Required - Top tips for packaging and posting a valve amp

Kebabkid

As the title says, any tips on how best to package a valve amp for posting by courier? Some people recommend taking out the valves. Is that really necessary and anyone have a rough idea what a DRRI would cost to post insured in the UK?

Incidentally, who's the forums current favourite courier? DPD seem to have a good reputation for not smashing things to bits.

Cheers,

KK

not_the_dj

Kebabkid;43412" said:

anyone have a rough idea what a DRRI would cost to post insured in the UK?

If you know the size and weight then enter the details here www.interparcel.com and look at the prices. Beware that the part where you add insurance is later in the booking process so the first prices you see won't have enough coverage.

Phil_aka_Pip

In the past I've taken the valves out but wonder if its worthwhile - you don't de-valve your AC30 before sticking it in the van to take to a gig, do you?

If you bought something new and have it delivered, it usually comes in a close-fitting cardboard box, which is inside a larger cardboard box, with polystyrene corner pieces (and possibly other spacers) and about 1/2" of air between the inner and outer boxes. I guess that is sufficient so long as the outer card is rugged enough, and the spacers absorb shock while not letting the inner box shift around in the outer one.

Plus: plenty of tape to secure it all, and highly explicit labelling (TO, FROM, and FRAGILE)

ICBM

Phil_aka_Pip said:

In the past I've taken the valves out but wonder if its worthwhile - you don't de-valve your AC30 before sticking it in the van to take to a gig, do you?

No, but you don't throw your AC30 out of the van and have it land upside down, do you…

Take the power valves and rectifier (it it has one) out, and put them in a jiffy bag with extra bubble wrap, then back inside the amp. Preamp valves are fine if they're in sprung metal shields, but if they're not then take them out as well. Make sure you label the positions they go in unless they're just a generic all-the-same set.

Roll up the mains cable and bubble-wrap that too, to make sure the plug can't whack into things… it will do a surprising amount of damage to a speaker cone, let alone a valve. Same with the footswitch if it has one.

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Plus: plenty of tape to secure it all, and highly explicit labelling (TO, FROM, and FRAGILE)

Don't put 'Fragile' on anything. Automatic conveyors can't read, and I have personal experience (although a long time ago and in the old Royal Mail, to be fair) that packages marked 'Fragile' are sometimes actually singled out for rougher treatment. If you haven't packed it well enough to withstand shipping, putting 'Fragile' on the box is not going to help.

(Or 'this way up', or 'do not bend', or anything else on any package. If you want something not bent, cut a piece of plywood the same size as it and put it in the package… that worked when I sold off my old vinyl. Luckily I had a large amount of scrap 4mm ply.)

Kebabkid

Thanks guys for the tips and now I'm genuinely nervous about sending an amp. I just thought I'd see what it entails as I've never done it before and thought it might give more options to potential buyers with my DRRI.

ecc83

I was very surprised that amps could come all the way from far east with valves fitted and still intact but in the case of the Artisan series this was always so!  Mind you the power valves were in retainers, bloody tight ones and the skirted pre amp V holders similarly tight.

Strangely the first batch of HT-20s, 40s etc had about 10% one of the pre amp valves cracked and white. Never did get to the bottom of that AFAIK!

But if the recipient has the nounce to re fit the valves (shops don't) it makes very good sense to ship the valves separately packed!

Dave.

ICBM

Kebabkid said:

Thanks guys for the tips and now I'm genuinely nervous about sending an amp. I just thought I'd see what it entails as I've never done it before and thought it might give more options to potential buyers with my DRRI.

Nine times out of ten it will be fine. The tenth time it will look like it's been in a plane crash and you will have a massive amount of hassle trying to get compensation and/or the amp repaired, or just write it off.

Do you feel lucky?

