How do you move an M3 across the U.S.?

[nikkioneill]

My husband and I are a drummer & guitarist in Los Angeles and have an M3 organ that we recently spent $200 on restoring to excellent condition (by an organ specialist).

Now we are moving to Chicago (2,500+ mile drive) and we are terrified of damaging the organ. We haven't decided whether to move our stuff in a Pensky moving truck or on a 16 ft POD. Or sell it and hope we find another M3 in great condition in Chicago (we got ours for free to a keyboardist friend.)

Desperately need advice on how to move it: preparation, what blankets and straps to use, what else to do. Or if it's better to sell it in LA if they're easy to find in great shape in Chicago.

Note: we don't have a Leslie... just the organ. Thanks!

[mwd]

First thing would be to make sure you lock down the tone generator. Depending on the shape of what you have you risk not finding another as nice and you won't get a lot of $$$ for it anyway. Office Equipment companies get copiers in in boxes that are super thick. You might snag a couple of boxes that could be cut up and used for extra protection, over keys and fragile areas, then wrap overall in shipping blankets. If you strap it to the wall you might turn the legs to the wall so you don't pressurize the legs or speaker with the straps and put something between the straps and the organ.

[myorgan]

Definitely a truck, preferably with a lift gate. A POD sometimes receives abuse in transit. Once a truck is sealed, it remains so until it reaches you.

Michael

[Organkeys Jones]

Are you moving the rest of your household items in a rental truck or hiring a mover? Either way, secure the tone generator and do a good job blanket wrapping. I would probably duct tape a layer of good cardboard around the blanket wrapped organ. I would also pull and individually bubble-wrap the tubes (before you wrap the organ:->). Depending on the size box you use for the tubes, it might fit inside the console.

[tmccann]

If you have one you like, I'd move it and not sweat it. Lock down the tone generator, wrap it in blankets, strap it to the wall in the truck with a ratcheting tie down across the body (not the legs), and enjoy the drive.

Selling it would be difficult and you aren't likely to get any offers. If it gets dropped off the truck, I'm sure you can find a new one in Chicago for free or close to it.

[nikkioneill]

Thanks so much, everybody! This is incredibly helpful - far more so than what I could find through Google searches and YouTube surfing.