Shipping your bassoon, oboe, clarinet, contrabassoon, or English horn to Fox Products for repair requires careful preparation. We understand your instrument represents a significant investment and holds deep personal value. Packages can often experience rough handling and impacts during transit, and without proper protection your instrument could arrive with dents, bent keys, damaged mechanisms, or worse. Taking time to pack your instrument correctly ensures it reaches our technicians safely and ready for service.

When to Ship

Plan Ahead

To ensure your instrument arrives with time to spare, make sure to plan your shipment ahead of time. We require all instruments to reach our factory at least 2 business days before their scheduled service appointment. However, we strongly encourage shipping your instrument early enough that it arrives at our factory a full week before your scheduled appointment. This buffer protects against unexpected delays and gives you peace of mind knowing your appointment is secure.

How long will shipping take?

Most ground shipping services deliver within 5 days when shipping to and from addresses in the continental United States. Keep in mind that transit times may be longer during peak holiday seasons or when there are severe weather conditions. Planning an early shipment helps you avoid these potential setbacks and ensures your instrument makes it to our factory on time.

What to Send

Send the Entire Instrument

We need your complete instrument to properly service it. This allows our technicians to play test it after repairs and confirm everything is functioning properly. For bassoons, contrabassoons, and English horns, be sure to include the bocal you use when you play the instrument. For clarinets, include the barrel you use to play the instrument.

Remove Accessories

Please keep any unnecessary items and accessories at home. Remove items such as seat straps, reeds, sheet music, and other accessories from the case before shipping. These unnecessary items can shift during transit and potentially damage your instrument, so they’re better off staying with you.

Label Your Instrument and Write Us a Note

Make sure your contact information travels with your instrument. A case tag with your name, address, phone number, and email address is ideal. If your case doesn’t have a tag, include a note with this information or tuck in a business card.

We also love hearing from you about your instrument! Feel free to write a note to the repair technician sharing any concerns you have, specific issues you’d like addressed, or particular aspects of your instrument you’d like left as is. Please also let us know which bocal or barrel you use when you play. These notes help us understand your instrument’s story and ensure we deliver exactly the service you need.

How to Ship

Preparing the Instrument in its Case

Always send your instrument in its case! Before packing, ensure the instrument fits snugly and remove or secure any loose items inside. Once everything is arranged, close the case and perform a shake test. If you hear or feel the instrument moving around, open the case and add padding material to eliminate movement. Care cloths or pieces of soft foam work well for securing the instrument. For maple instruments, do not use bubble wrap directly against the instrument, as its tacky surface can damage the finish. Instead, use care cloths or microfiber fabric to protect the wood while keeping everything stable.

Preparing the Case in the Shipping Box

Always place the case inside a sturdy shipping box. If you still have the original box and foam inserts your instrument arrived in, use them, as this is the ideal packaging for safe transit. Without the original packaging, choose a corrugated cardboard box that allows at least 2 inches of space between the case and box walls on all sides. Fill this space completely with packing peanuts, air pillows, or bubble wrap. After packing, close the box and shake it to check for movement. If the case shifts inside, add more material until it stays firmly in place. Be sure to seal the box with strong packing tape only. Do not use Scotch tape!

Shipping Address

Use the following address to ship your instrument to Fox Products:

Fox Products

Attn: Repair

6110 South State Road 5

South Whitley, IN 46787

(260) 723-4888

Use UPS or FedEx

We recommend using these carriers because they typically offer better pricing than USPS for large packages and deliver to Fox Products daily. Be sure to note your tracking number so you can monitor your shipment. Both carriers offer text or email tracking updates you can sign up for to stay informed about your instrument’s journey.

Shipping Insurance

If your instrument insurance policy does not cover transit, we strongly recommend purchasing the shipping carrier’s insurance. Fox Products’ insurance only covers your instrument from the moment it arrives at our factory until it is delivered back to you. For guidance on the best way to insure your instrument during transit, speak directly with your instrument insurance provider.

Still have questions?

Send an email to repair@foxproducts.com or call the factory at (260) 723-4888, and we would be happy to answer any additional questions you have.