Anyone shipped an amp in the road case?

Eskimo Spy · #1 01-27-2011, 09:46 PM

I have a combo 410 that has a road case, and I'm thinking about selling it and shipping it in the case. Anyone ever done this before? Good or bad idea?

tjh · #2 01-27-2011, 10:32 PM

if the case is made for the amp, I couldnt imagine a safer way to transport ... you will be paying for the extra weight of a road case over a box and padding, but that is what road cases are designed for is safe transit ...

Edit to add: .. as an afterthought, I would secure latches somehow, if not lockable at least with packing tape to insure latches do not open unintentionally ... or intentionally for that matter

JimmyM · #3 01-27-2011, 10:32 PM

better idea than cardboard

BillyIVbass · #4 01-27-2011, 10:39 PM

I try to sell amps locally. Friend of mine just had a nice combo sent to him that got trashed in shipping. A roadcase will definitely make it safer, but it will cost more.

johnk_10 · #5 01-27-2011, 11:57 PM

i've shipped quite a few amps. i always bubble wrap the amp, box it,then bubble wrap that box and box it again. they've all reached their destinations safely. shipping an amp in flight case could be fine, but i'd bubble wrap the heck out of the road case, since it's going to be alot larger, heavier, and the carrier dropping it could transfer all of the shock to the amp (unless it's a very heavily padded foam lined ATA shock case).

**mikeddd** · #6 01-28-2011, 05:42 AM

As Johnk_10 stated, double-boxing is the way to go. In fact, IME, double-boxing is the ONLY way to guarantee the item arrives in one piece. Short of the truck crashing and totally crushing and burning everything it's carrying, your item will get there in the exact shape you sent it.

Of course, when you're dealing with something that could be 2-3 square feet in size and weighs 50+ pounds, just single-boxing the item is an issue, let alone double-boxing it. That just comes with the territory though. I have a few very nice full-tower computer cases just collecting dust b/c for what it would cost to ship, I'd make no money if i sold them.

Years back, I helped a friend move. She collected Hummells...those little German-made, glass figurine/doll things? Of course, she had thrown away the little boxes they came in. We wrapped each one in copious bubble wrap, put a few of the wrapped figures in small, shoe box size boxes with tons of foam peanuts, then put each shoebox into a bigger box with tons of peanuts. Not a single chip on any of the items. Works just as well with 80-pound tube heads too, assuming you pack it all correctly.

It could get expensive having this professionally done. Unless it's a $1K investment/sale, sometimes it's just not worth the cost. Local sale only in that case.

Good luck.

coreyfyfe · #7 01-28-2011, 06:40 AM

I shipped my V4 in a calzone ATA case. I shipped the power tubes separately but thought the pre-amp tubes would be ok.

Apparently it suffered a big enough drop that the 12DW7 and 6K11 were both shattered. The amp was fine and with all the tubes in place sounded great, but I was a little pissed about the drop. However, that is what a road case is for, to provide protection against contact damage. My case was 2 inches of foam, 3/4" ply, and metal corners/ends/whatever. Very good protection.

Aguilar/Dave B. · #8 01-28-2011, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eskimo Spy

I have a combo 410 that has a road case, and I'm thinking about selling it and shipping it in the case. Anyone ever done this before? Good or bad idea?

Before I started Aguilar, one of the things I used to do was rent vintage audio gear to producers and studios. So we had dozens of road cases custom built for all the gear. We did a lot of thinking and experimenting to make sure we were protecting vintage Fairchild compressors, Pultec eq's and the like. Not easily replaceable!

I have to say... heavy road cases are good for rolling on and off trucks, into and out of a venue. They are also fine on a shipment that is going on a plane or a truck and is consolidated on a pallet or is in it's own container.

