Amp Packaging

[TX6Strings]

So I'm looking at putting an amp up for sale soon, but I want to have all the packaging material ready before hand. I've got a box and plenty of bubble wrap but l'd like to double box it as I've seen what shipping companies do. My problem is all the box stores near me don't sell boxes that are slightly larger than the box I already have. This is a normal Marshall sized head. How do you guys handle this issue? But and tape up another box?

 

[Jason_86_951]

Uhaul dish barrel box, cut down to fit

http://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Box ... ox?id=2573

 

[EVHpickdust]

That dish barrel box is 28 inches long. A Marshall JCM800 or BE-100 is 29 inches long.

 

[Erock]

Someone posted this a while ago, and I bookmarked it.

http://m.uline.com/mt/www.uline.com/Pro ... ated-Boxes

 

[EVHpickdust]

Someone posted this a while ago, and I bookmarked it.

http://m.uline.com/mt/www.uline.com/Pro ... ated-Boxes

Nice box but...

$56.90 for 10 boxes plus ~$25 for shipping.

 

[EVHpickdust]

Folks have gone to a local guitar center and picked up some free boxes.

 

[steve_k]

Someone posted this a while ago, and I bookmarked it.

http://m.uline.com/mt/www.uline.com/Pro ... ated-Boxes

^^^^ this. I bought 10 of them and shipped overseas. Shipping was 10X the price of the boxes. But, for the XX heavy flatpack boxes, they are worth it and when people get an amp from me, it arrives alive. You can get those foam packs for internal packing stability or use sheet styrofoam or other material. Main thing is to get a few inches of padding all around the amp and for it to be STABLE in the box where it doesn't move around. Bubble wrap isn't the best and peanuts aren't worth shit except to fill void space.

when i buy an amp, i do expect it to be packed right and tight.

 

[Aristocat]

When I shipped my amp back to Friedman, I did the following and it was overkill.

U-Haul Lamp Box
Fed-Ex Golf Club Box
Lowes, 1" Thick Styrofoam
Bubble Wrap.

I spent roughly 35 in materials but it came out wicked nice.

I cut the Lamp box to the 2" larger than the amp's dimensions (10/12/30) and enclosed it in bubble wrap. Then I surrounded the box with styrofoam panel cut outs and encased that in the golf box. You may want to cut a lid for the first box as you'd slide it in and not enclose it. Awkward at first but effective.

Long story short. That's what worked for me but it's great that you were able to score free boxes.

 

[Erock]

when i buy an amp, i do expect it to be packed right and tight.

The peace of mind as a seller is worth it alone imo. It sucks stressing over an expensive amp crossing the country or ocean for that matter. One trip to the ups store will double that in packing fees.

 

[Jason_86_951]

That dish barrel box is 28 inches long. A Marshall JCM800 or BE-100 is 29 inches long.

Buy 2 and sleeve them together. Done it many times.

 

[Erock]

The sleeves and made to fit boxes will most likely work, and it helps that you're just double boxing another hopefully rigid box. They won't have the integrity of a pre made box if there is an abnormally hard impact however. I've seen the made to fit boxes arrive in pieces after I assume a very hard impact.

 

[Jason_86_951]

The sleeves and made to fit boxes will most likely work, and it helps that you're just double boxing another hopefully rigid box. They won't have the integrity of a pre made box if there is an abnormally hard impact however. I've seen the made to fit boxes arrive in pieces.

Those dish barrel boxes are thick heavy duty boxes. Sleeved together with a bit of spray glue in the overlapping portions and well taped are tough as can be. Shipped a number of full sized Bogners and other full sized amps this way cross country with perfect results.

 

[Erock]

The sleeves and made to fit boxes will most likely work, and it helps that you're just double boxing another hopefully rigid box. They won't have the integrity of a pre made box if there is an abnormally hard impact however. I've seen the made to fit boxes arrive in pieces. I had several friends that ordered amps from Titan amps that came in boxes he pieced together. 2 out of 3 had badly damaged amps on arrival.

Those dish barrel boxes are thick heavy duty boxes. Sleeved together with a bit of spray glue in the overlapping portions and well taped are tough as can be. Shipped a number of full sized Bogners and other full sized amps this way cross country with perfect results.

I'm sure they are great man, and I've used similar boxes with great results. Lots of tape, lol. The shipping companies just seem to be getting awfully rough with things these days. Online shopping seems to just be expanding.

Btw, I took that part about Titan out, felt like I needlessly threw him under the bus. I think he's long out if business.

 

[TX6Strings]

Thanks for the info guys. Guess I'll have to visit u-haul and pick up styrofoam sheets. I'm determined to ensure that whom ever buys this amp gets it in good condition and in a timely manner.

 

[EVHpickdust]

Good info, thanks!

 

[RedB4Black]

If you are going to make a big box from smaller boxes, use strapping tape to hold it together.

 

[glip22]

One thing to note and why I never double box with a big box. My UPS driver told me I am much better of by using a heavy box that czan be carried by one man in his arms. I use a box no larger than 34x16x16 and beef all four inner walls up. If the box is too big and cannot be easily carried by one person you are asking for trouble. I have shipped a bunch of amps with zero issue. Pack the inside of the shell tightly with bubble tubes in the sockets. Wrap amp in bubble, add another sheet of corrugated along the inside walls. A little padding top and bottom and fill the void with paper or bubble although I like paper.

 

[cardinal]

I always let the shipping company (UPS, FedEx) do the packing. If they break it (good chance of that), I always understood that they'd never pay the claim unless they did the packing. I'm sure that if you followed some of the instructions above, it will be packed better and if well documented, I assume they'd pay the claim if/when they break it, but I just don't know.

I sometimes wonder if the best way to "pack" something to prevent shipping damage is to pay for 2-day or overnight shipping, so that they just have less time to damage it.

 

[V2a]

One thing to note and why I never double box with a big box. My UPS driver told me I am much better of by using a heavy box that czan be carried by one man in his arms. I use a box no larger than 34x16x16 and beef all four inner walls up. If the box is too big and cannot be easily carried by one person you are asking for trouble. I have shipped a bunch of amps with zero issue. Pack the inside of the shell tightly with bubble tubes in the sockets. Wrap amp in bubble, add another sheet of corrugated along the inside walls. A little padding top and bottom and fill the void with paper or bubble although I like paper.

This is kinda scary, because there are lots of amps that are already too big for one person even without the box! A Fender-Twin sized combo, for example. Obviously with a reasonably sized box, such amps would be too large for one individual to carry. And according to UPS, we are asking for trouble shipping these items.

 

[Crunchtime]

Just keep in mind, it is likely the shipping company will try to deny any damage claims. You need to fully understand their guidelines regarding claims. If they require 2" of packing material around the item, you better have 2.5". Don't give them any loophole to screw you. Or, you could have them box it up at a higher cost.

One thing I have noticed when ups is that when insuring an item for $1000 or more, they will wrap red tape around the box. This probably lets the driver know to be a little more careful and break the other stuff first.

Good luck.