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Couriering without a hardcase


Clarky72
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Has anyone found a courier frim that they can trust and that will still proivde insurance for your bass if it's couriered without a hardcase?

A chap is selling me his bass, but he has no case for it, he can put it in a cardboard box and bubblewrap/foam it to protect it, but he has no hard case.

Any suggestions aside from driving down to Cornwall myself to collect it?

Cheers

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If the bass is a bolt-on design, you could ask for the neck to be removed, the truss rod slackened off a turn or so, and resultant the package will end up a more manageable size for courier handling. In the past, I've posted a hard case to a seller, so that the seller could pack the instrument I'm buying in a suitable fitted hard case in line with my "suggested" criteria. It might work out cheaper than the cost of the petrol or of a train ticket.

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Courier-proof packaging without a hard case is possible, I've done it many times. It takes time, thought and care, three things that some people are unwilling or unable to devote to the task. The basic premise is to put the bass in a gig bag and then wrap it heavily/pack it tightly in as much bubble wrap, foam, scrunched up newspaper, polystyrene bits as fills the outer box to make the whole package tight without risking bursting the outer box. The trick is to make the whole thing one monolithic object - absolutely nothing loose or moving inside. Once that state is achieved I am confident of taking on all challenges when it comes to accidental damage.

This is just my opinion and although it means little statistically given the small sample set (circa 10 parcels) I have 100% success rate in getting basses to people in the condition I sent them in so as far as I'm concerned I seem to be doing something right.

Most recently I have been using Interparcel/UPS but have in the past used Parcelforce (until I found out about the insurance limit in the teeny tiny print for musical instruments, hard case or otherwise).

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[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1326107219' post='1492254']
If the bass is a bolt-on design, you could ask for the neck to be removed and the resultant package will end up a more manageable size for courier handling.
[/quote]
[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1326108557' post='1492284']
The trick is to make the whole thing one monolithic object - absolutely nothing loose or moving inside.
[/quote]

Combine these two points and you won't have a problem.

Edit: I've had great service from Interparcel/UPS.

Edited by discreet
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I've received a couple of basses that have not been in cases & there's been no problems with them.
A heavily bubble wrapped bass in a decent box is probably safer than one in a case where it can move around to a degree.

The only damaged guitar I ever received was in a case & there was no sign of any outside damage to the package - it was because the guitar moved in the case when it was dropped.

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I have sent and received several basses without a hardcase, including one across the Atlantic. A well-packed double-boxed instrument without a hard case is as safe as, and maybe safer than, a bass packed in a hardcase.

Guitar manufacturers do not ship every instrument out in a hardcase.

A lot of shippers won't insure musical instruments whatever the packing.

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Thanks guys. I'll make sure he packs it like hi slife depends on it! Unfortunately for the packing its a through neck so detaching isnt an option, but great idea for any future shipping!

Cheers, I can always rely on BC for an answer to life, the universe and everything!

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