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December 2007
Posts: 8
Location: Montana | Hi, Well hopefully I'm about to become an O owner and I'd appreciate some advice on shipping via Fedex or UPS. It will be shipped in a 1990's era Ovation hardshell case (black plastic type). But I could pay a little more and have it boxed. Is the case alone sufficient for safe shipping? Should it also be boxed? I'd hate to skimp on shipping and have it damaged. Thanks for your advice! |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | BOX IT!
And add support/cusioning in the box wherever you CAN. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | Definitely box it, but have them loosen the strings and put some padding in the case, particularly around the headstock and above the bridge. Have them put some padding at the bottom of the box. It doesn't do much good to have the guitar rattle around inside the case or get bounced on the end.
When it gets to you in Montana, bring it inside and let it warm up slowly inside the case. Nothing like opening a guitar case and exposing the guitar to a 50 degree temperature change in one second and have the guitar crack the next second. It's tough to wait, but it is best to be safe. |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Definitely second that.
Enough cushioning to keep the headstock end of the case from moving at the very least. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | Definitely use a carton!!!
I provide this to everyone from whom I buy an Ovation:
Ovations are very prone to impact cracks in the finish, even in the case. Packing tips:
- make sure the guitar is detuned
- put a sheet of bubble wrap over the face of the guitar in the case
- use any extra front/back room in the carton for protecting the face side of the case. No use worrying about the bowl side......
- mark THIS END UP on carton with arrows pointing toward the head end in order to prevent cartons from being stacked on it.
Ovations are not prime candidates for whiplash neck breaks such as Gibson is famous for, but they are extremely susceptible to cracks in the finish caused by impack, and cold temperatures increase the vulnerability. PROTECT THE FACE/TOP! |
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Joined:
June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Didn't someone here buy one on the bay and received it in just the case with shipping tape around it? Maybe Dr. Tom or Mike? Sheesh!!! :eek: |
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April 2006
Posts: 1138
Location: CT | All my O's fit very snug in the case, and they don't rattle around at all. Why put extra padding on the top or bridge? You're just pressing down on the soundboard then - and possibly too much. When I get a guitar shipped back to me from the factory, there is no additional padding inside the case. Just between the box and the headstock end of the case. (If I ship one I put padding around the whole case if the box is to big) |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | I've never received one that was damaged either, but dvd got one from the factory that had a chip out of the top and several others have received guitars with shipping damage. Taking any play out of the inside of the case just seems like a safe thing to do. Keeping the case from getting damaged doesn't do much if the guitar bounces around inside. |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 1374
| Originally posted by Trader Jim:
Didn't someone here buy one on the bay and received it in just the case with shipping tape around it? Maybe Dr. Tom or Mike? Sheesh!!! :eek: that would be me.... I've received 2 that way, and both were rare guitars (a 1/50 custom elite, and the N768)... both luckily arrived un-damaged. the sellers just taped the cases up and slapped the label on the side.
both times I expected to hear the rattle of matchsticks, kindling, and wire...
I was lucky... twice.. use a good shipping box and prepare it like master temp and the others here have explained.
Glenn |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Ahhh ... don't even put it in a case, just send it lose.
No seriously, do it like the manufacturers do. Put the guitar in a case, put the case in a box with lot's of foam peanuts to keep it from sliding around and thick styrofoam at the top and bottom to help prevent compression damages when it's stacked up or dropped. And pray. Pray very hard. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15652
Location: SoCal | The Ovation factory is unique. The guitar goes in a case (tuned to standard pitch), the the case goes in a carton which has inserts on the top of the case (by the headstock) and on the bottom of the case that hold it in place. That's it.
When you buy a guitar from Al, he gets it from the factory that way, then goes over and beyond to pack cardboard around the entire case in order to protect it.
Personally, I'd go with Al's way..... |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | If it is an older Acoustic/Electric with the battery access inside the guitar. Have the battery removed and stored in the little compartment in the case. I had one shipped to me and the battery came loose. Luckily it did not do any damage. |
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July 2007
Posts: 423
Location: UK | For the 1537s journey back to the UK i used a large roll of bubble wrap and that thick plastic tape all round the case in several layers , when it finally arrived no damage |
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December 2005
Posts: 109
Location: Alabama | I would say do not have the guitar shipped via air service. The air temp at 35,000 feet in the luggage area gets pretty cold. My 1537 came via next day and had about 6 bad finish cracks and two through the wood. Seller had pics of the guitar and only one of the cracks was there when shipped. |
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December 2007
Posts: 8
Location: Montana | You folks are awesome! Thanks so much. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | I received a guitar from the factory packed the factory way that UPS managed to crack. None of the couple hundred Ovations packed the way I described that have gone all over the USA and internationally have arrived damaged.
I don't have anything at stake here. I'm simply offering advice that I know works. |
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Joined:
June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Originally posted by Gospel Guitar Guy:
If it is an older Acoustic/Electric with the battery access inside the guitar. Have the battery removed and stored in the little compartment in the case. I had one shipped to me and the battery came loose. Luckily it did not do any damage. Ditto on that one Mike. Twice for me. Not a good feeling to pull the guitar out and hear something rattling around inside. :mad: |
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Joined:
September 2005
Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | All good ideas. I would only add that I have the guitars shipped to my work address, so they don't get left on my front porch with me not there. I started doing that after receiving an instrument on my front porch in the snow. My heart sank as I drove up the driveway and saw that it had been sitting there all day. There was a 12-inch + finish crack in the top that took forever to repair and receive a refund on. It's really nice to be at work and have a guitar arrive there. I get to see the delivery guy face to face and deal with any possible damages on the spot. One more advantage is that in some cases, shipping is cheaper from business address to business address. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4025
Location: Utah | Pay for insurance! It's well worth the added cost.
I would get two day air service rather than ground transport. The inside of an airplane won't be that cold. UPS and FedEx pack containers called igloos, about the size of a VW beetle, full of boxes. Then the igloos go into the airplane. Even if air temp in the hold gets down near freezing, the temp will be fairly stable inside the guitar case inside the bubble wrap inside the cardboard box surrounded by other boxes inside the igloo. Surface shipping will mean that your guitar sits in an uninsulated trailer out in the winter cold (or summer heat) as it spends a week getting dragged across the country on the interstate. |
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Joined:
June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | And now G8r gets his Legend shipped to him with just the case and electrical tape wrapped around the latches. (and, G9r actually sent him one of his cases to ship it in. Only G8r sent the case in a box) Who are these Morons? :mad: |
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December 2005
Posts: 109
Location: Alabama | Good to know flysig - thanks |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | That air temperature thing is why I try to wait for spring or fall when the temp moderates to do shipping. But you know, if you must ship it, just do it and get insurance. The companies ship in all weather and ovations are relatively stable. |
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Shipping an O
