Amplifier Shipping

Steven Paris · From: Los Angeles

What is the LEAST expensive way to ship an amplifier across the country? Let's say a Nashville 400---about 22" x 22" x 12" and 60 pounds.
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Chris Boyd · From: Leonia,N.J./Charlestown,R.I.

I'm no expert but having shipped a bunch of amps,I find that FedEx is the best so far and does the least damage..UPS is not on my list as I've seen them drop an amp from waist height onto my driveway...it was a Peavey...not sure who is the cheapest...I do trust FedEx...
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Mark Shuda · From: Wisconsin, USA

Second what Chris said about Fedex, and I would also suggest letting them pack it. That is the ONLY way I will ship an amp.
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Cartwright Thompson · Posted 3 Jan 2018 11:40 am

Why donâ€™t you just get your zip codes and go online to FedEx, UPS, USPS etc.?
They all have cost calculators

Steven Paris · From: Los Angeles

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Agreed. About the only way to cut the cost is if you open an account with them and ship to a business address. Even so, still almost double what it was just a few short yrs. ago. That's with you packing it yourself in the smallest possible safe packaging and dropping off at the local depot. I really don't know of a better way.

I always use FedEx. Never had any problems in over 25 yrs. of shipping with them. Quicker delivery, fewer issues. I used to ship a few things US Postal, but they're higher than the rest now.

These higher shipping rates have really had an impact on selling large and/or heavy items for me. People just don't want to pay it, but I can't afford to eat it either.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I drive for FedEx Ground, but I'd say that all of the big three are identical, with the same percentage of boneheads.
I'd recommend the following step in prepping an amp for shipment: at each end of the chassis, toenail a 2X4 from top to bottom, to make sure that the chassis won't pull out the J-nuts if the amp drops. That power transformer (and output transformer if tube) will almost certainly win the fight with the J-nuts.
An alternative to that would be to put the amp in the shipping box upside down, with a handle on the top of the box /bottom of the amp.
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Mike Brown · From: Meridian, Mississippi USA

Haven't tried them or had any experience, but it's just a thought.

ajm · From: Los Angeles

The original post asked about shipping costs, not methods.

But to add to what Lane said..............

If it's a combo and you left the speaker attached to the cabinet, if they dropped it the wrong way you might damage the cabinet and/or rip the speaker out.

If you REALLY wanted to be sure, you could ship the chassis, the cab, and the speaker in three separate boxes/packages. But that might be overkill, and I'm pretty sure that the major manufacturers just ship them all assembled in one box.

The 2x4 braces that Lane said are a good idea that I've seen suggested before.

The O.P. mentioned a solid state amp. If it's a tube amp, you might want to remove the tubes and wrap them up in rags or foam to prevent them from falling out and breaking if, er, I mean WHEN, they drop the amp.

Also, pack the amp to withstand a nuclear blast, just like has been discussed numerous times in other threads about packing a PSG for shipment.

OK, now that I have deviated from the original post....

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

The problem is that by the time you pack something like this to withstand every imaginable disaster, it's so large and heavy that it escalates the shipping fee to a ridiculous level.

Trying to find a carton that's strong enough and large enough has become a problem too. Music stores no longer give these away, but charge a pretty good fee. Grocery store cartons are just usually not large enough.

All the businesses around here break down cardboard cartons and lock them in a recycle container.

You can buy cartons from moving companies, but they're not cheap either. The last garment box I bought was $12 or $15. Then there's packaging. This doesn't sound like much maybe, but it all adds up and someone has to pay for it. I always go in the hole on shipping.

Always save your cartons. Find a place that won't upset your wife and store them away.

I think for my next shipment, I'll be checking out appliance and electronics stores for cartons. Might be a good source for strong, large cartons.

I like to meet a buyer/seller in a neutral location if anywhere in the region. Don't need packing and lots more predictable passage. Gasoline prices are such now that one can drive a couple hunnert miles for reasonable cost. Of course if it's California to Virginia say, etc. that wouldn't be practical.

Eoin Russell · From: New York, USA

https://shipbybus.com

Greyhound has a shipping service that is fairly reasonable. The seller has to drop it off at a station and the buyer has to pick it up at a station. You can pay more for a pick up and/or drop off. A quick test using general amp parameters (70 lbs. and $300 value) yielded about $100 from Seattle to New York City and about $60 from Chicago to New York City. Drop the weight to 35 lbs and it goes down to $70 from Seattle and $40 from Chicago. Getting the weight of about half a person across the country for that little seems pretty reasonable.

Might be a cheaper alternative in the right cases.

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Steven Paris · From: Los Angeles

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I sold a NV1000 to a person in NJ. The buyer agreed to pick up the UPS store packing and the shipping charges, from Florida. The amp arrived in perfect condition.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

That's probably the easiest solution long as everybody's content with the charges.

Carl Mesrobian · From: Salem, Massachusetts, USA

I wouldn't be surprised about $100 to ship.

Maybe Lane could chime in. Is it safer to pick a freight carrier or Amtrak, or moving company, and about the same cost as UPS and Fedex, DHL? It's probably not as convenient, but if it gets there in one piece instead of 2 or 3, why not?

I had a customer who knew someone on the inside at one of the big 2 (pick one, UPS or Fedex) and he was told that it's not unusual to see packages falling off the ends of conveyer belts, and also their insurance thing is not called insurance for a reason, and that their liability is only up to $500? I always get (more) nervous shipping something worth more. I also think that there can be "boneheads" in any of the carrier companies.

Even if you pack it carefully, components can fall apart from a drop. I received a mid 70's Fender Deluxe Reverb and the magnet had separated from the speaker and was a loose cannon in the box, -- luckily that was the only damage.
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Godfrey Arthur · From: 3rd Rock

You can also try uShip and have someone going from your area to your amp's destination pick it up and deliver it. Since it's a bid system you will get a lower rate out of the process. You may not even need a box but a u-haul blanket that the uShip guy/gal usually has as part of their equipment.
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gary pierce · From: Rossville TN

A lot of people use to ship by bus, no packing, just set it in the lower storage, and the buyer picks it up, this was 30 years ago.
I have shipped an amp UPS, and left the handle exposed so they knew how to carry it, and placing a thin piece of plywood inside on the grill cloth side.

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