Remove tubes to ship an amp?

[wolfkeller]

I cannot understand at all how this stuff happens on a regular basis. Where are the supervisors? Is there no accountability??? Don't they care about reputation? How about all the claims? Beyond stupid.

 

[Liam Wald]

[QUOTE="JimmyM, post: 16347478, member: 55676" Major companies ship their tube amps installed in the amps, too. Not too many have broken tubes when they show up or they wouldn't do it.[/QUOTE]

This.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Even though I packed my Traynor very tightly and it has retainers for the tubes, they still fell out when I shipped them in the head. I sold it to a fellow TB'er and felt freakin awful about it. My advice would be to ship them in a separate box, wrapped very well.

 

[FFTT]

Mark tubes and corresponding sockets. Grease pencil or tape.
Wrap each tube separately and then the bunch protected in bubble wrap.

The safest "proven" way to ship an amp for maximum protection,
is to wrap all sides, top and bottom in 3" structural styrofoam panels.
Cover amp in plastic to water proof and make a cardboard exterior box from scrap cardboard, with heavy duty packing tape.

 

[wolfkeller]

Mark tubes and corresponding sockets. Grease pencil or tape.
Wrap each tube separately and then the bunch protected in bubble wrap.

The safest "proven" way to ship an amp for maximum protection,
is to wrap all sides, top and bottom in 3" structural styrofoam panels.
Cover amp in plastic to water proof and make a cardboard exterior box from scrap cardboard, with heavy duty packing tape.

This is my plan

 

[Freddels]

I've never pulled the tubes for shipping or have the tubes pulled on the amps shipped to me. On the ones that I ship, I will stuff bubble wrap inside to keep all the tubes in place. This was never done on any of the amps shipped to me and they were all fine when they arrived.

I've shipped an SVT-II (non pro) and I wrapped it with many layers of bubble wrap. It was shipped half way accros the country without issue.

 

[B-string]

You "CAN" ship it wrapped in newspaper and a paper bag and have it arrive fine. It's the one time or more that it gets rough treatment that you bank on. Unless you have more waiting in final test to be boxed up. JMO.

 

[Bass 45]

I used to be a delivery driver. I think that I handled items with care - but I had many coworkers that assumed that if a package was heavy, it's contents were unbreakable and could be handled with brute force. Drivers with aching backs will let gravity assume some of the effort when possible.

Freddels has been lucky

 

[FFTT]

Put a Biohazard sticker on it. "Handle with Extreme Caution"

If the item can shift or rattle inside the box, it can break.

 

[wolfkeller]

I shipped today, here's what I did.
Used large u haul box 26x26x18 for $10. I bought a 4x8 sheet of white Styrofoam from home depot and I cut it into sheets to fit around the amp. I used 2" foam. 2 pieces under the amp, 2 either side and filled in space, 2 pieces on top so 4" of foam surrounding it. I wrapped each power tube separately in bubble wrap then all 6 together and put them inside the amp and filled voids with packing paper. I wrapped the amp in bubble wrap and taped all seams. It cost $75 online to ship $3800 75lbs, insurance. Total $130. Cheap? Considering what its worth, hell yes

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

I have received and shipped tube amps without removing the tubes. Just package it extremely well.

I am not saying it isn't a good idea to remove them, it is, I am just saying I don't.

Your pack job looks good to me.

 

[wolfkeller]

All I wanted was safe arrival so it can't hurt to go the exyra mile

 

[beans-on-toast]

I shipped today, here's what I did.

Looks like you went above and beyond on the packing. It never hurts to be extra careful.

 

[TUEP]

That is a great packing job. You should be a manager at a FedEx or UPS Quality Control station. That people is how you properly pack a box together.

 

[wolfkeller]

I'm telling you! Lol I've been telling people that!

 

[FFTT]

It beats picking out pieces of broken glass or having a loose tube propelled through the back of a speaker cone.
Or having the amp or cab enclosure damaged.

If anything can move, shake, shift weight in the container, it can break or tear.

Shipping combos with tubes inside, tape down the bubble wrap tube nest and you might want to protect grill and back of speaker with a cardboard liner.

Clean the amp best you can so you're not sending the recipient unwanted house guests.

One fellow gear hound, found the skeleton of a rat inside his reverb pan.
Also notable, Bed Bugs, Fleas, Spiders, Mites, Mouse Poop, Stink Bugs, Snakes, Nests of any kind are generally in poor taste to ship or to receive.

It may cost you close to $50.00 in materials and supplies to do it right, but.......
compare that to a good sale gone bad because of shipping damage.
How much is that worth?

 

[FFTT]

I shipped today, here's what I did.
Used large u haul box 26x26x18 for $10. I bought a 4x8 sheet of white Styrofoam from home depot and I cut it into sheets to fit around the amp. I used 2" foam. 2 pieces under the amp, 2 either side and filled in space, 2 pieces on top so 4" of foam surrounding it. I wrapped each power tube separately in bubble wrap then all 6 together and put them inside the amp and filled voids with packing paper. I wrapped the amp in bubble wrap and taped all seams. It cost $75 online to ship $3800 75lbs, insurance. Total $130. Cheap? Considering what its worth, hell yes

Peace of Mind!

Knowing you've done everything to insure safe delivery.

Delicate Electronic - THIS SIDE UP Stickers are a good ideal too.

If an item is rare or especially valuable, call UPS or FedEX or USPO and make sure a supervisor knows the item deserves
special handling and why.

 

[wolfkeller]

Amp arrived today just like it was dropped off, I'm happy.