I just bought a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for a steal off my friend in Denver. I have been needing a new amp for a long time and now I can finally piss of my neighbors in style! 8)
Anyway, in regard to shipping an amp from CO to AL, should I be concerned with it becoming damaged in any way? I know it is very common to purchase amps off Ebay and other websites but I never gave much thought to the shipping. Should I tell him to remove the tubes before he sends it? Is there any special type of packaging I should use? Please let me know, he said he'd hold off on shipping it until I gave him some info on how I want it done. Thanks a lot!
I say remove the tubes, and pack them with the amp in a big box.
To send the amp, he should fill it with peanuts, then lift the box and fill with more peanuts. Have him do this, until the amp cannot move at all. Ask him to shake the box as a test, if he hears/sees the amp still wiggling around inside. You might want to put those extremely fragile stickers on it also.
If it's an open-backamp I wouldn't use shipping peanuts....you'll be cleaning that crap out of every nook and cranny for months. Use a heavy duty box and get sheets of foam (maybe 3 inches thick) and put a piece on the bottom . Wrap the amp in bubble wrap and put it in the box and then fill the remaining gaps with the foam.
I don't know much about tubes but if they can be removed it might be a good idea. wrap them with bubble wrap as well.
I used to work on a loading dock for 9 years before I became a teacher...those peanuts suck...believe me!
thanks for the info mikespe, i didnt know that.
Whats the point of making amps open in the back? To me it seems something like driving a car without the doors attached
I would advise against taking the tubes out. I own a HRD and the tubes are well secured as is. I don't think you would run into bias'ing issues if you are just taking the 2 powers out and putting them back in, but do you want to find out? The three preamp tubes are not all the same either.
Unless the person closed the back to give it a heavier (metal) sound, the HRD is an openback amp which lets more sound out allowing it to breath.
