Transporting Guitars As Part of Relocating

[tomvwash]

Has anyone used a transport service to move guitars? We are probably moving from S. Florida to Chicago area in mid-2025, and my first inclination is to trim the collection down to half, approx. 7-9, but maybe not. Boxing myself, as though I were shipping for a sale, is an option, but movers can be hit or miss. Any experience or perspective is appreciated.

[AllanAllen]

I hired movers once and they were incredibly careful with my stuff. Lots of plastic wrap and tie downs. I was there with them cleaning the house as they cleared it.

Depending on what you have, I would get hard shell cases and let them pack it up. Unless it’s like an L5, then I’d put them in my car and drive them from Florida to Chicago with me.

[wintermoon]

I hired movers once and they were incredibly careful with my stuff. Lots of plastic wrap and tie downs. I was there with them cleaning the house as they cleared it.

Depending on what you have, I would get hard shell cases and let them pack it up. Unless it’s like an L5, then I’d put them in my car and drive them from Florida to Chicago with me.

I've heard more than one story of a guitar getting "lost in the move"
Take them w you, if something happens to them you have no one to blame but yourself.
The movers can handle the other stuff.

[Ukena]

Depends on the transport service. Some will just put everything separately in a truck; some will put everything together in one pallet, encased in plastic film. The first variation is where things can go missing. You're much more likely to get all your stuff delivered as it left your house if it's in a pallet.

[garybaldy]

My problem is I couldn't entrust anyone with my guitars. I would have to hire a van and drive it myself.

[medblues]

I did it the hybrid way. First, we did the pallet thing. I personally packed my plank guitars and amps (tubes taken out and packed separately). All of that went with the trailer truck and all came intact and none missing. On the other hand, I drove my '63 L-5C and other irreplacable guitars and my Carr Rambler (plus things like our photos and other sentimental items) in a Penske truck from Chicago to New Hampshire while my wife followed me in our car.

[stevehollx]

I just did a 10 hour move. I hired a moving company that rented trucks and kept the crew staying with the trucks from start to finish.

They loaded the guitars first up in the deck above the cab, and then amps went in the front of the truck. Everything moved fine, but I toasted a reverb unit probably from the excessive jiggles, so I recommend disconnecting springs in your reverb pan before the move.

I was worried about guitars sitting in the truck in May in FL, but it wasn't an issue. I left the cases acclimatize in the case for a day before opening them up in the new location. Every guitar had a hard shell case and silica pouch in it.

[deacon Mark]

The farthest I have moved with my guitars was about 4 miles. I of course put all the guitars in the car in a few trips. If I was moving across the country, I would do the same thing though probably rent a large enough truck to haul all once. But I would be the one moving, packing, and responsible for them, no movers or shipping for me. At this point if I ever move again any distance, I really would only have some personal items and the guitars to move. The rest I would buy new or purchase when I got to the destination. No furniture, appliances, or any like objects. Those are not worth moving and I have lousy stuff anyhow.

[Doctor Jeff]

I have only moved my own guitars. I personally don’t have any bad moving stories. But being in the military, one heard a lot about bad moves. The usual quote was “four moves equals a fire.”

I knew a guy who lost about 1/4 of his household goods, including his stereo and LR furniture, when the crane unloading his stuff dropped a crate. (For moving overseas stuff was packed into crates, approximately “U-Haul Pod”-sized. Most households would have 3-5 of these.)

I also had a colleague who was unpacking and opened a box labeled “computer”, and there was a large rock where his desk top was supposed to be.

But those incidents were rare. I think the military used LCD movers who took advantage of them. They knew there would always be a decent insurance payout, so no one would complain too much.