How best to ship a tuba?

[Donn]

If a tuba is top-loaded (w-a-y) up high in a truck that isn't full (and it isn't secured up there), its likely a goner no matter the name painted on the outside of the truck.

I think the palletized option Bill mentioned is where truck shipping starts to make a difference. In my limited experience it is not astronomically expensive, and it seems to be the recommended way to ship heavy-ish equipment. Tubas by comparison aren't as fragile, really, because they're so light, and palletized freight probably isn't economically justifiable (and it gets a lot more expensive if you need door-to-door.) In my case, the shipper knew where to get a cheap rate, knew how to make up a proper pallet, and I just had to drive my old heap down to the freight depot and let the nice lady fork it in, and it cost less than $200 for ca 1000 miles. Not knowing how to do all this myself, I'd probably end up paying twice as much to ship something myself.

[Alex F]

I've shipped a tuba via DHL. I chose them because they are one of the few carriers who will pick up from a residence. The tuba, a VMI 2103 was shipped in a MTS hard case. I stuffed the bell, puts foam insulation and bubble wrap around all key stressor points (the tuba was pretty tight in the case) and bubble wrapped the outside, leaving the handles and wheels free. DHL ground, Chicago to Kansas, about $95. It got there in less than 48 hours with no damage. The pick up driver told me it was advantageous not to have it in a box. I also recently shipped a trombone to Lee Stofer via DHL. Also no problems and got there in less than 24 hours.

I've also received horns via Amtrak, Greyhound (from Dan), and FedEX (WWBW). No problems. I guess I was lucky.

[sloan]

What a bunch of ----------------
I HATE THIS TOPIC I've flown My tuba arround the world two and a half
times. Not just the plastic ones either! I took My 1931 B&F to China.
I took the other brass one to Europe and the caribian AND YES they got some damage. My plastic ones were a special thing so I guess they don't count. BUT ULTAMITALY - GET OVER IT THEY CAN BE FIXED !!
IF you order a Cervany they will sent you TWO boxers one with a case in it (empty) and the other SINGLE LAYER cardboard box with only bubble rap packing penuts and the tuba. these tubas are known to be extreamly thin and dent prone but that's how the manufacturer does it.
So If I sound uncareing it's because I just don't believe in prety tubas - to me it's all about the sound. (It's just a tool)

Yes, I agree. But...if the tuba is in the case, it cannot be adequately bubble-wrapped. If you want to do it the way Cervany (and others) ship - then you need to ship two boxes. The case is a no-brainer, but the tuba should be so wrapped in bubble-wrap that you can't tell from the shape that it's a tuba - just a huge ball of bubble-wrap.

For one-time shipping to a customer, this works. For a tour of the East Coast states looking for a job, that's too much wrapping and unwrapping (and the expense of shipping TWO boxes on every leg).

I tend to agree with the attitude: "do the best you can, and accept the fact that things get broken/wear out/degrade with use and travel". But...some people like smooth shiny things - and need them to work withOUT an emergency trip to the shop.

It comes down to schedule vs. safety.

[jeopardymaster]

I've had good experiences with all but UPS. Two weeks ago I took delivery of a sweet old Reynolds Contempora bass trombone. Signature feature of which is a bronze bell - that lends a most unique and very distinctive character to the sound. It came packed every-way-to-Sunday --- but on unpacking I discovered that that bell had been crinkled to hell with a twist. It looks like the UPS guys dragged it behind their truck. The seller and I are still waiting on word from them on the claim. And I'm getting PO'der by the minute. UPS, I hope you read this.

[sloan]

I've had good experiences with all but UPS. Two weeks ago I took delivery of a sweet old Reynolds Contempora bass trombone. Signature feature of which is a bronze bell - that lends a most unique and very distinctive character to the sound. It came packed every-way-to-Sunday --- but on unpacking I discovered that that bell had been crinkled to hell with a twist. It looks like the UPS guys dragged it behind their truck. The seller and I are still waiting on word from them on the claim. And I'm getting PO'der by the minute. UPS, I hope you read this.

Has *anyone* ever received $1 on a UPS claim?

[jacojdm]

Has *anyone* ever received $1 on a UPS claim?

Yes. I have twice had items that I shipped destroyed in transit, and UPS paid the claims.

[Chuck(G)]

My big worry with Greyhound is not about damage, but flat-out loss. Depending on where your horn is headed, it can change buses many times--and sometimes, the transfer is to a non-Greyhound bus line. Given the $300 (unless it's changed lately) limit on liability, this might not be a good way to ship a valuable instrument.

