Does this sound familiar? The guitar must be sent for repair or to be taken along for a flight.
To avoid nasty surprises one has to handle this issue prudently. Often guitars have arrived at our workshop worse than they were sent or a vacation began with a broken guitar.
What to do when sending or travelling with a guitar?
In no case may the guitar slide around in the case. The risk of damage is very large, since it can happen during transport , that the case falls or is even thrown. In particular, a broken headstock or neck is a common phenomenon in the transport of guitars.
The cushioning of the critical areas will help. If you shim the head as shown,
and, if there is a gap on the side or bottom of the case, fill it with cushioning material, you've made the most important precautions. The fact that a guitar during transport must not be packed in a thin cardboard box or a flexible bag is self-evident.