A mandolin is a musical instrument that can be either plucked or strummed to create music. It is a small instrument like a violin and can either have a bowl or flat back. Because it has a neck that can get broken during shipping, it must be properly packed to ensure that it arrives damage-free. Here are some tips on how to pack and ship a mandolin.
Before packing the mandolin, loosen the strings to take the pressure off the neck while in transit.
The mandolin is best shipped inside a hard case for optimum protection and placed in a sturdy shipping box filled with packing materials to prevent it from moving around. However, it can still be shipped without its case but following packing procedures must be observed.
Place the mandolin in a clean pillowcase (or just wrap it in a cloth). Then wrap the entire instrument with bubble wrap, at least two layers, and secure with packaging tape.
Get a sturdy cardboard box with two inches of packing peanuts on the bottom. Put the mandolin inside and fill the box to the top with more packing peanuts. The ideal is to have the mandolin securely packed in a box with at least two inches of cushioning between any part of the instrument and the box walls. Seal the box and ensure that the contents do not move when shaken.
Place the box inside a larger box with another two inches of cushioning between the two boxes. Close and seal the outer box with packaging tape.
Address and label the package and take to a reputable shipping company or post office.