Personally, despite the fairly small risk, I have seen and repaired enough courier-damaged amps that I would prefer not to ship anything I can't afford to write off if the worst happens.

lustycourtier

I once (in about 2000) shipped a 1961 AC30 to Chicago, which arrived damaged. I notified Royal Mail of damage but never recieved any pics of damage. RM decided straight away that they werent going to send someone to USA to look at it and without pics, just refunded full insured value (£1200 or something from memory). Buyer never got back in touch, so was just trying it on I thought, so I got paid twice for the amp.

samzadgan

Cirrus

The best way to pack it is to carry it carefully to your car, put it gently in the boot or on the back seat behind the front passenger seat, then carefully drive to a pre-arranged meeting point where you hand it over to the buyer and receive payment in cash.

ICBM

samzadgan said:

[How To Pack & Ship A Guitar Amp]

Not really…

Some of that is fine, but - 

If you put enough loose polystyrene chips in to stop the amp moving about, and it then gets laid on its front, they will push the speaker grille in and stretch the cloth, even if you've bagged the amp. You must use rigid polystyrene corners to support the amp, or double-box it.

They should also have put the valves inside the cabinet, since that's by far the strongest place. If you put it outside the amp, and the box gets thrown and lands with the amp on top of the valves, it will crush them.

I also wouldn't take the preamp valves out unless they're not in holders. You're actually more likely to damage them getting them in and out than if you leave them in place protected by their covers.

Kebabkid

Thanks Sam and everyone else here for your help.

57Deluxe

and make sure the recipient has a big enough letter box to post it through...

Bygone_Tones

For heavy items like amps and speaker cabinets it is best to use thick polystyrene sheets as padding. not bubblewrap and not poly cushions. Your stuff WILL get thrown about - accept that fact and pack accordingly.

I would definitely recommend writing fragile on the box. If you need to make a claim it will help proceedings if you can show photos of the damaged box with fragile cleary written on it. They will ask.  

I have worked as courier driver myself. Yes some drivers will load their vans by throwing the parcels onto them rather than walking on and off the van for every single parcel (usually light weight stuff). It saves them time. However it is very unlikely someone will deliberately go out of their way to damage a box because it has fragile written on it. Couriers are interested in getting the job done as quickly as possible, not time wasting by going out of their way to deliberately damage things. Pretty sure anyone seen doing that would be sacked very quickly.

Kebabkid

Cheers for the info BT

gubble

I've shipped a few amps and never experienced any issues (thankfully).

 

I would however reccomend fully photographing the packing process and the finished parcel just in case you need to make a claim.

I routinely do this for any parcels i'm sending through ebay sales etc.

Alnico

If you sell your amp I know a way of getting it there in perfect condition same day.
It's called a car and a pink Floyd box set.

Pay my fuel and work with me on spare time ( normally weekends) and I will sort it out for you.
(I do kind of owe you a favour !)

It will cost more than a courier but a white glove delivery strapped into the back seat of a car is a lot more certain than some **** in a van who doesn't give a shit about anything.

MattFGBI

The key, as is mentioned in the video, is that the amp doesn't move in the box.  Poly corners are best but bubble wrap will do - ideally leaving an inch between the amp and the cardboard and fill with packing. 

Send it upside down in the box if it's a combo.  You want the heavy bit at the bottom for transit. 

not_the_dj

MattFGBI said:

Send it upside down in the box if it's a combo.  You want the heavy bit at the bottom for transit. 

Arr, so that's why my HRDx was upside down in the box. I did confuse me when I opened it (in my excitement I'd missed the clearly written "open other end" lettering)

prh777

Presumably just pop a flightcased amp in a rugged cardboard box?

Bygone_Tones

People often overlook this but if you are active on ebay, might as well get your packing materials on there too. The silver lining is it boosts your feedback that bit extra as well.

There are so many packaging sellers on ebay it means competition is fierce and prices are very low, usually with free postage.

You dont need to buy the exact correct size box. Buy the larger boxes and slice them open into a sheet of card. I get these 24" square boxes: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350884945363 Usually works out at about £3 each delivered and they are big enough to pack a 4x12. I get all my polystyrene and tape from packaging monkey on ebay too. Buy in bulk and you save even more, depends how much stuff you sell of course...