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Almost nothing hurts me as much as unpacking a rig
someone has shipped to me, and finding damage to the case, or worse, the
front panel, from inadequate packing. Shipping damage is easily
avoided by just following these simple steps.
(1) Double box every electronic item
you ship. Most shippers will not recognize insurance claims on
electronic equipment that is not double boxed.
(2) Make sure the item is packed
TIGHTLY, so that it is not loose in the packing. A moving item,
especially if it weighs 35 pounds or more, has
lots of inertia - - Inertia that can slam it
into the side of the boxes, clear down to the concrete it was dropped
onto! If you can shake your package and feel the rig moving
around inside, it is NOT packed properly and may not survive the
trip.
(3) Use extra packing material over
and around the front panel. If you only have a small amount of foam
or bubble wrap, this is where to position it. Leave space
around the tuning dial, so it "floats" more, rather than having the
protruding tuning dial serving as a "front bumper" . . . You don't
want that!.
(4) Use decent packing
material. Large bubble wrap is very good, soft foam is great
also. Crumpled newspaper does an admirable job - It is safe, if you
crumple it and use enough of it, just a little heavier than the first two
alternatives. Peanuts are OK, but they should be placed in those
small plastic grocery bags, tied closed and used as "packing
pillows." Loose peanuts are a nightmare, and tend to
migrate and lose their effectiveness during shipping.
Plus my wife hates the mess they make! 8^)
That said, I have never damaged a single item in all
the shipments I've made ("knock-knock"). I use FedEx, who seem to be
gentler than most (as well as cheaper), and I follow my own packing
guidelines. | 
