If you are a musician, there's a good chance that you have multiple instruments in your possession. You might need them to compose a symphony. You might use them because you play multiple different instruments in your band. Whatever the reason, you likely have spent a great deal of money on them and want to make sure that you are able to get them from one place to another without damaging them. Long moves can be especially dangerous because they could result in your instruments being jolted around and dented, which could ruin the sound or break them permanently. Here are some tips for moving your instrument collection so that you can make sure that your instruments reach their final destination in one piece.

1. Get Boxes From the Instruments Supply Store

You likely have a music store or an instrument supply store near you where you purchased the instrument in the first place. If you have loose instruments, such as guitars and basses, you probably don't want to spend a ton of money on a heavy, hard case for them. You can go to the store and ask if they have any leftover shipping boxes that you could use in order to make sure that you ship your guitars and other instruments safely. When you get the boxes, take sheets and towels that you also need to bring with you and use them to line the bottom of the box. Then, take small dish clothes and put them on either side of the neck of the guitar to keep it from breaking.

2. Loosen Any Strings Before Packing

The next thing that you need to do is make sure that you are taking the time to loosen the strings on any of your instruments before you start packing. The reason for this is that loosening the strings decreases the chances that pressure is put on unhelpful parts of the instrument or that the strings snap.

3. Pack the Mouthpiece of Any Brass Instruments Separately

Make sure that you pack the mouthpiece of any brass instruments separately in order to make sure that you don't accidentally snap the neck during the move. Wrap both the mouthpiece and the instrument itself in bubble wrap.

4. Allow the Instruments to Acclimatise for 24 Hours

The instruments are going to get warmer or colder while they are being shipped. Before you play them, make sure that you allow them to acclimatise to the temperature of your final destination. This will allow you to spend less time tuning them.

For more information, talk to a company such as Bekins Van Lines Inc.