There's a guitar on eBay I'm thinking of bidding on. It's be shipped about 300 miles FedEx ground. Will fedex treat the guitar like a football and will the wood get all fugged up sitting in a 30 degree truck / warehouse?
All carriers treat packages like footballs. It will be cold in the trucks and warm in the warehouses. In a case in a well packaged box it should be okay although I wouldn't have a lot of faith that the seller will package it well.
I've shipped and received guitars throughout the entire year. I use Fedex because they are cheaper and faster compared to UPS. The most important consideration is that the guitar is packaged well. If that is the case you are probably fine. What I've heard about temperature issues is to let the guitar warm gradually (like overnight) to room temperature in it's packaging before you open it.
I don't know the science of it, but I'm more concerned about guitars being stuck in sweltering heat versus the cold.
Having worked at a huge Fed Ex twice in my life I can honestly say that everything that goes through those places is treated like a football. With the volume of things shipping it's impossible for the stuff not to be.
I'm amazed that anything ever makes it through unbroken.
Thanks for the advice. I'll keep that in mind.
I hauled a few fed ex loads long haul a few times. They keep GPS track on the truck the whole time and no stops can be unscheduled. We would have to get permission in advance to stop and get something to eat.
Quote from: Jake on February 12, 2013, 10:34:57 AM
I don't know the science of it, but I'm more concerned about guitars being stuck in sweltering heat versus the cold.
Jake and I just exchanged guitar through fedex in winter. Mostly they were both unscathed. Just package them very well and get insurance.
Quote from: Demon Lung on February 12, 2013, 01:29:19 PM
I hauled a few fed ex loads long haul a few times. They keep GPS track on the truck the whole time and no stops can be unscheduled. We would have to get permission in advance to stop and get something to eat.
What's that have to do with shipping a guitar in winter? ???
I think the big issue is rapid temperature changes. If the guitar is inside a hardshell case, that should help a lot with that.
I'd be worried about summer heat instead. In the back of a trailer it can get up to 150 degrees.
Quote from: Lumpy on February 12, 2013, 06:23:01 PM
I think the big issue is rapid temperature changes. If the guitar is inside a hardshell case, that should help a lot with that.
I can't imagine shipping a guitar not in a hardshell case.
People ship instruments in 'gig bags' all the time. If you bubble wrap it enough, it's fine. And guitars get shipped from manufacturers in cardboard boxes all the time, too. You just gotta protect the headstock so if it does an "endo" the headstock doesn't break. (hit the ground with the headstock on the bottom and the butt end on top).
Electric guitars are surprisingly durable. The problem with rapid temp. changes is possible neck warping. Or if it has nitrocellulose finish (Gibsons) it can fuck up the finish.
Now that I've mentioned it, you wouldn't want to subject a nitro-finished guitar to freezing temps, it can crackle the finish. :( Polyurethane (most Fenders, and everything else) no problem.
I got my LP delivered around this time two years ago from the NE by Fed-Ex. Came in without the neck broken nor cracks/dents.
As long as the person securely packages it, it will be ok.
Unless you picked it up at the factory, every guitar that you or anyone else has ever owned was shipped at some point. It's all about how its packed and whether or not a forklift runs it over.
Yeah, that last one is key.