How to Ship Your Violin or Viola Safely
Inside the Shipping Box
The instrument case must be surrounded by two inches of padding on all sides. Mark the box “this way up” to denote the top of the instrument and double the padding to four inches at the bottom of the box so it can absorb a strong shock. Oftentimes, an instrument is damaged from a drop of just four or five feet off of the delivery truck. Violins or violas, especially, can suffer severe damage, even though the box looks fine on the outside.
“It’s called ‘concealed damage,’ which is the worst kind of damage to get a claim from,” says Ken Wise of the International Violin Company, Baltimore, Maryland. “There’s no obvious damage to the exterior of the box, so they don’t know if you shipped the instrument that way or not.”
Your date-stamped photos will help in the event of a concealed-damage claim.
“Triple-tape the box,” Wise says. “You don’t want any excuses from the carrier that you didn’t use enough tape or the box opened.”
Packing tape is cheap and a well-secured box is one less thing to worry about.
By Erin Shrader
Learn how to pack and ship a violin or viola safely. Whether you’re a string player or someone involved in the strings trade, chances are that at some point you will be required to ship an instrument. In this instructional guide (including a step-by-step video tutorial), experts will take you through the correct process, from how to choose the right shipping company and get the best shipping rate, to which case to use, and how to file an insurance claim if the need arises.
 Care and Repair of Violins and Violas: How to Ship Your Violin or Viola Safely
Video/PDF
$5.99
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