Shipping a roland 3x

[fjsys]

So I am contemplating selling my 3x. The local market for accordions isn't great (the last couple I sold went for way less than they should have, but I was just wanting to be rid of them) so that means that I will probably have to list it on ebay and ship it.
I hate shipping anything, much less an accordion and try to avoid it at all costs. I have a wonderful picture and story about shipping a camshaft from a v8 engine (solid metal stick of around 2" diameter) and having it show up in 2 pieces broken right in half.

To avoid this I was wondering what are the shipping tips for a Roland 3x, to see if it is even worth it to me. I have none of the original packaging and it lives in a soft (not Roland, but good quality) gig bag and hasn't seen the light of day in probably 6 months.

So do I tape the bass buttons?
Bubble wrap and hope for the best?
or something else?

Thanks for any advice.
Ben

 

[JerryPH]

Wow Ben, good question. I suppose there are 2 aspects to consider, the outside and inside of the accordion. To protect the outside, I would think that wrapping it in a few big towels and a crapload of bubble wrap covers that, but I do have a question about the internals, not ever having looked inside a "V". For acoustic boxes one does what is called a bass-block to protect the mechanism there, would this be needed for the Roland?

The final thing that I would do is make some kind of wooden box made from 2X4's and 1/2" plywood, fill it with popcorn packing, make sure the accordion in it's case is TIGHT in it and then seal it all off... And still stamp the words FRAGILE everywhere on it. Finally, I would insure the living heck out of it.

Lots of work either way. Good luck with the sale!

 

[JIM D.]

You might contact your local Roland dealer to obtain an original FR-3x shipping carton before they dump it. We dump a few every month but, being in MA getting one to you will be to costly.
To find a dealer near you call Roland Corp. (323) 890 3700
A 8x shipping carton will also do you fine. :tup:

 

[landro]

So I am contemplating selling my 3x. The local market for accordions isnt great (the last couple I sold went for way less than they should have, but I was just wanting to be rid of them) so that means that I will probably have to list it on ebay and ship it.
I hate shipping anything, much less an accordion and try to avoid it at all costs. I have a wonderful picture and story about shipping a camshaft from a v8 engine (solid metal stick of around 2 diameter) and having it show up in 2 pieces broken right in half.

To avoid this I was wondering what are the shipping tips for a Roland 3x, to see if it is even worth it to me. I have none of the original packaging and it lives in a soft (not Roland, but good quality) gig bag and hasnt seen the light of day in probably 6 months.

So do I tape the bass buttons?
Bubble wrap and hope for the best?
or something else?

Thanks for any advice.
Ben

I`d wrap it a couple times around with bubble wrap and put it back in your soft bag. Go to a UPS store and get the right size cardboard suitcase box. It will allow you to surround the soft bag with 2 of styrofoam pellets.This procedure will satisfy most any shippers requirements.

 

[fjsys]

Thanks for the suggestions!

Jerry - I think a wooden box would be a little bit of overkill and expensive by the added weight.
Jim- That is a great idea. I will call my local dealer and ask him if he has one.
landro - if I cannot find a factory box, this is the best idea. Thanks

mostly i was wondering if there was something that needed to be secured internally, but it doesn't sound like it.
Ben

 

[landro]

The bass buttons on the Roland aren`t going to fall in like those often do on an accoustic instrument but it wouldn`t hurt to tape them anyway.
The big hope always is that it doesn`t get dropped off the conveyor belt/rollers by the shipper. That`s why you would insure the shipping.

 

[JIM D.]

Sorry to disagree here, but as a Roland "V" accordion repair tech, I must assure you there is no need to secure a bass machine on any Roland models of digital accordions for shipment. However the new Bugari Digital's ( yet to be shipped )
will need (because of pistons used) will need blocking the same as an acoustic model accordion.

 

[fjsys]

Jim, I think you may have miss-read.
landro said they are not going to fall in, but it wouldn't hurt to tape them.
That to me meant that it wasn't going to help to tape them and that they probably don't need to be secured.

So no disagreement in this thread yet. :tup:
But I can always hope for one...

 

[landro]

Sorry to disagree here, but as a Roland V accordion repair tech, I must assure you there is no need to secure a bass machine on any Roland models of digital accordions for shipment. However the new Bugari Digitals ( yet to be shipped )
will need (because of pistons used) will need blocking the same as an acoustic model accordion.

I believe I made it quite clear that the Rolands bass won`t fall in but Jim D probaby didn`t read my post correctly.

That all said , I find it interesting the Bugari EVO`s keyboard and bass more closely replicate an accoustic accordion in construction when the necessity or need simply just doesn`t exist for anyone but an accoustic purist . Most purists are older players , bound to be set in their ways and opinions , and probably dying out faster than WWII vets.
To begin with , a true purist will not have a much interest in an electronic accordion anyway , so the possibility of an EVO sale sale based on an instrument having the identical accoustic keyboard and bass action isn`t about to seal the deal when the the sampled sounds certainly do not compare identically to the reeded sound.
Then we have to consider the comparisons between the keyboard and bass actions of various accoustic accordions too. Is the EVO keyboard action really as good as the best ones found in high end instruments ? Do we actually want it to be in an electronic accordion? Todays players are much less concerned with keyboard / bass action and more concerned with weight and various sound capabilities than their ability to exactly replicate a particular keyboard action . Historically the Roland keyboard is pretty well acceptable , just fine and has rarely been the subject of complaints , although the bellows action and/or programming may be more on the wish list than anything else..
Personally I think The EVO is not going to impact the electronic accordion market in any way unless the bellows action can exactly duplicate a good accoustic. So far the EVO hasn`t shown or proved to me to be any better than the Roland in this respect.