NGD- Ruined!

[tommieboy]

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

A really simple solution is to put a single handle on the box...

Do you have a clearer image of the handle? Sounds interesting.

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

I don't know what the score is in the US. But in the UK any shipping damage was my responsibility as the seller to sort out with the shipping company and the buyer.

I'm not sure if this is across the board in the USA, but in the past, when I requested that the purchase be fully insured, I would have to pay for the insurance, but it was the seller who was insured as far as the shipping company was concerned. So, the seller needed to file the damage claim. If the seller is nonresponsive to your request, you are out of luck with the shipping company.

Tommy

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by tommieboy

Do you have a clearer image of the handle? Sounds interesting.

Tommy

This is one of the handles Tommy. I've added the photo to my earlier post.

[rllink]

Originally Posted by Sdrew22

Thanks for the replies. There were zero damage to the box. Well packed in a hard case. Strings were not at tension. Seller did everything correct on his end. Wild! I contacted the Seller. Next step will be Reverb. Could be worse.

I know I'm opening the can to let the worms out, but I wonder if they had been at tension if that would have prevented it. I mean, that's one of the arguments.

[tommieboy]

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

This is one of the handles Tommy. I've added the photo to my earlier post.

Thanks!

Tommy

[davenumber2]

I always pad under the neck and the headstock where the neck rests in the case for this very reason. It helps prevent whiplash damage.

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by davenumber2

I always pad under the neck and the headstock where the neck rests in the case for this very reason. It helps prevent whiplash damage.

Yep, me too.

[Nickster]

That stinks. I had that happen once to me. But the seller was able to file a claim and get his money back.

[baseball]

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

Yep...

If the box is placed vertically in the back of a van, and the guitar is in a standard hard case, then a straight toppling fall onto its back can snap the neck without showing any damage to the box. The "problem" is that a guitar in a hard case inside a box is really difficult for one person to carry. The easiest way to carry it is vertically - therefore, it gets loaded vertically in the van. Not so bad if it is wedged in by other boxes but as the van empties your vertical guitar box becomes vulnerable to falling over.

Hard cases don't absorb that type of shock, so the guitar neck gets a "whiplash injury".

A really simple solution is to put a single handle on the box right at the balance point, matching where the handle is on the hard case inside the box. You are now making life easy for the courier. They can safely carry your guitar one handed, and it gets loaded on its side, the same way you would put down your guitar case.....much safer!!!

I shipped around 1000 instruments using this simple "trick". I had two damaged. One box looked like it had been dropped off a lorry - it was well damaged. The second had the arm of a folk lift run through the case (can't do much about that!). I was buying in those 40kg lift rated plastic handles, designed to fit cardboard shipping boxes, for about $1 each - they were the best insurance policy my business ever took out.

I don't know what the score is in the US. But in the UK any shipping damage was my responsibility as the seller to sort out with the shipping company and the buyer.

My Buddy Gary in Los Angeles was coming home from tour and just happened to look out the window of his plane and SEE the Luggage Monkeys throw his vintage 335 off of a Luggage cart onto another Cart...fully airborne.
As soon as it came through the carousel he opened it right there in front of the ticket-taker people....Fully cased the neck had snapped off !! Not clean, but definitely broken where all Gibby's do. They actually paid to have it repaired because of the many people who had heard him SCREAM on the plane when he saw it.... He told me that the scary part was that he normally didn't check his guitar in the airport having toured for years with no problem....
But Yes, his neck snapped right around where the OP's did, in a Gibson Touring Hardshell.
That was the nineties... I don't know if they still cover stuff like that. When I just got renters insurance they told me my guitars were covered even in my truck...I assume that would include flying? I better check if I ever have to do that

Sorry to hear about that. It's never happened to me, but has to many friends and is a bummer...for a lot of us NGD is the most exciting day of the year..or years!

[Mark Stone]

Originally Posted by abn556

You said Reverb right? Contact Reverb and send them the pics. That looks like a scarf joint failure. Its hard to believe some that catastrophic could happen to a cased guitar in a box. Ask for your money back and send it back.

