If you ever need to be cheered up just give Al a call and ask him how HE'S doing... You'll feel better in no time.
Now somebody has to jump in and tell Al he is a lousy salesman before he starts feeling all puffed up or something!
This guitar will stay with me as long as I have fingers.
M(YSHGO)Woody
You Should Have Got One |
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Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Al: "Hey Mike, I'll knock $10 off the shipping if you post something nice about me."
Mike: "Sure Al. Heck I'll even make you a koa steering wheel for your truck."
Al: "No, just lay it on real thick about my soft sensative side. Mention the factory connections, that always sounds good. Don't get too specific on the prices, I need to be able to jack people around a little if it's close to the end of the month."
Mike: "Sure thing Al. And by the way, the Koa guitar is STUNNING." |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | What I want to know is how Woodrow stayed calm enough to take photos of the box and packaging as he was unpacking. Whenever I get a guitar (from Al or the factory), I'm like a kid at Xmas time. It's open in about 20 seconds with packaging everywhere... |
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Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
What I want to know is how Woodrow stayed calm enough to take photos of the box and packaging as he was unpacking. Whenever I get a guitar (from Al or the factory), I'm like a kid at Xmas time. It's open in about 20 seconds with packaging everywhere... Well, DUH! Obviously he had already unpacked it once and got all the giddiness out of his system. They don't call him Woody for nothing. Then he took the photos in reverse order as he RE-packed it for sending it to me to compare side by side with the 12 fretter. Jesus, YOU'RE a Private Eye?
Dave |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Tupperware:
Jesus, YOU'RE a Private Eye?
Dave Sometimes I do wonder.... |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret |  |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by dvd:
Originally posted by The Wabbit Formerly Known As Waskel:
I hope nobody gets upset when I drill a hole in it. What, adding a lanyard attachment or something?? ;) |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | The only reason I bought the OFC Guitar was that I hadn't purchased anything from Al and wanted some of those legendary packing materials. I thought I'd have a pile in the music room for New Jersey beer wrappers, another for pizza boxes, another for newspapers. When it arrived, I quickly opened the box after noting that Al somehow managed to misspell a simple Polish name, and scattered all the packaging around the entryway. Nothing. Just bunches of cardboard and paper. Fortunately, none of those styrofoam peanuts. The guitar was nice, though. |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 665
Location: Tychy, Poland | Very nice guitar.
if it comes to packaging, especially heavy items, there is nothing better than empty plastic bottles, i've been using it when i was selling parts from my last car and it's been great. empty bottles are excellent protection and they're much lighter than paper, so you save on postal fees. the only thing to remember is not to have them full of oxygen - they should be able to deform a bit. |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 4833
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Originally posted by alpep:
I would rather get my balls busted for OVER packing than for having guitars arrived damaged.
He-ey! No disrepect, y'knowadeyemeen? |
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August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | Michael, you forgot to sat Al's a little strange...which why he fits in with the rest of us. ;) |
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Joined:
July 2002
Posts: 280
Location: Waterloo, IL | Al gave me a great deal on my Hamer, with an excellent packaging job to get it to me. Overpacked? Maybe, but it made the trip in time for Christmas, and that seems to be when most packages get busted up in the rush. When I buy a new guitar, it will be from Al.
(That should help butter him up some for an even better deal) :) |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | I just compared a quote from Al on the Adamas 2008 Collectors with Sweetwater, Oklahoma Vintage, Elderly, and Sam Ash.
Not only hundreds of dollars less than the internet sellers but far superior service.
For my Takamine (Nashville) TVN360SC (wonderful guitar), I actually asked him to refigure the quote...it was that good! Would have bought from him anyway. Bought two guitars without even asking him his price.
re: "(That should help butter him up some for an even better deal) " Nope, that doesn't work, he does his best for all of us. |
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Lost Art Vintage Packing Tootorial