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How to pack and dispatch drums & cymbals

Quick answer

Safely packing drums and cymbals comes down to three steps: prepare, pack, and test. Remove stands, pedals, and other detachable hardware and wrap them separately. Wrap every drum shell, even when nesting them together. Pad cymbals on all sides so their edges can’t cut through the box. Give the sealed box a "shake test" to make sure nothing is rattling. Take photos of the packaging before you dispatch in case it’s damaged in transit, and enter your package's actual weight and dimensions when using a Reverb label to avoid extra postage charges. We always recommend adding protection to your label, whether it’s Reverb Safe Delivery or compensation through the carrier directly.

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What you'll need

It’s a good idea to get packaging materials ahead of time so your listing has accurate weight and measurements. Plus, this helps ensure you dispatch within Reverb’s 3-business-day timeline.

    • Delivery box: Leave 2 inches for padding on all sides of the drum, or of the nested stack if you're dispatching a kit. If you're reusing a box, make sure it's still sturdy and remove all old stickers and labels. carriers sometimes charge extra if old labels are left on the box.
      • Drums: Leave 2 inches of padding on all sides of the drum, or of the nested stack if you’re dispatching a kit. If you’re reusing a box, make sure it’s still sturdy and remove all old stickers and labels. carriers sometimes charge extra if old labels are left on the box.
      • Cymbals: Use a flat, square box a few inches wider than your largest cymbal. A 24" x 24" x 5" box works for most cymbals.
    • Kraft paper: You’ll use it for wrapping shells, filling space, and separating nested drums and stacked cymbals.
    • Cardboard: Cut it into custom inserts that sandwich cymbals and fill gaps around drums.
    • Packing tape.

Dispatching a full kit in multiple boxes: A full drum kit usually needs more than one box. Nest the shells to save space, but watch the weight: standard carriers cap parcels at 150 lbs and 165" in length plus girth. Splitting the shells, cymbals, and hardware into separate boxes also makes each box lighter and less likely to be dropped hard. Measure and weigh each box separately.

Don't use:

  • A gig bag or road case as the shipping box. Every case needs a padded shipping box around it. Cases with no outer box are also more likely to receive overage charges.
  • Tape directly on drum wraps, lacquer, or cymbal surfaces. It can pull the finish or leave residue when you remove it.
  • Newspaper or anything with ink, which can damage the finish.
  • Any tape other than packing tape.
  • Clothing as padding.

Packing steps

Step 1: Prepare the item

  • Remove hardware that isn’t attached to the shell. This includes tom arms/legs, cymbal stands, and kick pedals. Bag the small parts so they stay together.
  • Leave the shell hardware on. Don’t remove the lugs, tension rods’ lug casings, or other hardware mounted to the shell. Removing them can strip threads or damage the shell, and putting them back is a lot of work for the buyer.
  • Remove the heads if you’re nesting drums. Taking the heads off lets smaller drums fit inside larger ones. Pack the heads flat between layers of kraft paper so they don’t crease.

Step 2: Pack the item

Wrap and secure loose hardware separately, then pack based on what you’re dispatching:

  • Drum kits (nested): Nest the drums from largest to smallest. Wrap every shell first, since shells should never be dispatched bare. Put kraft paper between each drum so lugs, screws, and other hardware don’t rub against the next shell. If a drum fits too tightly for paper to go between the layers, wrap and pack it on its own instead of nesting it.
  • Individual drums or snares: Wrap the drum in kraft paper and surround it with enough padding that it never touches the sides of the box. If it’s in a case, shake the case first to make sure nothing is loose inside, then fill around the case so it can’t move in the box.
  • Cymbals: Sandwich each cymbal between cardboard inserts cut to size, with kraft paper on both sides. If you’re dispatching several cymbals, stack them with paper and cardboard between each one. Pad all the way around the edges. In a wide box with no padding, a cymbal’s edge can slice through cardboard.
  • Legs and hardware: Pack long hardware, such as floor tom legs, upright in the corners of the box so it doesn’t shift into the shells.

Once everything's snug and nothing shifts, seal the box with packing tape and keep the postage label visible.

Avoid postage overages: Make sure your weight & dimensions are accurate

Gather your packaging materials in advance and measure all three sides of your box from the outside (printed dimensions are often the inner size). Weigh it on a scale, photograph the measurements and scale reading as proof, and round up when in doubt. If you use calculated postage, update your listing if any of the numbers change before you dispatch. If your package doesn't match what you entered, carriers re-measure and bill the difference as a postage charge correction.

Step 3: Do the "shake test"

Shake the box to make sure nothing is rattling or moving. Carriers typically follow a "3-foot drop rule," meaning your package should survive a flat drop from 3 feet. ("Fragile" labels usually don't change how a package is handled, so pack for the drop.)

Protect your package

  • Add protection to your postage label. You can add Safe Delivery when purchasing a label through Reverb, and if your item gets damaged in delivery, you’ll work with our compensation partners at XCover to quickly resolve the issue rather than going through the carrier. You can also use carrier compensation if you’re buying a label from them directly.
  • Photograph the package from all sides before drop-off. This helps if the item gets damaged in transit.
  • Keep your drop-off receipt as a record of when the item was handed off to the carrier.
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