A guitar box is a long, light, awkward shipper, and almost every costly mistake on one is a length mistake rather than a strength mistake. Size it from the case if the guitar ships in a case, from the gig bag if it ships in a bag, and from the instrument itself only if it is going out bare with internal blocking.
Reference lengths to start from
These are industry-typical figures for common body styles, published widely by instrument makers. They are a starting point for a conversation, not iBox stock sizes, and they are no substitute for measuring the instrument you actually ship.
| Instrument | Typical overall length | Widest point |
|---|---|---|
| Dreadnought acoustic | near 41 in | lower bout near 16 in |
| Concert or parlour acoustic | near 39 to 40 in | lower bout near 14 to 15 in |
| Solid body electric | near 38 to 40 in | body near 12 to 14 in |
| Electric bass | near 45 to 47 in | body near 12 to 13 in |
| Three quarter or travel size | near 34 to 36 in | lower bout near 12 to 13 in |
Add the case, then add clearance
A hardshell case typically adds several inches of length beyond the instrument and pushes depth to four or five inches at the body end. Lay the case flat, measure it closed at its longest, widest and deepest points, then add clearance on each axis for whatever cushioning you are using. Two inches of foam or air pillow on each side is common for a guitar going out retail, and that is four inches added to each of length, width and depth, not two.
The headstock end is the part that breaks. If the instrument is shipping out of a case, the neck needs blocking at the headstock and support under the heel so the box can be dropped on end without the neck taking the load.
The length limit that sets your freight cost
Long parcels get surcharged long before they get refused. US parcel carriers publish a ground maximum near 108 in in length and 165 in in length plus girth, and additional handling or oversize charges begin well below those figures. Girth is twice the width plus twice the depth. That makes depth expensive: an inch of extra foam on the top and bottom adds four inches to girth. Confirm the current thresholds and the exact formula with your own carrier before you lock the die, because the difference between a standard parcel and an oversize one dwarfs the difference between two board grades.
Board and construction
A guitar in a hardshell case is a heavy, long load carried by the box ends, and double wall board is the usual answer. A guitar in a gig bag or a bare instrument with internal blocking is lighter but far more fragile, so the box often stays double wall anyway for rigidity over that span. Ask for the board grade and the maximum gross weight to be written on the quote rather than described as heavy duty.
Ordering, minimum and turnaround
Minimum order is 100 boxes, and pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes, confirmed on your written quote. The cutting die, plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof are included, so a box cut to your exact case length costs no more to tool than a rounded one. Given how much length costs in freight, that is worth using.
Turnaround runs in three lanes: rush (expedited production with air freight), standard (air) and cost saver (sea), from about 7 business days plus 2 to 5 for delivery, with specialty imported work up to about 12 weeks. Rush adds about 7 to 25% depending on the job. Production is in West Chicago and Guangzhou. If your box is a plain shipper rather than a printed retail pack, our custom shipping boxes page is where to order it.
Send us the closed case dimensions, the gross weight, and how many you ship a month, and request a quote. If your spec is going to trip an oversize threshold, we will tell you before you tool it.
