Hi Tim– While I think that the PVC pipe idea would certainly give protection against crushing, I suspect that it would also be overkill. As long as your outside box is large enough, the recorders wrapped and sealed as I mentioned, and centering the recorders in the outside box so that they are totally surrounded by at least 2″ of bubble wrap or packing peanuts on all sides, then you and the recorders will be perfectly safe. I have had recorders sent to me in the dead of winter that were packed this way–and they came through perfectly. A sturdy cardboard box that is totally filled with non-compressible packing material is remarkably resistant to being crushed even slightly. That said, the only problem you might encounter would be from some shipping agency (like a UPS store) that would refuse to insure your package unless they had packed it themselves (for a fee, of course). If you go directly to a UPS, FedEX, or USPS office, you shouldn’t encounter any such difficulties. Then there is the matter of the repair shop deciding how to pack your instruments for the return shipment. They would, of course, pack the soprano in its recognizable as such case, but the PVC pipe might accidentally not be recognized as a tenor case after it had been lying about there for a few days or so. Not to say that they would intentionally lose it, but a hunk of pipe is … well … a hunk of pipe after all. You might then, after all is said and done, check out how your recorders are packed when you get them back. All the best. –Dick–
