There are several reasons why drummers have to occasionally ship their drum sets. They could have moved towns, they could be selling their kit to someone else, or they may be sending it to a family member to keep in storage.
It’s a good idea to know how to ship a drum set so that you know what to do when one of these situations applies to you in the future.
Here’s a guide on everything you need to know.
Some shipping companies may pack the drum set for you, but packing it into boxes yourself will save a bit of cash, so we recommend doing that. You’ll also have full control over how everything is placed.
You should start with the drum shells. All your drum shells can easily fit into one big box. You need to remove the drumheads and then place the shells inside each other. Just make sure that you place some sort of wrap between each shell so that they don’t rub against each other.
Most drummers own soft cymbal bags. For the sake of shipping a drum kit, we suggest getting a hard case for cymbals. You can then wrap that up to protect it and place it inside a box.
This box will need to be large and flat so that it can fit the cymbals inside. Most people have a 22” ride cymbal as their biggest one, so get a box that can fit that.
If you have a lot of cymbals, you may need to use two cases and two boxes.
The hardware is the next step in the packing process. You can put all the hardware in a bag and then place that bag in a box.
If you don’t have a hardware bag, you can wrap each piece of hardware in bubble wrap and then place it in a box. Just make sure that there isn’t much room for it all to move around when the box is being transported.
Once you have all your boxes packed, you can take the drum set to a shipping company. They’ll check the boxes to weigh them, and then they’ll charge you accordingly.
The best shipping companies are UPS, FedEx, and USPS. We suggest checking them all out to see how much they charge for shipping larger items.
Remember that drums are very heavy, so expect to pay a decent amount.
Once you’ve picked a shipping company, give them an address to ship the drum kit to. Then the process is finished. This part is much easier than packing the boxes yourself.
One small tip we have is to ship your drum kit to a business address. Shipping companies often offer lower rates for transporting things to business sites.
Yes, as long as all the drums, cymbals, and hardware are packed correctly. Thousands of drum sets are shipped every day, and hardly any of them get damaged.
Just make sure that all your drum components are packed very tightly in those boxes with little room for movement.
It depends on which shipping company you go with and how heavy your drum set is. The heavier it is, the more you’re going to pay.
Typically, shipping a drum kit will cost anywhere from $50 to $150. $150 is on the expensive side, but expect to pay that to ship a large drum kit very far.
The packing part is the most grueling aspect of shipping a drum set. The best thing to do is watch videos of brand-new drum kits being unboxed. Try to emulate how those drum kits have been packed, and you should have a safely packed kit yourself.
Companies sometimes offer insurance deals for extra protection in case your gear gets damaged. If you’re paranoid that something will happen, it’s a good idea to sign up for that kind of thing.
If you’re still struggling to pack your drum kit, you should ask a local music store for help. The guys in the drum department will know how to pack drum kits.
Drum Teacher
Brett Clur has a Drum Performance Diploma from Trinity College London has been playing drums for over 20 years. He is passionate about advanced concepts and uses his years of experience to teach his students about them. While he is a full-time drum teacher, he is also working on growing a YouTube channel where shares his insights. You can see him playing there, or on Instagram where he posts daily videos.
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