best way to ship an amp across the country

adube810 · #1 08-18-2008, 09:33 PM

im going back to college next week in arizona and i need to ship my GK 210 combo out there from NYC. what do i need to do as far as special packing for the amp and should i take out insurance on it? the amp weighs around 85-90 lbs so its not light but not insanely heavy.
help is appreciated

adube810 · #2 08-19-2008, 08:56 AM

bump?

bassteban · #3 08-19-2008, 09:03 AM

On the amp, I'd surround it w/styrofoam insulation(available in sheets at Home Depot/Lowe's-type home -improvement stores)& double- or triple-box it. I get boxes from my local bicycle shop & cut & tape them to fit whatever I'm packing.
One more suggestion- wait 24 hours before bumping your thread; I believe that's a rule here.

VisualShock · #4 08-19-2008, 10:41 AM

he pretty much nailed it. that's your best option. if you feel as though you could beat the packaging with some sort of stick for about an hour, and the amp be intact, then you're good to go!

adube810 · #5 08-19-2008, 10:43 AM

sorry my bad but thank you!

Stumbo · #6 08-20-2008, 03:28 PM

I have had 100% success with minimum of 6" of large bubble wrap covering the whole thing. Whatever it takes to fill the box you have. Be sure the corners get the same thickness. If the box is bigger, just fill it in with extra bubble wrap.

Please do not use foam peanuts. They allow whatever you pack in them to settle due to vibration during the shipping process.

Even for tube amps, I leave the tubes in and carefully insert small bubble wrap around all the tubes/part filling the amp cavity. This will keep everything in place. Then I tape over the cavity and finish up with 6" of large bubble wrap.

StyleOverShow · #7 08-20-2008, 03:34 PM

You want to build a styrofoam box within the cardboard box. Presume that it will land on the edges pretty hard as the boys in Brown or Purple (UPS/FedEx) have a certain intolerance for heavier boxes. So keep the amp away from the corners.

I run a Print/Copy store and we ship UPS/FedEx. Have shipped Amps before that arrived intact but it takes some doing.

Best way to transfer it is in the back seat or trunk of a car. Try Craigslist for someone heading west. Might work.