Help: Shipping to Canada(BC) UPS or USPS?

[octagon]

I have to ship a Les Paul to British Columbia and I have some questions:

1.)How much more expensive is to ship to BC compared to the Continental USA?

2.)should I send it by USPS or UPS?

3.)I have the original hardshell case and the original Gibson box,do I need to put them inside another box?

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[bartyclue]

I cant speak about costs but I cant believe its that much more expensive. I prefer to have stuff shipped USPS because I can avoid brokerage fees and other costs. What I can tell you is that the best way to pack a guitar for shipment is to slack off the strings a little, put a piece of styrofoam between the strings and the fretboard. I would also put packing peanuts or other packing material directly under the headstock for additonal support. You should also put packing material anywhere there are spaces once the guitar is in the case. Then I would put the guitar case inside a cardboard box and fill it with packing peanuts right to the top. Then tape the snot out of it along all the seams. I realize this is a lot of trouble to go to, but your buyer will appreciate it and it will mitigate the chance of damage and having your sale become a really big hassle.

[winston]

Mitch,

As Brian posted USPS is the ONLY way to ship. Everything that has been shipped to me via UPS has arrived damaged and to add insult to injury they add a huge brokerage fee (to be paid by the consignee) which is self imposed by UPS (in other words it's a money grab) and totally unnecessary.

Btw I don't remember buying a Les Paul from you?

[octagon]

Mitch,

As Brian posted USPS is the ONLY way to ship. Everything that has been shipped to me via UPS has arrived damaged and to add insult to injury they add a huge brokerage fee (to be paid by the consignee) which is self imposed by UPS (in other words it's a money grab) and totally unnecessary.

Btw I don't remember buying a Les Paul from you?

Haha thanks for the help guys.

[johnhall]

What I can tell you is that the best way to pack a guitar for shipment is to slack off the strings a little, put a piece of styrofoam between the strings and the fretboard.

Do this for a Les Paul, I guess, but keep it tuned up for any RIC, as the owner's manual says.

[octagon]

Ok thanks.I have the original Gibson box and packing materials that my Les Paul came in from Music123 so that should hold it securely.

[doctorwho]

I wouldn't slacken the strings for shipping even on a Gibson.

[bartyclue]

Ordinarily one of two events causes the headstock to break off of a Les Paul while the guitar is in its case: 1) the top of the headstock hits the top of the case, and the headstock breaks backwards; or 2) the back of the headstock hits the back of the case, and the headstock breaks forward.

If you loosen the strings for shipping, you reduce the stress that the second of these two events will place on the weak spot where the headstock joins the neck. Loosening the strings will probably not alone save the guitar from a drop, so people recommend that you use a case with adequate padding and bubble wrap or supplemental cushioning that secures the body and neck so that even a serious drop will not cause the headstock to come in contact with any part of the case.

Increasing the tension on the strings would increase the stress associated with the second kind of event.

[octagon]

Thanks for the help. I don't think the guitar can move inside it's case. There is a cushion at the top that keeps the headstock from moving.There is a cardboard cradle and yoke inside the Gibson Box holds the case immobile.It will be packed in the original materials just as it left the factory.

[winston]

Wow.........Are you shipping that beautiful guitar to me?

[rickenbrother]

Wow.........Are you shipping that beautiful guitar to me?

Yes, so you can ship it to me!

[octagon]

Haha,well ... I gave you guys first dibs but now she's gone baby gone

[octagon]

Well,I had to send it UPS because USPS couldn't insure it for it's full value unless I sent i buy Global Express and that would cost $150 more.

I just checked the tracking number and it says:

Richmond, BC, Canada 03/01/2011 11:46 A.M. Registered with Clearing Agency
03/01/2011 10:41 A.M. Package data processed by brokerage. Waiting for clearance. / Released by Clearing Agency. Now in-transit for delivery.
03/01/2011 5:28 A.M. Arrival Scan
Redmond, WA, United States 03/01/2011 3:02 A.M. Departure Scan
03/01/2011 12:27 A.M. Arrival Scan
Spokane, WA, United States 02/28/2011 5:35 P.M. Departure Scan
Richmond, BC, Canada 02/28/2011 3:40 P.M. Registered with Clearing Agency / Shipment submitted to Clearing Agency
Spokane, WA, United States 02/28/2011 11:15 A.M. Arrival Scan
Richmond, BC, Canada 02/24/2011 1:19 P.M. Package data processed by brokerage. Waiting for clearance.
Maple Grove, MN, United States 02/24/2011 2:01 A.M. Departure Scan
Maple Grove, MN, United States 02/23/2011 6:17 P.M. Origin Scan
United States 02/23/2011 5:59 P.M. Order Processed: Ready for UPS

What does this mean?

[winston]

It means that UPS is busy contemplating the monetary value of the phoney baloney brokerage charges and a preparing a writ of summons and seizure in the event that the buyer balks at paying the huge ransom that they have come up with for his guitar.

[octagon]

It means that UPS is busy contemplating the monetary value of the phoney baloney brokerage charges and a preparing a writ of summons and seizure in the event that the buyer balks at paying the huge ransom that they have come up with for his guitar.

Oh,I thought Canadian Customs was disassembling the guitar in search of foreign made parts that they could charge duty on.