Advice needed on how to transport guitar over the Pond

[John R]

Hopefully next year I will be making over to the U.S. / Canada to visit relatives living in Ontario. Whilst there I will buy another Larrivee. I love the understated looks of the L09. My question is how can I ensure the guitar doesnt suffer during the journey. I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks in anticipation. John R Merseyside England

[unclrob]

Get a shipping box and pack the crap out of it.Pack the guitar in the case then back the case in the box.Mark "handle with care or DIE".

[hatofthecat]

I've just rec'd a L-03 that was posted USPS from the US across the pond to here in Oxford and was packed very carefully, headstock and neck protected and supported using bubble wrap, in its case and then the case put inside its original shipping box with the gap around it packed with foam peanuts.  Arrived 100% ok.  If you are buying from a shop they should have the original shipping boxes.  There are various web pages on the subject of packing so try Googling for "packing guitar shipping", only variation seems to be whether to reduce tension on strings prior to shipping or not (someone chime in with an opinion on that one..... you know you want to... :rolleyes:).

There are also these coffiin shaped shell cases www.casextreme.com that you put your guitar into in its case (there's a guy jumping up and down on it and hitting it with a claw hammer on their web site).  Has anyone used one of these ?

Also some case manufacturers (Gator, SKB...) claim their cases meet "airline specifications" .... but I've searched without success for these specs    ...would be handy to know my Gator ATA case does genuinely meet the guidelines as the instrument insurance I've been checking into has the usual b*s* "if not properly packed" if travelling by air weasel clause.

Pete

[Randy_R]

Hopefully next year I will be making over to the U.S. / Canada to visit relatives living in Ontario. Whilst there I will buy another Larrivee. I love the understated looks of the L09. My question is how can I ensure the guitar doesnt suffer during the journey. I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks in anticipation. John R Merseyside England

You might want to discuss with CAMS who runs the Celtic guitar forum and frequents the APM forum. He flies back and forth to the US every year with an instrument.