Tascam 388 ebay shipping

[Instroverb]

Does this sound like it will get there safely? Especially if he "drops" it in peanuts!


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=160315277194[/URL]

 

[gerard]

I had a MSR-16 shipped to me a few months ago in peanuts/bubble wrap/card board box. The machine is 90LBS (approx?) and one corner of the rack rail punched through the bottom of the box. The corner was "filed" from being dragged across the floor during shipping and the vibration from that action made some side plate screws lose! Just a "fair warning". Please see Shipping 101, it saved my console!

Jerry

 

[sweetbeats]

NO.

Lance will hopefully consider what he is saying. By putting it in peanuts, even if wrapped in bubble wrap it will shift in the peanuts and be highly susceptible to corner damage. The 388 is a heavy awkward beast and I would put money on the notion that if Lance packs it like he says it will arrive damaged. That would be a shame because that is one clean lookin' 388. Beg him to reconsider. Send him a link to the sticky packing thread at the top of the forum. Tell him you aren't trying to question him but that you have a friend who just received a 234 4-track cassette deck that was minty and is now totalled because it was similarly packed to what he is planning to do, and the 234 literally weighs a fraction of the 388. If I were shipping a 388 I'd wrap it in several inches of bubble wrap, box it, and then if I had styrofoam I'd make a form for the first box in a second box out of styrofoam so it is double boxed with a layer of styrofoam in between. If I didn't have the styrofoam I'd pack peanuts in but really tight, and in either case I'd find a way to reinforce the corners of the box and try to find a double-wall box for the outer box.

Sounds like a lot but he needs to realize that you cannot pack a 388 like that and expect it to survive the rule of thumb: can it survive a 6' drop on to a corner?

 

[Herm]

I have had 3 388,s shipped to my house and 2 where damaged. The 388 is a great machine that everyone loves. But there are some things about it that make it one of the worst machines there is. And getting it shipped is one of them.
It only takes a small hit on the back right corner of one of these to runin the whole unit. And it will be enough damage to never be able to fix it.

The way tascam designed it could have been better. Its a nice unit when it works but there are so many things that can go wrong with it.
I know alot of you love that machine and I did to at one time but after the 3 of them I had I am going to have to put it at the bottom of my tascam list.
It seems like every other week someone is on here with major problems with them. If I was going to recommend a recorder from tascam to someone it would be a mixer and a recorder but not the 388.
sorry guys but thats the way I see it.

 

[cjacek]

ANOTHER TASCAM 388 WILL GET DAMAGED!

Life thought me that many a time no matter what you do or say, you can't change someone's mind, with the odd exception, even if you know for a fact that someone is bound to make a fatal error in judgment. This is one of those times.

Sad to say but this 388, as will the vast majority of other 388's, will succumb to damage, due totally to packing negligence. I will say straight out that there is NOT a way to package a 388 safely, unless and only unless it is crated, as per gerard's console [yes, see the packing 101 thread, last page] or at the very least boxed, thickly lined with styrofoam panels and strapped to a wooden pallet, shipped freight. Otherwise, it is going to get damaged, guaranteed. GUARANTEED!!

 

[A Reel Person]

Guaranteed?

Probabilities might say the seller won't pack the 388 properly & it might get damaged (because most people are flat out stupid/the rest are careless),...

but I've had 3 388's shipped and only one got a minor ding. No major damage. One had a "flight case" with the flimsiest of inner padding, (pillows and blankets), and the other two had pretty good packing with bubble wrap (lots of it) and cardboard boxing (heavy duty with inner cardboard & styrofoam reinforcements). I can't remember that much about it, but no major damage here!

It's a huge risk to take, (heh: pun).

 

[analog aaron]

I had mine shipped.....

I had mine shipped and fortunately it survived. The seller double boxed mine and there was STILL some slight damage due to shipping. When he wrapped it, he bundled up the power cord and placed it in a weird position under the rear corner of the unit. The box was jarred tossed around, rolled upside down by UPS I'm sure. They might've even played "hot potato" with it, who knows. Ha. The side wood panel rear corner at the bottom was a little smashed (due to it being dropped I'm sure) and the weight of the 388 cut right through the power cord. Although there was still enough power cord sticking out of the machine, I was able to cut, strip the cables, crimp and heat shrink it back together. Although my machine survived and nothing else has been a problem with it. I don't think I'd buy another one unless it was local or placed in road case and crated. I know tons of musicians around my town and only one other guy I know here even has a 388 and he wasn't selling his.. I pretty much took the risk of having it shipped only because I couldn't find one locally when I was looking to buy. I am happy with my 388 as it seems to perform as it should, but anyone else might not be so lucky.

 

[cjacek]

When I take into account that most sellers don't pack right and that the typical route involves the package getting dropped, repeatedly, from 6+ feet up, it's a miracle that not all get damaged. Most do sustain some type of damage, be it only internal. It's just the law of physics and nearly all sellers do not know anything about it and also have no clue about how the shipping system works. No amount of peanuts, bubble wrap, foam panels, will save an 90lb recorder from a 6 foot drop. It's indeed a huge risk. Do you feel lucky?

 

[cjacek]

In order for a machine of this size and weight to be handled properly, it must either be properly crated or palletized and handled by a forklift, pallet jack and lift gate. This assures that the contents are minimally disrupted.

On the other hand, the typical seller uses inadequate packing and ships it UPS, FEDEX, USPS where the box gets tossed, thrown and smashed. You wouldn't believe what goes on in your typical shipping facility.

A machine such as this is not some huge hunk of metal but is rather a precision instrument and it doesn't take much to cause problems.

If you still proceed with the "easiest" option, it's up to you but you've been warned.

 

[baneofmyexistns]

>This side up> and mean it. I recently got one shipped 3000 miles without a problem other than the usual maintenance of belt chanage and such on arrival...well i'm still trying to figure out calibration...but my friend shipped it on a palette (ground service obviously...cost effective with such a large and heavy machine) with solid plywood and fibre board insulation. UPS wouldn't take it because they wanted to turn it on it's side and he said ''Can't you see the 'this side up' sticker dood?'' He works in furniture and logistics is a regualr thing for him to this neck of the woods so he went with another carrier who had no problem keeping it on the palette and not stacking it. I picked it up and opened it at the warehouse and plopped it on blankets in my hatchback. Now it's home, safe and warm. Good luck and hope this and all of the above aids you in your decision.