JackBootedThug
MURDERATOR
Skrapmetal":27vkj0th said:
needed to use 1" foam to pack the cab, and i used 1/2".
needed to use 1" foam to pack the cab, and i used 1/2".
Wizard of Ozz
Well-known member
As soon as a seller mentions that his amp will be "professionally packed by the UPS Store"... I suddenly lose interest in buying it and move on to something else.
"It will be professionally packed by the UPS Store" = Translation: I'm too lazy to pack this amp up the right way, I could care less if it arrives in one piece and operational, and I really could care less what the f^ck happens as soon as your PP payment hits my bank account. Best of luck with your claim.
"It will be professionally packed by the UPS Store" = Translation: I'm too lazy to pack this amp up the right way, I could care less if it arrives in one piece and operational, and I really could care less what the f^ck happens as soon as your PP payment hits my bank account. Best of luck with your claim.
metalsoup
Member
Not all UPS stores and not all UPS store employees are equal. It really comes down to the guy doing the pack job. Some are clueless, but some really know their stuff. I’m lucky that there is a real pro at one of the UPS stores near where I live. I always get back compliments on the pack job from people I ship amps to when this guy does the pack job. So I seek him out when shipping amps. But, of course, it’s not cheap. Still, I’m willing to pay for the peace of mind. When done right, a great pack job is a thing of beauty. Yes, you can do it yourself if you know what you are doing and have the right materials. Otherwise, find someone who does and go the extra expense for expert service.
As the saying goes, your best insurance is a good pack job.
As the saying goes, your best insurance is a good pack job.
Red_Label
Active member
lowmantotempole":1v2l4iy9 said:
Allow me to give you guys a glimpse into the freight business...
I spent my younger days loading trucks for different companies. One of those happened to be UPS. I worked at the hub. We unloaded the incoming trucks, then we sorted the packages out to the trucks going in different directions and loaded them up. We worked our ASSES off and pretty much went balls-out for our entire 4 hour shift. We got timed early-on in our tenure and had to unload/load a certain number of packages in the allotted time. There were five other people that started with me. I was the only one who made it past probation, into the union (ugggg... don't get me started about unions). It was a tough job and I was in the prime of my life. The first week was rough and even though I was young, I went to the store and bought a bottle of back ache pills and pounded them cause I was so sore.
After a while, they move you from the mindless physical challenge of unloading packages from one truck at a time, to being solely responsible for loading several trucks at a time. You're expected to check labels (to make sure the sorter on the big, moving conveyor belt didn't mis-sort them and that they are going into the right truck), and then build your load with the packages that have come down the chute. You do that in one truck for a minute, and then you hop over to the next truck to catch-up on the packages that went down the rollers inside there that are waiting for you to build your load with. You might be jumping back and forth between 3-5 trailers doing that. Sometimes the packages are coming down the belt WAY faster than you can do all of that. So you close your eyes and hope for the best regarding the sort and you forego checking labels. If you send packages to the wrong trailer, you get written up. I think that I only had that happen once while I worked there for a year. There were times when the packages were coming so fast I'd just more or less sweep them into a pile with my forearm to keep up.
During this time, the packages may be getting some roucg treatment because everything is moving so fast. If you move too slow and the belt gets backed-up, then the belt stops and the buzzer goes off. Then the whole operation sits there while you get caught up. People are hollering at you to get your shit moving.
Anyways... I didn't type all of that to make excuses for these guys who load trucks. But I did do it so you will know what your packages go through when they shipped across the country. And they may go through that process several times along the way. Do yourself and the buyer of your stuff a favor and pack it like it's going to be used as a football in an NFL game. Cause you can dream about the shipper's treating your package like a carton of eggs... but it'll NEVER happen because there simply isn't time to carefully lift and gently place each package in place. It's a friggin marathon in those freight hubs. I think that we were each unloading like 10,000 packages an hour if I recall correctly. I went through a pair of gloves every few days and bought them by the 10-pack case. The cheapie cloth ones would wear-out fast. The leather ones would last a bit longer. But they all wore right through the material in short order and you'd find your fingers poking out of the tips which was very painful. I probably didn't have much for fingerprints during those years.
I also loaded and unloaded airplanes (757s, Falcon jets, prop jobs) and enjoyed that MUCH more, because it wasn't quit as quick of a pace and we HAD to build great loads to fit everything in them. I usually got selected to be in the airplane, because I enjoyed the challenge of building great walls and treated it like building a puzzle. Honestly, if I could make the same money doing that as what I do now (network admin), I'd go back and do that in a second. But you don't see too many amps air freighted due to the cost. They'd certainly be treated better if they were air freighted!
verderacer
Active member
Help ! Im makin a deal on a Marshall and going to have it shipped across country. I get the pack it tightly and double wall the box and all, but in regards to tubes I have heard several things as in keep them in, take them out and pack separately n such. Whats the best way 
Having driven and pu'd every amp so far till this one I never had to think about it. Need input our members expertise
Having driven and pu'd every amp so far till this one I never had to think about it. Need input our members expertise
LP Freak
Well-known member
Leave them in especially if the amp has tube retainers.verderacer":g33i62tb said:Help ! Im makin a deal on a Marshall and going to have it shipped across country. I get the pack it tightly and double wall the box and all, but in regards to tubes I have heard several things as in keep them in, take them out and pack separately n such. Whats the best way
Having driven and pu'd every amp so far till this one I never had to think about it. Need input our members expertise
JackBootedThug
MURDERATOR
Red_Label":2vd6cwap said:lowmantotempole":2vd6cwap said:
Allow me to give you guys a glimpse into the freight business...
