A humble request for those who ship guitars...

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by BudHa

I do my share of buying and selling. I have the space to save and store incoming guitar shipping boxes and packing. I recycle all the boxes and packing. Nothing gets thrown away on my end. If I ever need to buy boxes or shipping material I'll certainly buy the Stewmac system.

What he said.

[stephenT]

Well, I'll continue to recycle my packing peanuts if you buy a guitar from me. They make for great protection and are light weight, I save them from packages I've received.

The key is to reuse them and not throw them away. Three minutes out of one's life to sweep up peanuts just ain't a big deal.

[russchapman]

Rigid insulation transfers shock.

Modern shipping boxes (like the ones Martin use), have a containment system that works perfectly from top to tail without any side padding (no bubble wrap, peanuts, etc...).

It's the simplest way to pack a guitar and is trusted by companies shipping guitars worth many thousands of dollars.

Why do people insist on making things more complicated, messy, less environmentally friendly and ultimately less effective? Again- it boggles the mind.

[Godfather]

I use bubble wrap and air pillows, mostly recycled from amazon deliveries, around the neck at the headstock and in the large box along with light weight small boxes as shims to keep the guitar case from shifting around in the shipping box. These small boxes can absorb any shock should the shipper mishandle it.

I have also used new surgical sponges (say sterile shop towels) around the neck and headstock to prevent the familiar neck break.

Recently I learned about, and have used, double boxing as an extra layer of protection.
I have received many positive comments about my packing methods.

BTW, I photograph the process with the daily newspaper to verify date and packing method.

[UncleJesse]

I follow Bryan Kimsey's method now and use peanuts. If you watch you can see there is a method to use peanuts but still leave enough room to pull the guitar without all the peanuts coming out.

[blindboyjimi]

I use peanuts. I’ve shipped over 50 guitars without issues. I simply tell my buyer to open the box upside down. The fat end of the case comes right out and no peanuts get on the floor. It’s pretty simple.

[justonwo]

Peanuts are really the work of the devil. If you must pack with peanuts, use the water-soluble ones that don’t form a static electricity nightmare. Heavy construction paper of the type you can get on a huge roll at Home Depot is the way to go. Cheap, effective, easy to pack, easy to unpack.

[mawmow]

I used empty 1,5 liter plastic water bottles : Their storage takes so much room...
I once receive am acoustic guitar in a box stuffed with empty eggs crates : I adopted the idea. And they are easy to pile (wide open).

[pagedr]

I think most people just ship with whatever they have available from a previous purchase. So if someone receives a guitar that's packed with peanuts, they'll probably reuse that same box/packing material to ship a guitar at a later date. That's how I generally do it at least, though I think I've only received/shipped one guitar with packing peanuts that I can remember.

[russchapman]

For about $7, you could at least purchase the top and bottom inflatable sections of the Stew Mac system.

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tool...ng-system.html

It's an affordable, small step in the direction of getting with the times and dispensing with the peanuts, foam, egg cartons, etc...

Honestly, times have changed (of course I remember when peanuts and foam and paper were what everyone used). Those days are over. It seems that few people here have seen how Martin or Taylor or Gibson pack their guitars.

[TDavis]

Originally Posted by LWSog

Unless you're really not fond of the person you're shipping to, please consider an alternative to filling the box with styrofoam peanuts. There are much better options out there now. Here is my favorite, which is safe, neat and easily reused/recyclable (and much easier on our planet):

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tool...ng-system.html

(I know there are far more important issues facing us these days. However, I just filled two large garbage bags with styrofoam peanuts from a guitar box, and corralling them was like corralling a thousand 10 year olds on a sugar high...)

Amen, brother! It chaps my behind to have to chase foam peanuts all over the place...

...but then again, I've gotten guitars that were all but unprotected in the shipping box too, so I guess chasing the dumb things are a whole lot better than a damaged guitar.

I'm a big fan of bubble wrap myself. LOTS of it!

[Dwight]

Originally Posted by blindboyjimi

I use peanuts. I’ve shipped over 50 guitars without issues. I simply tell my buyer to open the box upside down. The fat end of the case comes right out and no peanuts get on the floor. It’s pretty simple.

That's the ticket, take the big side out first! The few times I used recycled peanuts I sent instructions and an apology.

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by russchapman

It seems that few people here have seen how Martin or Taylor or Gibson pack their guitars.

I've seen how manufacturers ship. They can afford to lose a few. The new guitars I've received had almost nothing in the way of packing outside of top and bottom support. None of them ever had anything inside the case supporting the neck and headstock. There's no way I'm shipping it without some support under the neck. I've done newspaper inside of plastic bags instead of peanuts but I like to be sure my guitar is not shifting.

[MartinGibsonFan]

Originally Posted by russchapman

For about $7, you could at least purchase the top and bottom inflatable sections of the Stew Mac system.

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tool...ng-system.html

It's an affordable, small step in the direction of getting with the times and dispensing with the peanuts, foam, egg cartons, etc...

Honestly, times have changed (of course I remember when peanuts and foam and paper were what everyone used). Those days are over. It seems that few people here have seen how Martin or Taylor or Gibson pack their guitars.

I don't see $7

I see $114 for a six pack

If you're talking about the top end or bottom end bubble packing, that can probably be done with out of pocket material that one has on hand.

I'm sorry, when it comes to packing, you will first exhaust all avenues with current supplies on hand, which most frequent shippers have, otherwise, you have to put up with what non frequent shippers have on hand and experience. The hazards of shipping

J

[gstring]

I would like to put forward a motion that the AGF adopt a peanut free shipping policy........... come on folks, it's 2020 and we all have to do our part.

d