Posting an amp, Valves in or out ?

DrBob

So, once the packing materials are assembled the Budda Superdrive 1x12 combo will be making its way from Glasgow to Dorset to fatten up @Travisthedog 's sound and the thought that occurs is an amp, and particularly a valve combo is simultaneously a big heavy lump and yet also painfully fragile.

Now, with respect to the valves, whats the consensus, remove, wrap and box or leave in situ for transportation ?
I'm guessing that amps ship from manufacturers with the valves in place but then I imagine they dont get slung around in the back of an Interparcel van....

p90fool

DrBob said:

I'm guessing that amps ship from manufacturers with the valves in place but then I imagine they dont get slung around in the back of an Interparcel van....

Really? They do when I buy them.

The last two valve amps I've shipped I've left them in, but included a note to check and re-seat the valves before plugging in.

My brand new Princeton arrived from Peach with both 6v6s at a jaunty angle.

martinw

I've shipped quite a few amps. Always left them in with no problems. Of course, I was probably 'just lucky'.

IMO if the amp is going to sustain enough of a jolt to loosen a properly fitted valve, then you haven't packed it well enough, as by that point there's a good chance of more serious damage from the weight of the transformers.

DrBob

p90fool said:

DrBob said:

I'm guessing that amps ship from manufacturers with the valves in place but then I imagine they dont get slung around in the back of an Interparcel van....

Really? They do when I buy them.

The last two valve amps I've shipped I've left them in, but included a note to check and re-seat the valves before plugging in.

My brand new Princeton arrived from Peach with both 6v6s at a jaunty angle.

Yeah, thinking on it, with the advent of mail order /internet shopping you're probably right. I was thinking more of the instance where are shop bought multiple amps from manufacturer/distributors. In that instance I've always assumed (perhaps naively) that they would be palletised ..

Richardj

I have sent a load of amps without any damage.  I'd personally leave them in, but make sure there is a ton of bubble etc inside the cabinet so nothing can really move around. Sealed carrier bags filled with packing fluff are really good for padding out the inside.

Switches, cables etc. separately wrapped and placed somewhere in the box where they are safe but away from the amp.

For me the key has been shock absorbency, if the inevitable bouncing around can be soaked up by foam and/or air pockets the amp inside will be much happier and safer.

lespaulcustom68

Took mine out and carefully bubble wrapped etc. One arrived broken however even with all the usual recommended loving care. No other issues to the actual amp.

ICBM

I would generally take power valves and rectifiers out and bubble-wrap/jiffy-bag them, but leave preamp valves in. At the very least, it makes it impossible to just plug the amp in and turn it on without at least a basic look around inside, which is always a good idea after shipping.

I very rarely ship amps, but I've had quite a lot of experience repairing broken ones that have been. I don't think martinw's experience is particularly unusual, I just see the results when it goes wrong rather than when it goes right! Often it's down to inadequate packaging, but not always - especially with very heavy amps, it's difficult to truly pack them well enough to withstand a big drop without doing some damage to themselves. Also, some amps are just not made well enough - transformer mountings in particular, and sometimes speaker mountings.

ecc83

As one who would have gotten serious earache if amps turned up with loose or broken valves I would say they SHOULD stand shipping 1000s of miles without problems.

There is however a rider to that? The first batch of the HT series (not the 5 or One) arrived with a pre amp valve busted "white". This Was a rare event and did not happen on the next shipment but, AFAIK, no reason was ever found.

I opined that surely the shops could swap an 83 one site if I sent one? "Noooooo!" Nobody even THAT technical in music stores these days! You can't get the wood you know. (so, several kilos of amp were shipped to sunny Npton for a bloody valve! )

Dave.

Voxman

@DrBob - Opinion seems to be divided but from a common sense viewpoint taking the valves out  and packing them separately though more inconvenient, is likely to be safer!  Just a thought though - as the recipient is the one who has to take the amp cover back off and put the valves back in, is there perhaps any merit in doing it whichever way the recipient prefers?   

Aidanspaghetti

I always take em out, wrap em in bubblewrap then stick them in a ittle box that i then tape to the inside of the chassis (Which I then pack like bejaysus with newspaper/wrap etc.) I also put tape over all input jacks/speaker outs and valve sockets.
Have shipped vintage amps to Japan and Nashville with zero issues
Best to leave nothing to chance Doc