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SD Boogie

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What are some of the recommended ways to package an amp head? Surrounded in 2" foam and packing peanuts??
 
Man, that is a GREAT question. The hardest job is finding a 2x density box that's up to the job. You might also contact FedEx and see what they charge for a pack job (they will do it for you).
 
The best stuff is expandable foam padding. That's what mesa uses. Get a heavy box (double thickness if you can find it) with about 3-4" of extra space in every direction. Use an expandable foam pad on the top and the bottom. It will fill up all the extra space.

Try Uline or an industrial shipping supply store. You can probably get it from UPS or FedEX but they charge a ton.

http://www.uline.com/Grp_137/Cushioning-Systems
 
If there's a Mesa dealer close by, ask them for a carton. I've gotten many this way, including the foam packing.
 
what I need is something that will fit a short chassis Mark IIC+ head. CS quoted me $25-40 + shipping to send me out factory shipping/packing material
 
If I was on the receiving end of a Mark IIC+ I'd be happy to fork over the $40 extra bucks to have it packed right.

What every you do, don't even think about using foam peanuts. They don't work on heavy stuff and they get stuck in everything.
 
I always put the head inside a plastic garbage bag and tape it up, so that none of the packing material (whatever kind used) chips or splinters or sends dust/residue into the amp chassis. No one mentioned it, and it probably is understood, but pull out the power tubes, put a little masking tape with the number of the socket they came from and then put a strip of tape across the back of the chassis with the number for each socket, so there is no confusion in replacing the power tubes and rectifier tube in the exact socket it came from.
 
babow2 said:
I always put the head inside a plastic garbage bag and tape it up, so that none of the packing material (whatever kind used) chips or splinters or sends dust/residue into the amp chassis. No one mentioned it, and it probably is understood, but pull out the power tubes, put a little masking tape with the number of the socket they came from and then put a strip of tape across the back of the chassis with the number for each socket, so there is no confusion in replacing the power tubes and rectifier tube in the exact socket it came from.


This is awesome advice. One other alternative to using a garbage bag is generic plastic wrap. This takes care of any dust/moisture/packaging peanuts issues as the individual above said.

My method: Whatever preference the individual has for the tubes (leave in/take out)-->quite a few layers of plastic wrap-->use packaging tape to seal every seam-->quite a few layers of "large bubble" bubble wrap--> again use packaging tape to seal every seam. Sure, removing the amp head from this is a bit of a task--but well worth it considering what could go wrong in transit. I've only ever gotten praise by my methods.

Using a bunch of old stacked newspaper to line out the inside of the box as an additional impact barrier that works awesomely--and is relatively cheap. I don't know how many amp heads I've gotten that have some sort of impail wound on the box.
 
gts said:
Another alternative:

Double box it.

Double boxing is not a bad idea if you can't find a perfect fit box or good form fitting foam (wow thats a mouth full!). Working in a music store, many guitars I received were double boxed. A pain to unbox, but worth it to not have broken necks in gig bags!

+1000 on separating the power tubes. Thats like an unwritten rule. Cheapos or STR-415s, noone wants to go buy more when they get a new amp!
 
I dont see any reason in removing the power tubes...they will move around a lot less if they are left in position than if they are wrapped and shipped loosely in the box.
 
They probably won't fall out, but there is a chance they can slip out of the sockets and break. Plus if they are fixed in the sockets, they will be subject to more stress from bumping during shipping. I'm sure Mesa will recommend pulling them. you don't even need to ship the tubes... or You can put them in small individual boxes and bubble wrap em. Or just leave them in the sockets and ship. Totally up to you but most everybody will say to pull them. As far as packing, a 28x18x18 box (double density is great). Like gts said... line each wall with 1/2 inch foam insulation, plastic wrap the head, bubble wrap all sides, then place in box with peanuts to buffer the head. You can also cross brace the inside of the box with folded cardboard for more support and keep the peanuts from shifting. A good moving company will have nice boxes... United... etc...

If you want to save weight, pull the chassis and ship it naked, but very well packed. Lots of insurance, tracked, and as quick shipping as you want to spend. The less time it spends in shipping, less time to get destroyed. Don't forget the return auth #.

scott
 
Mesa, and probably everybody else, ships their amps with the tubes in their sockets. Mesa puts a mesh "bra" on the power tubes. They look like a candle in an Italian restaurant.
The only time I've had a tube broken in shipment was when they were unsocketed and boxed separately, and allowed to bounce around inside the box. People simply do not realize that when you pack something, it must be packed so that there is absolutely NO movement of the item within the carton.
Further, you cannot skimp on materials. It's fine to use newspaper as packing, but you're going to need to crush each sheet down to the size of a baseball to be effective. Then you pack and pack until no more will fit. That's a LOT of newspaper for a large item like an amp head with two inches of packing on all sides.
 
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