Shipping a Telecaster

Hey!

Just wondering:

1.) What is the best way to ship a Tele to avoid damage to it?

2.) Who is the best shipper?

3.) Does that shipper honor their own insurance agreements?

Seems I heard a few horror stories about certain shippers, but don't rcall details.

Thank you for your input.

Crazy

Put it into its original hard case. Put the hard case into a foam lined box. Ship via Fed-X and/or UPS.

Note, when Fender ships these, they just put the case in a box and generally, they arrive damage free; so you could just box up the case (without foam padding). But, I'd pad the shipping box, myself.

Insure it for replacement costs and you're good to go.

If you have one of those franchised shipping stores near you, you may be able to take the cased guitar to them and have them pack it in foam lined box. This will add a few $$$'s to the cost.

If you do not have the original hard shell case, all bets are off.

It's very hard to damage a Tele in shipping. You pretty much have to impale the box and whatever case you use.

It helps to have something between the strings and the frets so that the strings don't put a ding in the frets if lands face first on something. Folded paper towels work perfectly.

A case or gig bag is not necessary, but it helps. You still want 2" of padding on all sides of the case. If possible, I put the case inside a plastic bag (a garbage bag works) to protect it from dust and scuffs. If you use packing peanuts, this helps keep the little buggers out of your case.

A garment box from Uhaul works well if you don't have a guitar box.

I've used UPS, Fedex, and USPS with great success. I've known people who have filed claims with both UPS and USPS; some have been successful and some have not. I'm not sure there is a "best" here, maybe it's just luck of the draw.

I don't know how Fender ships the low end guitars, that do not come with a case or a gig-bag. You could drop them a note and ask them. They do it all the time. You may even be able to talk them into shipping you an empty shipping box that they use, for a modest fee.

That said... Personally, I would never ship my guitar in anything other than a hard shell case designed for that guitar, boxed with padding.

I like the idea about a bag around the case, too. That's a great way to prevent any moisture from getting in to the case, if they leave the box out in the rain, or it get wet some other way.

I don't know how Fender ships the low end guitars, that do not come with a case or a gig-bag. You could drop them a note and ask them. They do it all the time. You may even be able to talk them into shipping you an empty shipping box that they use, for a modest fee.
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In a cardboard box, with cardboard formers to stop the guitar moving around.

It's very hard to damage a Tele in shipping. You pretty much have to impale the box and whatever case you use.

When I bought my Highway 1, the shop got a new one out from the storeroom. It was in a sealed cardboard box, still with the factory tape and staples untouched. The guitar was in its gig bag inside the box. The box was intact and undamaged.

When we unpacked it there was a ding on the top bout the size of a dime...

When we unpacked it there was a ding on the top bout the size of a dime...

Either there was something inside the gig bag that did it, or it was packed like that.

I have shipped quite a few tele's. I use what ever box I can fit it in and I generally have a collection of gnarley gig bags I put them in and place wadded papers, foam, insulation, or whatever I can find at the moment. I don't always use a gig bag, it just makes it a little easier.

I loosen the strings a bit and pack it up. I use USPS and have never had a problem with a complete guitar. They lose necks occasionally and you have to wait 60 days to make a claim and it takes at least another 30 to get a check.

Bear in mind that the neck comes off, which makes the package a lot smaller! wouldn't want to do it too often though...

Thank you all. Your answers were very helpful.

Crazy

My experience with a shipping company (name beginning with a letter between E and G) is that they don't pay out on insurance when they trash a guitar unless 'the carton is punctured' or however they put it. But your guitar can be well and truly destroyed even if the package is relatively intact, as mine was. It was a custom shop Les Paul worth $$$$$$$$ and it arrived decapitated, and with the selector switch rammed into the body. The package had clearly fallen onto its face with some force and the impact had caused the head to snap off and the switch to be pushed in. It took the shipper 7 months to refuse to pay what I was asking - just the amount to repair it, not even the loss of value. You can draw your own conclusions about whether I've ever used them again for business or private shipments.

But a Tele is much more robust than a LP. If I were you though, I'd make still sure it's packed with plenty of padding inside the case and in front and behind the headstock.