How to prepare an acoustic guitar for shipment.

Acoustic guitars are delicate instruments and require additional detail to packaging when preparing for shipment.
1} Detune the guitar...the strings should be loose on the guitar so as not to place any tension on the instrument neck.
2} Note, and record in writing, any visible damage (scratches, dings, etc.) to the instrument before wrapping for shipment.
3} If the guitar is to be shipped in a HARDSHELL case, wrap the guitar headstock with bubble pack and line the neck trough and other voids in the case with additional bubble pack or similiar to stabilize the guitar for shipment. (A guitar WILL MOVE inside its' case, during shipment, unless stabilized!)
4} Acquire a shipping box that's big enough to acgemodate the hard shell case. (Most music stores will be glad to give you several, FOR FREE...as the shipping boxes are trash to them)
5} Carefully place the hardshell case inside the shipping box and fill ALL VOIDS with peanut foam , wadded up newspaper, or similiar material. If this is done properly, the hardshell case SHOULD NOT MOVE inside the shipping box.
6} If the guitar is to be shipped WITHOUT a case or with a CHIPBOARD CASE (these kind of cases offer absolutely no protection for shipping purposes), the ENTIRE INSTRUMENT must be wrapped in bubble wrap...2 geplete layers regemended, top to bottom.
7} Again, place the instrument inside a shipping box that closely matches the size of the instrument and fill all voids with peanut foam, wadded up newspaper, or similiar material;so as to prevent the guitar from moving.
8) Place this shipping box inside a larger shipping box and ,once again, fill all voids with peanut foam or similiar material. (We're double boxing here because the guitar is not being shipping in a hardshell case)
This kind of attention to detail, when packaging an acoustic guitar, will greatly reduce the chances of damage to the instrument during shipment,.....after all.....the idea is to get the instrument from seller to buyer in one piece.....NOT IN PIECES!