ilovefuzz.com

Hey dudes
I was wondering how you all go about shipping amps?
How much it usually cost, how you package it and all that jazz.

I have a fender concert reverb I'm thinking of getting rid of
I have a road case for it that's built like a tank
Would the road case itself be sufficient enough to ship in?

Needs to be boxed. Road case is a nice start, but insufficient for shipping.

This video is a good guide:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksJ1i3NYgKg[/youtube]

In any case, the heaviest part of the amp should be at the bottom. (So, usually up side down.)

When I recently shipped my Verellen Meatsmoke amp back to the manufacturer, UPS charged me $140. Not sure exactly what it weighs but it was marked as over 70 lbs.

Check out Soundpure.com for some shipping tips as well.

FedEx usually has the cheapest rates in my experience. Def needs to be boxed and padded with bubble wrap/foam peanuts/foam corners/something similar. Don't think any shipper would accept it in just the road case.

Ugly Nora wrote: Check out Soundpure.com for some shipping tips as well.

"Soundpure shipping instructions:
Step 1. Spend an hour staring disgustedly at the item you must pack. Think of all the ways you'd rather spend your time.
Step 2. Rigorously rub your genitals on the item while flipping it off with both hands.
Step 3. Take the packing materials into the back alley and trade them for inferior crack.
Step 4. Drop the item to be shipped in a cardboard box. Is it securely packed and safe for the journey ahead? WHO CARES!
Step 5. Scan the music forums for some whiny asshole complaining about your packing job. Find it? Do a shot!"

Yeah that sounds about right.

I shipped my Egnater to California for service for about $30. Of course I still had the original box for it and Cali isn't far away.

Sonny shipped a YBA3 I fixed up for a friend with ups and it was $90, but those amps are 70ish pounds as is, box with styrofoam cutouts for bottom, all 4 sides and top safely wrapped in a combo of peanuts and bubble wrap. From MD to TN.

Don't know if he packed or if UPS did, but I think they did?

just sent an emperor 21 to maryland
maxed out size and weight
insured at $300
$73
acoustic 150 from washington state to ny $35(right ax?)
randall r300 big boy to me from wherever $45

i try to cut 5inch strips of cardboard
fold in half longways
and put them in the cornerrs
cause our heavy shit goes on the botttom
i also try to get a box within a box
meaning double layer cardboard all around
put some extra pieces over the grillcloth and knobbs
suff that shit with twisted newspaper
or better the rolls of builders paper at home depot
make a big long snake
and keep coiling it around
lots of tape
try to get a little bit of lift off the bottom of the box
i broke some styrofoam chunks up
dont trust the rubber feet or casters as shock absorbtion
airbags will probably pop
peanuts are a pain in the balls
someday theyll make packing spray foam
oh shit
i just gave up another milion dollar idea
tape...tape...tape!

ryan summit wrote: i also try to get a box within a box
meaning double layer cardboard all around

yeah, double boxing is key.

And be sure to pull the tubes. Wrap each one in bubble wrap. Put back into the properly padded cab/headshell

Yea. +1 to pull the tubes and also possibly depending on amp design the reverb tank or chassis.

It *may* be cheaper to ship the chassis and/or tubes seperately from the rest at times - as you approach the size/weight limit, things change radically in price.

Don't use peanuts unless you rig up a way to prevent them shifting to the other side of the box (leaving your amp completely unprotected on one side). It's probably a lot of trouble to do that, so don't bother with peanuts IMO. They're not good for shipping pedals for the same reason, IMO.

Don't use broken pieces of styrofoam unless the amp (or stompbox) is completely sealed off - the beads will go everywhere. Even if your amp is bagged, I think broken styrofoam is a bad idea. If you're shipping an amp, don't just settle for whatever packing materials you can scrounge up. Buy bubble wrap, etc.

I've heard people debate pulling the tubes - some people say that shipping the tubes (pulled) stashed inside the amp isn't going to gain you any protection (I believe the damage would come from a "heavy drop" in which case it doesn't matter if the tubes are in the sockets or not). You could send them in a separate box, but a small package is maybe just as likely to be abused (thrown, etc) as a big heavy package (dropped).