Shipping Tube Amps Safely Question

[MadAsAHatter]

Edit, wanted to point out that I'm the buyer in this situation and was wanting to get in front of a sellers potential crappy packing so the tubes wouldn't get broken.

This may be a hot button topic, but... What tends to be the safest for shipping a tube amp? Leave tubes in the sockets or take them out, wrap in bubble wrap and secure inside the head?

I'm asking because I just bough a head off eBay and asked the seller to take the tubes out for shipping. He responded with he normally leaves tubes in and never has problems, all the manufacturers leave tubes in, it's the safest way, and he'll do it but I take all responsibility if something happens. I've had trusted techs tell me it's better to take them out, wrap them, etc. etc. And manufacturers can get away with leaving them in because they ship in thick form fitting foam stuff that can take falling off a speeding truck. My personal experience has only been with people shipping a tube amp to me with tubes left in. Safe arrival has been about 50/50; some with 0 issues and other with tubes completely shattered and damage to sockets. I've never shipped one myself.

What say the Rig-Talk brain trust? especially those who do a lot of buying & selling.

 

[Racerxrated]

I’ve done both. If you leave them in, you have to make sure there’s enough packing on top of the chassis next to the tubes to ensure they won’t come loose. If removed then the same thing really; pack the top of the chassis tightly so the tubes can’t move around whether in a small box or individually wrapped with bubble wrap.

 

[napalmdeath]

In nearly 20 years I've never bothered. Never had an amp show up to a buyer with a broken tube. But, I also tighten tube sockets as part of maintenance when I buy a used amp for starters, and new amps are typically seated pretty tight. I say focus your attention on packing the amp right.

The ONLY time I had an amp show up to me with broken tubes, is when the seller took the tubes out and packed them and stuffed them into the back of the amp. That was my first Splawn back in 2005.

Shitty packing will bite you in the ass no matter what you do.

 

[Deleted member 23705]

I've always left them in and never had any problems. If the tubes feel very loose inside the sockets then it might be a good idea to remove them and ship them separately. At that point though the tube sockets themselves probably need replaced.

You always want to pack the amp in a similarly sized box and make sure it's packed tight so it doesn't move or jostle around in the box. If you do that then there is a low chance of something getting damaged.

 

[LP Freak]

Leave them in

 

[SQUAREHEAD]

If it’s a Bogner, take them out and wrap them, if it’s a Wizard, they’ll stay in dropped from 2 story building…
I had a Bogner Ecstasy Classic that I purchased from a fellow Rigtalk member, He shipped and left the matched set of winged C 34s in it and they were all out and busted except for one.

 

[MadAsAHatter]

Shitty packing will bite you in the ass no matter what you do.

This is my concern here and trying to figure out the best thing to get in front of potential shitty packing. If I were the one shipping it'd be packed well enough to survive a bombing raid. I'm not the one shipping though and I've received too many packages where the seller said it would be meticulously well packed. Then it shows up in a box big enough for a simi truck with all of a half sheet of tissue paper for protection.

 

[napalmdeath]

This is my concern here and trying to figure out the best thing to get in front of potential shitty packing. If I were the one shipping it'd be packed well enough to survive a bombing raid. I'm not the one shipping though and I've received too many packages where the seller said it would be meticulously well packed. Then it shows up in a box big enough for a simi truck with all of a half sheet of tissue paper for protection.

Are you the buyer here??

 

[MadAsAHatter]

Yeah, im the buyer

 

[saxxamafone]

Wizard sent me a new amp from Canada to Australia with tubes in... no issues at all. Just protect the headshell well and you'll be right.

 

[vultures]

If it’s a Bogner, take them out and wrap them, if it’s a Wizard, they’ll stay in dropped from 2 story building…
I had a Bogner Ecstasy Classic that I purchased from a fellow Rigtalk member, He shipped and left the matched set of winged C 34s in it and they were all out and busted except for one.

It's funny you say that. The only amp I've ever had arrive with broken tubes was a Bogner Uberschall.

 

[Steinmetzify]

If you’re the buyer you’ve got no recourse until the amp shows up, it’s on dude you bought it from.

I’ve shipped amps, but I always take it to the shipper and have them do it, that way if they fuck it up it’s on them, not me. If they pack it, they have to pay for damages, it’s that simple.

I would never pack and ship anything anymore, it’s too much of a fuckin hassle to get your $ back/get $ back to your buyer.

If dude ships and it’s fucked, either get him to pay for damages or return it, whatever method you used to pay will side with you anymore.

You’re fine sir.

 

[MadAsAHatter]

If you’re the buyer you’ve got no recourse until the amp shows up, it’s on dude you bought it from.

I’ve shipped amps, but I always take it to the shipper and have them do it, that way if they fuck it up it’s on them, not me. If they pack it, they have to pay for damages, it’s that simple.

I would never pack and ship anything anymore, it’s too much of a fuckin hassle to get your $ back/get $ back to your buyer.

If dude ships and it’s fucked, either get him to pay for damages or return it, whatever method you used to pay will side with you anymore.

You’re fine sir.

I know if something happens between eBay, paypal & credit card protection I'm covered from several angles. Had to go through that before to get money back for shipping damages/cost of repairs. Just easier to prevent a problem (or at least attempt to) before it happens than fix the mess after something goes to shit.

Just a side story. I see this business all the time at my work. I've lost track of how many times I pointed out something that would potentially be a major issue that could easily be avoided with minor prep work only to be ignored. Then the problem happens, everything falls to pieces, and everyone is scrambling to pick up the mess. At least I get my satisfaction of saying I told you so. Then get to look like the hero because I anticipated it all and have already figured out how to streamline fixing everyone else's mess; even though it's usually more involved than preventing the problem in the first place.
This actually happened yesterday. Been warning people to configure and validate a backup instrument for when, not if the main one goes down. I already know what to do to keep everything running and not miss pace. But I'll let them panic and flounder a bit in hopes they learn a lesson (probably not though) before I step in and straighten it out.

 

[IIBornotIIB]

I always remove and bubble / box the tubes, except those that have retainers. If the chassis is bottom-mounted in the headshell, ship it upright. If the chassis is top-mounted in the headshell ship it upside-down (this removes stress on the mounting screws, in case of a hard drop). Pack with at least 2” of styro on all sides.

 

[RedB4Black]

I typically don't remove tubes, unless they seat fairly loose. My packing is always better than the manufacturers. I do generally pack bubble wrap tightly inside the head shell to prevent the tubes from coming out. Though not always...particularly if the amp has good tube retainers. The only time I had a tube break was when I did pull them and box/bubble wrap on a Splawn I shipped to Russia.

I'd rather have the guy put foam/cardboard between the transformers and inside the top of the head shell to stabilize them so the don't arrive crooked.

 

[headlessdeadguy]

Currently in a reverb dispute because the amp was packed like a fucking 4 year old packed it. I just sucked it up and didn’t complain, gave the seller 4 stars. Next I get a message from him asking me to change it to 5. I told him his packaging was dog shit and that each tube did not need pulled and bubble wrapped with 5 wraps of packing tape. Took over an hour to unbox and put the tubes in. The tubes were shot and the amp has scratchy pots but seeing that it was only a $500 amp I just chalked it up as such. Dude wouldn’t leave me alone about the 4 star review so now he’s likely going to be reimbursing me for a set of tubes. Leave them in. I’ve never received an amp nor shipped one that arrived with broken tubes when leaving them in.

 

[LP Freak]

And don’t forget the bonehead that breaks the guide pin on the power tubes and insists it was like that when he got it just so he can get a free set of tubes out of the deal