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Forum » General Discussions » Shipping saxophone and cleaning inside of the case


by GenCas
(1 post)
9 years ago

Shipping saxophone and cleaning inside of the case

Hi all,

I have to ship a saxophone and have never done it before so have a couple of questions.

I want to keep it as safe as possible during shipping. Its case is hard, though not very well padded (more on that in a bit). Should I put bubble wrap around the saxophone inside the case? I don't want to do anything that will damage the saxophone. If anyone has ever shipped a saxophone, what did you do to make sure it stayed safe?

I also have questions about the case. It has a strong...vintage smell I guess. Like somethine that's been in an attic for a long time. I have the case right next to my bed right now, and I have to close it at night or I can't sleep. I've been leaving it outside during the day as long as it's a dry day.

The inside of the case has also gone hard. I'm not sure why. It was like that when I got it. The padding on the inside of the lid is still soft, but the part where the saxophone rests on and the tops of the lids of the compartments inside the case are not soft anymore. Unfortunately, that means that the part of the case that the saxophone rests on is not well padded anymore which worries me now since I have to ship it. I have a small steamer that I use on blouses and mattresses. Can I use that on the inside of the case? Will that solve both or either or the problems? If not, what else can I do to improve the inside of the case? I can't take it to get cleaned or get a new case, so if there's anything I can do cheaply that will help, then that will be my only option.

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  2. by JonHuff
    (117 posts)
    9 years ago

    Re: Shipping saxophone and cleaning inside of the case

    The case will ultimately need to be replaced. You will never get that odor out, and even if you clean and repad the sax, the sax will start to smell just by keeping it in that case. If you are just shipping it, you can still use that case for now though.

    Probably the most important thing is using bubble or wadded paper to cushion the saxophone inside its case. That is really how saxes get damaged most often in shipping is bouncing around inside a roomy case. You want it snug, but not so tight that you bend keys (you don't want to have to push hard on the lid to latch it closed). Just sort of cocoon it in there. Definitely use an end plug if you have one, and secure the neck and any loose accessories in the compartment if the case has one. Once all that is done, put the case into a larger box with at least 2-3 inches clearance on all sides. Stuff that box full and tight with bubble, paper, and peanuts, and the tigher the better. If you just use packing peanuts and fill it loosely to the top, they will settle out over of a long trip, and end up not protecting the saxophone very well in the end.

    If you follow all those steps, there's a great chance no damage will happen in shipping. Good luck! 

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  3. by mgictwnger
    (46 posts)
    9 years ago

    Re: Shipping saxophone and cleaning inside of the case

    I have sold and shipped a lot of horns on eBay. The last poster was spot-on about the padding and packing, and I would suggest an extra layer of bubble wrap where the case has become hard.
    You can definately improve if not totally eliminate the smell in the case by removing the horn and putting an open container of baking soda in there for a few days with the case closed.

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