In every other other shipping scenario, one of two things is likely to happen:
1) It gets dropped off a conveyer belt and falls three feet to the ground. The significant extra weight of the case makes the shock to the gear much greater. An inch or two of interior foam may help a little; but you can easily have damage.
2) No one wants to lift it, so they pick it up with a forklift. When I was touring, I had many holes in my bass case from forklift drivers trying to scoop it up.

In summation, if you are shipping UPS, Fedex or something similar you are much better off with a combination of foam, bubble wrap and sturdy boxes. If you are a touring band with an equipment truck, then use flight cases.

Hope this is helpful,

Dave B.

beans-on-toast · #9 01-28-2011, 07:22 AM

I pack cardboard, bubble wrap, or rags around the amp inside the ATA case, then I double box the ATA case to protect it from being damaged. I usually leave the tubes in place. If in doubt, you can pack bubble wrap inside the amp or remove the tubes and wrap them.

Never use peanuts, they can shift with heavy items and leave areas unprotected.

I prefer to ship via FedEx.

sleepytime · #10 01-28-2011, 12:55 PM

I served an 8-year sentence at UPS. Double boxing and bubble wrap/packing peanuts is the method I would use.

agreatheight · #11 01-28-2011, 01:05 PM

Sell local.

tjh · #12 01-28-2011, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agreatheight

Sell local.

I answered above as well, but with everything that has been said, and seeing your location as the Dallas/Ft Worth area, there has to be population enough to find a home for it within driving range ... some things just aren't worth the hassle and anquish, and with the extra value you have of a custom road case, use it to enhance the selling value, not as a shipping liability due to weight ... JMHO

3ViewsOfSD · #13 01-28-2011, 01:55 PM

I shipped my son’s Fender Twin in a SKB amp case from the west coast to the mid-west. I removed all the tubes and shipped separately. The amp was strapped down to the base of the case which is how the case is designed. However the strapping became loose during shipping which we found out after picking up the shipping box. Fortunately, there was no damage and the amp works just fine. The fact that the total weight was ~120 lbs nobody other than the Hulk is going to be throwing that around. However, I don’t think we would have fared as well if it fell off a conveyor belt. Thank you God.

Hindsight, in addition to strapping it down I would also tightly fill the case with foam to ensure the amp doesn’t get bounced around. Here’s an excellent post if you don’t use a flight case. I followed this advice shipping a small 1-12 combo amp and it arrived in the same condition as it shipped.

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/sho...d.php?t=288817

Eskimo Spy · #14 01-29-2011, 10:00 AM

It is a custom case, so it would have to go with the amp. The thought of having to find a box to fit an Ashdown 410 combo inside a road case makes me shudder...

Thanks to all, I agree that shipping it in a case would be a bad idea.

Eskimo Spy · #15 01-29-2011, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aguilar/Dave B.

Before I started Aguilar, one of the things I used to do was rent vintage audio gear to producers and studios. So we had dozens of road cases custom built for all the gear. We did a lot of thinking and experimenting to make sure we were protecting vintage Fairchild compressors, Pultec eq's and the like. Not easily replaceable!

I have to say... heavy road cases are good for rolling on and off trucks, into and out of a venue. They are also fine on a shipment that is going on a plane or a truck and is consolidated on a pallet or is in it's own container.

In every other other shipping scenario, one of two things is likely to happen:
1) It gets dropped off a conveyer belt and falls three feet to the ground. The significant extra weight of the case makes the shock to the gear much greater. An inch or two of interior foam may help a little; but you can easily have damage.
2) No one wants to lift it, so they pick it up with a forklift. When I was touring, I had many holes in my bass case from forklift drivers trying to scoop it up.

In summation, if you are shipping UPS, Fedex or something similar you are much better off with a combination of foam, bubble wrap and sturdy boxes. If you are a touring band with an equipment truck, then use flight cases.

Hope this is helpful,

Dave B.

Thanks, that does help tremendously.

By the way, just bought a tweed DB410 that sounds fantastic! Oh, and it looks pretty spectacular as well

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