Whether you’re a professional or amateur musician, you know musical instruments are valuable and cost a lot of money. If you’re packing for an upcoming move, whether on your own or with the help of a mover, you’ll want to take special care to properly pack your instruments to protect them from damage and ensure they make their way to your new home in tip-top shape.
1. Packing Stringed Instruments
Stringed instruments, such as violins, harps, guitars, and cellos, are fragile and delicate. This can make them tricky to pack up and transport during a move. In addition, the wood can warp if exposed to rain if you’re moving during inclement weather. If you have a hard case, use this to move the instrument. If not, to prevent warping and cracking, loosen the strings, loosen the bow’s hair if applicable, and move the tuning keys parallel with the headstock for added protection. You’ll also want to use extra padding, being sure to avoid packing peanuts or shredded paper that could get inside the instrument. Allow the instruments to get acclimatized for at least 24 hours before using them.
2. Packing Woodwind and Brass Instruments
A small and barely noticeable dent or ding in a woodwind or brass instrument can destroy its beautiful sound, which is why it’s so important to pack these instruments properly before a move. Take these types of instruments apart completely and wrap the components carefully in bubble wrap inside a hard case. Like stringed instruments, let woodwind instruments sit for 24 hours after unpacking.
3. Packing Drums and Other Percussion Instruments
Using a durable box that’s larger than the instrument and wrap the instrument in bubble wrap. You’ll want to add as much bubble wrap as required so the wrapped instrument fits inside the box snugly. You don’t want it to be able to move around and get damaged. You can find more resources and information from the Matco website.
4. Add Crumpled Paper
Whether you’re packing your musical instrument in a hard case or another type of box, make sure it can’t move around and get scratched by packing in crumpled paper all around the instrument. Move the box or case around carefully to determine whether there are any empty spaces and whether you need to add more paper to adequately secure your instrument.
5. Get Professional Help
Even the smallest dent can cause irreparable harm to a musical instrument, so if you’ve never packed one before or you’re not confident you can do so correctly, it’s a good idea to ask a professional mover for help packing and transporting the instrument to ensure it’s safe.
6. Don’t Skimp on Packing Supplies
Among the packing supplies, the moving company, the potential time off work, and more, a move can get costly. It can be easy to see why you may want to skimp on the packing supplies to save some money. However, poor-quality packing supplies can ruin your musical instruments and render them useless, costing you more in the long run. In this case, it’s a good idea to get top-of-the-line supplies. It will be worth the money in the long run.
