Buying New vs Used

[MaryAnn]

That works well if the tuba has a hard case; however the three tubas I've received that have been damaged, were sent without a hard case.

In that case (pun intended) you really have to secure the tuba....last one I sent back, I taped the inside of the box with a heavy layer of bubble plastic (very large "bubbles," more like boxes,) paying special attention to corners and 90 degree bends. I taped several inches of bubble plastic to parts of the tuba that could possibly contact the box if the box was shaken hard enough. Then I put it in the box, bow down, and used a piece of wood and my hands to tamp peanuts down really, really tight on all sides and the top. More layers of bubble plastic went on top. If the box is not difficult to close, you don't have enough peanuts. The guy who sent it to me used a cut-down refrigerator box, and I got another one to send it back, since DHL "compromised" the first one. The box was free.

I think I remember someone saying it's a good idea to put a partially inflated volleyball in the bell to help with its integrity. I've never done that but it sounds quite reasonable.

I put This Side Up huge arrows on the box, and FRAGILE in huge letters all over it. Of course that won't matter with most carriers, who are going to do what they are going to do. Then I sent it via a trucking firm instead of the usual suspects.

It arrived without further scathing.

MA

[chronolith]

That's what I mean by "somebody who knows what they are doing". Wish everybody did it that way. I try never to ship without a case anymore for the exact reasons you mentioned.

BTW MaryAnn,

I am still mad at you for sneaking out from under me that Meinl-Weston Euphonium on that auction site a couple of years ago!

I had my little heart set on it and I lost it with 11 seconds to go.

[Rick Denney]

In that case (pun intended) you really have to secure the tuba....last one I sent back, I taped the inside of the box with a heavy layer of bubble plastic (very large "bubbles," more like boxes,) paying special attention to corners and 90 degree bends.

When I shipped a 20J, I used unused rolls of paper towel, still in its plastic wrapper, to wedge the body of the instrument between the four corners of the box. That saved a lot on bubble wrap. I'd already spent $70 for the custom boxes. When I was done, nothing on the instrument could reach the wall of the box under any potential G force. It could have been damaged, of course, but doing so would have required damaging the box, which would have made it easier to claim damages.

With a fixed bell, I would have bought a cheap plastic ball to put inside the bell, to hold the bell rim away from the carton, suspended in air.

The manufacturers put the tuba in a plastic bag and encase it in peanuts. Peanuts are cheap if you have them. Typically, they ship the tubas and the cases separately, because the case is designed for different requirements than shipping.

Rick "surprised by how cheap two 8-packs of paper towels are" Denney

[MaryAnn]

That's what I mean by "somebody who knows what they are doing". Wish everybody did it that way. I try never to ship without a case anymore for the exact reasons you mentioned.

BTW MaryAnn,

I am still mad at you for sneaking out from under me that Meinl-Weston Euphonium on that auction site a couple of years ago!

I had my little heart set on it and I lost it with 11 seconds to go.

Oh, was that you? (you mean the Bariton, right?) Sorry about that, especially since I gave up trying to play euph because it messes up my horn playing. Not embouchure but air supply; I get used to how much air it takes to play a note on the euph and then I crack everything in the vicinity on horn. For a while there I was playing euph one band, tuba another band, and horn in orchestra. My face just got too confused. I'm not even playing tuba at the time being (don't ask me why I still post here....I guess it's the company!)

MA

[MaryAnn]

When I shipped a 20J, I used unused rolls of paper towel, still in its plastic wrapper, to wedge the body of the instrument between the four corners of the box. That saved a lot on bubble wrap. I'd already spent $70 for the custom boxes. When I was done, nothing on the instrument could reach the wall of the box under any potential G force. It could have been damaged, of course, but doing so would have required damaging the box, which would have made it easier to claim damages.

No surprise that you're an "engineer packer." I already had the peanuts and bubble plastic, and the fridge box was free. It did take me a couple hours to pack it though. With the trucking company, I trusted them to keep the up side up, which maybe was dumb but it worked.

I had one person ship me a tuba packed bell down. No further comment, except I wonder how much less damage there would have been with a volleyball in the bell. I also wonder if DHL turned the box upside down when they picked it up and put the label on it, or if he packed it that way.

MA

[iiipopes]

My tuba came packed in a recliner chair box with the "pillows" all around by DSL. Quick, cheap (relatively), good. After reading the above, the person who packs it is probably the key link in all of this. I got lucky.