As others have mentioned, one important aspect of packing the instrument is protection for the bell. I used to use partially-deflated beach balls (small ones) between the end of the bell and the surrounding container, but given the poor quality of these things, I've simply triple-bagged a bunch of "styrofoam popcorn" and used that instead of a ball inside the bell.

[billeuph]

Has *anyone* ever received $1 on a UPS claim?

Nope. I'm 0 for 3. All three times they claimed that since the box wasn't destroyed, my packing was at fault. All three times the box was heavily damaged but not destroyed. At least nothing of great value was involved. I'd never use UPS for shipping a Tuba.

Bill Anderson

[MaryAnn]

Nope. If it is a *new* item and you can show box damage that correlates to instrument damage, you *might* get them to cough up repair costs (of course it isn't new anymore, then, is it?) But if it is used and had *any* prior damage, they can say the damage you're complaining about isn't new damage, it was there before, and refuse to pay no matter what condition what used to be the box is in.

To me, shipping UPS is a self-invitation to damage. Best shipping I got was when Matt Walters shipped me my tiny MW 182 F tuba via trucking company; the box was so big I had trouble finding it in there. BUT the box itself was in pristine condition, not a mark on it.

I'm not shipping tubas any more.

MA

[MartyNeilan]

I have shipped both a bass trombone in a gigbag and an F tuba in a gigbag via USPS (aka The Post Office) and did not have any problems either time. However, I did take packing to an extreme.
Lots of bubble wrap, several layers of heavy cardboard boxes built around it, good bell protection - used a fiberboard straight mute in the F tuba to take any direct-on-the-bell drops. The tuba just made it within size regulations; if it was much bigger it wouldn't due to all the packing.

[MartyNeilan]

Ladies and Gentlemen of the TNFJ: This man is not kidding. I could ship my wife overseas in Marty's homemade box! (Though I doubt she would wear the mute to avoid cranial damage. She would just wear a mountain bike helmet.) I could probably camp in that box!

Hmmm,
Wife, mute...
I think Wade is on to something!

[Chuck(G)]

This End Up sgnage.

[MartyNeilan]

Any other recommendations?

I usually print out FRAGILE in large letters on the computer (48 point font, I think) and tape one or two FRAGILE's on every side of the package. But I pack like that will be ignored anyway.

[LoyalTubist]

I had tubas shipped with my household goods (Allied, Bekins, Mayflower) overseas with no problem... except that it generally takes months to get through the paperwork before the stuff leaves your hometown area to get where you are!

As far as traveling with a tuba, I have always had good luck with putting my tuba on the plane as checked baggage WITH ONE EXCEPTION:

I was playing with an orchestra that went out to isolated islands in the middle of nowhere. We flew on small commercial planes (propjets--that's all I know about them). Luggage was literally thrown off the airplane through a relay system and half of the instruments were seriously damaged.

As a train passenger, I liked the way the two-story West Coast Amtrak trains were 30 years ago... Passengers sat on the top level while the luggage was downstairs, along with the rest room facilities. There was plenty of room to put luggage--including tuba cases and steamer trunks (I took both sometimes!) Once leaving the sphere of influence of the West Coast, if I couldn't put my tuba in the baggage car. The tuba had to sit outside the car in the coupling. Often times, the diaphragm which covers that area had holes and the case would be soaked when I got off the train.

Now that the two-story trains use the bottom deck for seating disabled people, I think they might have the tuba go in between the cars again, even on the double-decker trains!

[Chuck(G)]

Is UPS Ground the same as UPS?

I've never boughten anything big, but am looking at a tuba on ebay right now and the guy has UPS ground listed for like 125 from Georgia to Chicago.

Yes. You wouldn't want to know what it would cost to ship a tuba by UPS Air Express. $125 does seem high--I wonder if he's using something like the UPS Store to package and send it. They'll steal ya blind!

[MartyNeilan]

I wonder if he's using something like the UPS Store to package and send it. They'll steal ya blind!

I bought a bass trombone gigbag off ebay a few years ago. It was a relatively inexpensive cordura one, too. The guy wants almost $50.00 shipping after the auction, but I refuse and ultimately offer a fraction of the price. The sad thing was that he actually paid that amount to have it shipped at one of those UPS stores. The gigbag comes in a huge box stuffed with foam peanuts. He could have just stuck it in a plain box and mailed it for about $12.00 priority.