July 16, 2014 Moving Instruments: A Nightmare No Longer
Everyone’s heard of those horror stories of moving with a piano and it accidentally falling on someone and crushing them? What? That never actually happens? Well, even if it doesn’t happen it can still be a nightmare to move with larger instruments such as pianos and drums. Here are some helpful tips on packing for a move when you have large musical instruments:
Wrap Properly
When instruments are wrapped improperly it can cause major damage that can end up costing you more than your entire move, depending on what kind of instrument it is and how much damage is done. Make sure that instruments with strings such as cellos, harps, and guitars that the strings are loosened lightly and then wrapped in bubble wrap, taped up, and put into their case. Once the instrument is inside the case, make sure that if there’s lots of free room to use crumpled paper to fill it in a bit.
If you don’t have a case for your instrument, it’s good to use a sturdy box that is a little bit bigger than the instrument itself. Nothing inside the box should move because that could cause damage to the instrument, so it’s good to get it wrapped and then fill in any extra space with more packing material or paper. Although it’s kind of obvious, it’s good to remember that you should never put more than one instrument in a box.
Use Lots of Padding
If you have an extremely large instrument such as a piano or drums they can be hard to handle and ship to new places. It’s good to use lots of padding and packing supplies to not only help protect them during the move but also help you move them more efficiently. Luckily drums can be taken apart and wrapped individually, but moving pianos can be difficult and take some finessing. Always keep the piano in an upright position; it’s not good for the inner mechanics if it gets tilted onto its side and don’t use tape to keep the lid closed, it could damage the wood surface. It’s better to just make sure that it’s wrapped and padded properly.
After the Move
Congratulations! You’ve moved in and are settled down in your new place and hopefully you’ve managed to avoid damage to your instruments. If you haven’t escaped damage, it’s good to see someone as soon as possible that can fix the damage. But, if you have escaped damage to your instruments, it’s good to let your string and woodwinds acclimate and reach room temperature for at least 24 hours before you use them again. If they’re a string instrument, you’ll have to retune them.
What are some of your stories of moving instruments? Did it go off without a hitch, or were there some hiccups along the way? Leave me a comment!
Carlee loves listening to music and playing her songs to her wonderful audience, her dog and cat. She recently just moved to a new city and is looking forward to her new job and continuing to create music.
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