I spent my younger days loading trucks for different companies. One of those happened to be UPS. I worked at the hub. We unloaded the incoming trucks, then we sorted the packages out to the trucks going in different directions and loaded them up. We worked our ASSES off and pretty much went balls-out for our entire 4 hour shift. We got timed early-on in our tenure and had to unload/load a certain number of packages in the allotted time. There were five other people that started with me. I was the only one who made it past probation, into the union (ugggg... don't get me started about unions). It was a tough job and I was in the prime of my life. The first week was rough and even though I was young, I went to the store and bought a bottle of back ache pills and pounded them cause I was so sore.
After a while, they move you from the mindless physical challenge of unloading packages from one truck at a time, to being solely responsible for loading several trucks at a time. You're expected to check labels (to make sure the sorter on the big, moving conveyor belt didn't mis-sort them and that they are going into the right truck), and then build your load with the packages that have come down the chute. You do that in one truck for a minute, and then you hop over to the next truck to catch-up on the packages that went down the rollers inside there that are waiting for you to build your load with. You might be jumping back and forth between 3-5 trailers doing that. Sometimes the packages are coming down the belt WAY faster than you can do all of that. So you close your eyes and hope for the best regarding the sort and you forego checking labels. If you send packages to the wrong trailer, you get written up. I think that I only had that happen once while I worked there for a year. There were times when the packages were coming so fast I'd just more or less sweep them into a pile with my forearm to keep up.
During this time, the packages may be getting some roucg treatment because everything is moving so fast. If you move too slow and the belt gets backed-up, then the belt stops and the buzzer goes off. Then the whole operation sits there while you get caught up. People are hollering at you to get your shit moving.
Anyways... I didn't type all of that to make excuses for these guys who load trucks. But I did do it so you will know what your packages go through when they shipped across the country. And they may go through that process several times along the way. Do yourself and the buyer of your stuff a favor and pack it like it's going to be used as a football in an NFL game. Cause you can dream about the shipper's treating your package like a carton of eggs... but it'll NEVER happen because there simply isn't time to carefully lift and gently place each package in place. It's a friggin marathon in those freight hubs. I think that we were each unloading like 10,000 packages an hour if I recall correctly. I went through a pair of gloves every few days and bought them by the 10-pack case. The cheapie cloth ones would wear-out fast. The leather ones would last a bit longer. But they all wore right through the material in short order and you'd find your fingers poking out of the tips which was very painful. I probably didn't have much for fingerprints during those years.
I also loaded and unloaded airplanes (757s, Falcon jets, prop jobs) and enjoyed that MUCH more, because it wasn't quit as quick of a pace and we HAD to build great loads to fit everything in them. I usually got selected to be in the airplane, because I enjoyed the challenge of building great walls and treated it like building a puzzle. Honestly, if I could make the same money doing that as what I do now (network admin), I'd go back and do that in a second. But you don't see too many amps air freighted due to the cost. They'd certainly be treated better if they were air freighted!
i can attest to this. i'm sorry to say i worked for ups once as well. balls to the wall.i unloaded 7.5 trailers in 4 hours one morning by myself. i really feel for the people working for them in the hubs.
S
soundscapes
Member
verderacer":18ztaknw said:Help ! Im makin a deal on a Marshall and going to have it shipped across country. I get the pack it tightly and double wall the box and all, but in regards to tubes I have heard several things as in keep them in, take them out and pack separately n such. Whats the best way
Having driven and pu'd every amp so far till this one I never had to think about it. Need input our members expertise
If the tubes fit snugly in the sockets and have retainers you can leave them in. Wrapping a little bubble wrap around them won't hurt either. I had a head shipped to me years ago and 2 el34's rattled loose. The glass had turned into dust. Had to completely disassemble and vacuum and detail the innards.
Guess how the asshat shipped it....
Nothing but packing peanuts.
verderacer
Active member
LP Freak":3s92dyst said:Leave them in especially if the amp has tube retainers.verderacer":3s92dyst said:Help ! Im makin a deal on a Marshall and going to have it shipped across country. I get the pack it tightly and double wall the box and all, but in regards to tubes I have heard several things as in keep them in, take them out and pack separately n such. Whats the best way
Having driven and pu'd every amp so far till this one I never had to think about it. Need input our members expertise
They have spring loaded retainers on the EL34's and standard shells covers on the 12AX7's.
And considering the last conversation i am wondering if I should have the cavity filled ?