The Complete Guide to Acoustic Guitar Packing Techniques Used by Pros

・Cardboard box... A custom-made outer box designed specifically to fit the size of an acoustic guitar.

・Plastic bag... To protect your valuable instrument and case from scratches and water damage during shipping, we cover the entire case with a plastic bag.

・Cushioning material... This is packed into the bottom and top of the cardboard box to effectively absorb shocks from both directions. ・Cushioning

paper... This is stuffed into gaps inside the case and between the cardboard box and the case to secure the guitar and case so they don’t move around.

・Two
square pieces of cardboard: These are specialized supports designed to fill the gaps on either side of the neck when the hard case is placed inside the box.
Fold them into a “U” shape along the creases and position them with the open sides facing outward to completely prevent the case from shifting sideways.

・Handle with Care stickers
: We affix stickers such as “Handle with Care” or “Fragile” to the outer box to instruct delivery drivers to handle the package with care.

In the unlikely event that the guitar tips over or is subjected to a strong impact during shipping, if the strings remain tightly wound, the combination of tension (the pulling force) and the impact could cause the headstock to snap instantly. Before shipping
, be sure to turn the tuning pegs to completely loosen the strings, ensuring there is absolutely no tension.
Releasing the tension in advance significantly increases the likelihood of minimizing damage (such as a shallow crack) in the event of an accident.

This prevents the strings from rubbing too hard against the frets due to vibrations during shipping, which could scratch the frets or the fingerboard. Simply inserting a piece of
slightly thick paper between the strings and the fingerboard easily serves as a fret guard.

If the guitar rattles around inside the case, it will hit the inner walls due to vibrations during transport, causing scratches or damage. Once you’ve placed the
guitar in the case, stuff the gaps around the body with cushioning paper to secure it so it doesn’t move.

Aim for a state where the case lid closes easily and the guitar doesn’t move when you gently shake the case while it’s standing upright.
Actually shake the case back and forth and side to side to confirm that the guitar inside doesn’t move.

*Why paper instead of bubble wrap (cushioning material)? If bubble wrap (cushioning material) comes into direct contact with a
lacquer-finished guitar, it can cause a chemical reaction known as “lacquer damage,” which may melt the finish or leave marks.
This risk is particularly high in environments where the interior of the box becomes hot and humid—such as inside delivery trucks during the summer—even during short transport times. To mitigate
this risk, our store uses plain paper.

*Important Point (Precautions Regarding the Headstock) The headstock is the part of the
guitar most vulnerable to impact and prone to breaking. Be
sure to create a “floating space” so that the tip and back of the headstock do not come into direct contact with the case walls.
If you wrap the headstock in cushioning material or newspaper, external impacts will actually be transmitted directly to the headstock, potentially causing damage. It is no exaggeration to say that
this is the most important point.

To protect your valuable case and guitar from scratches and water damage during shipping, cover the entire case with a waterproof plastic bag.
Tie the opening of the bag securely with a single knot and tie it tightly.

Tape the bottom of the outer box together in a “cross” pattern to prevent it from collapsing.
Furthermore, applying tape along the gaps at the edges of the bottom (the left, right, and front seams) will significantly improve the structural strength of the entire box.
This method firmly reinforces the center of the box—where the most pressure is applied—and drastically reduces the risk of the bottom collapsing.

Fill the bottom of the assembled cardboard box thoroughly with “cushioning material” (such as air cushions or crumpled paper). Creating a solid cushioning layer at the bottom helps absorb “vertical impacts” during unloading and transport, preventing direct stress on the guitar.
Once the bottom is prepared, carefully place the guitar case—which has been covered with a waterproof plastic bag—inside the box.

Place two square pieces of cardboard—folded into a “U” shape along the creases—into the large gaps on either side of the neck created after the case is placed inside (cushioning material can be used as a substitute).

If there are gaps between the cardboard and the case, fill them with cushioning material to secure the case.

Place cushioning material on top of the case to secure it and absorb “vertical impacts.”

With the lid closed, shake the box gently from front to back and side to side to ensure the guitar case does not move, then seal it with tape.

Finally, securely affix a “Handle with Care” sticker in a prominent location so that the delivery driver will take extra care—and the packaging is complete.

Author: Mochizuki (Advance Guitars Staff)

In my personal life, I mainly play electric guitar. Drawing on my boundless love and interest in music—so much so that I keep playing guitar even during work breaks—I showcase the charm of acoustic guitars with some of the finest strumming techniques at Advance Guitars.

Qualifications & Experience: 4 years as a musical instrument appraiser

▶︎Read my other articles here
: The Secrets of the Ovation Adamas
, The Legend of Terry Nakamoto, and The Four Heavenly Kings of Yamaha