This is your answer.

[LFL Steve]

What a shame!

I once bought two used PA speakers through Reverb. The box arrived with visible damage and prominent dayglow stickers from USPS saying that they had damaged the package in their handling and that I should carefully inspect the contents. One speaker was smashed, the other was perfectly fine. I contacted the seller through Reverb and very promptly received a 50% refund of my total order price.

As others have said, a guitar can definitely incur this damage inside its hardshell case without any visible damage to the case. I had the same experience as baseball’s friend Gary except that I didn’t witness the mishandling and hence didn’t discover the damage until I got home from the airport. Gibson bass in a Gibson hardshell case, headstock snapped off.

Just this year I had some industrial equipment shipped from Kentucky to Colorado. In this deal the seller was responsible for getting it crated and I was responsible for shipping, which I had handled turnkey by a local Colorado rigging company I’ve done other business with. One crate arrived with visible damage which I noted on the delivery receipt. I had to file the claim myself, which I did after assessing and documenting the damage. FedEx quickly agreed to pay for the damage, and sent a check about a month later.

[Coler]

Very sorry you are not able to enjoy your new guitar.

I agree with those who say this kind of break can kndeed happen with no damage to the case or outer packaging.

I hope you get a good and swift resolution. Seems you are well covered as a buyer through Reverb.

[Horsehockey]

Originally Posted by Sdrew22

Thanks for the replies. There were zero damage to the box. Well packed in a hard case. Strings were not at tension. Seller did everything correct on his end. Wild! I contacted the Seller. Next step will be Reverb. Could be worse.

The windings on those capstans make it look like the strings were at tension. At least to my eyes.

[MartinD12-20]

Took possession of a new to me Legend OM-302 this past Friday (05-03-24) purchased on Reverb.
The guitar was shipped via UPS from Las Vegas NV. It arrived in perfect condition. It too was packed very well. The seller did loosen the strings to take tension off the neck before packaging. If he had not stated that he would do so I would have instructed him to loosen the strings. Taking the tension off the neck is a simple act that can help lessen the chance of damage to an acoustic guitar in transit.
Having worked in the package delivery business I know first hand that even the most careful worker can mess up and drop a box.

[redir]

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

Yep...

If the box is placed vertically in the back of a van, and the guitar is in a standard hard case, then a straight toppling fall onto its back can snap the neck without showing any damage to the box. The "problem" is that a guitar in a hard case inside a box is really difficult for one person to carry. The easiest way to carry it is vertically - therefore, it gets loaded vertically in the van. Not so bad if it is wedged in by other boxes but as the van empties your vertical guitar box becomes vulnerable to falling over.

Hard cases don't absorb that type of shock, so the guitar neck gets a "whiplash injury".

A really simple solution is to put a single handle on the box right at the balance point, matching where the handle is on the hard case inside the box. You are now making life easy for the courier. They can safely carry your guitar one handed, and it gets loaded on its side, the same way you would put down your guitar case.....much safer!!!

I shipped around 1000 instruments using this simple "trick". I had two damaged. One box looked like it had been dropped off a lorry - it was well damaged. The second had the arm of a folk lift run through the case (can't do much about that!). I was buying in those 40kg lift rated plastic handles, designed to fit cardboard shipping boxes, for about $1 each - they were the best insurance policy my business ever took out.

I don't know what the score is in the US. But in the UK any shipping damage was my responsibility as the seller to sort out with the shipping company and the buyer.

I googled 'guitar shipping box handles' but got nothing. Where do you get those? Are they sold for this specific purpose?

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by redir

I googled 'guitar shipping box handles' but got nothing. Where do you get those? Are they sold for this specific purpose?

I bought them from Item Products in the UK. Search for: Heavy-duty top loading handle with self-locating, built-in base plate.

Here's one in the US:

https://www.hudson4supplies.com/itr-...ate-white.html