Amp Builders: Do you ship with tubes installed?

[Nolatone Ampworks]

Seems like I've received amps with tubes installed more often than not.

Doe any of you package tubes seperately?

[glaswerks]

I used to pull the tubes out in the early days. But not any more. Have only lost one tube, a JJ KT77 and I don't think it was due to being installed in the amp.

[Vintagegitar.no]

In our experience, especially if you are shipping over the pond is to remove the tubes. We have to swap tubes in 2 out of 4 amplifiers we get in with the tubes installed.
The tube quality is also so poor these days, that it might be wise to pull the tubes and bubblewrap them in back of the cab or somewhere were they arent banged around to much.

Tubes and shipping is my headache these days...!

[Scumback Speakers]

I take the tubes out, and wrap them in bubble wrap/newspaper and place inside the amp inside another box. I've seen what shipping companies do to amps, even when they're in an ATA or ANVIL case with 2" of foam inside.

[littlejohn]

Normally just the power tubes, maybe the rectifier.

[HipKitty]

We take out the power and rectifier tubes, wrap and box them as well. We have tube shields for our preamp tubes, so haven't seen the need to remove them.

[Nolatone Ampworks]

I was sortof thinking that. Power tubes seperate, but not preamp tubes. Preamp tubes I would be more concerned about getting pins bent reistalling them at the destination.

[Mickey_C]

As other builders have said, we too remove the power and rectifier tubes. I am less concerned about the preamp tubes, and like you've said, I worry more about the end user damaging them inserting them. Plus they ride just fine in the tube shields. We double box our amps, and the removed power and rectifier tubes are packed inside the amp, in the inner box, which has worked out well.

We're probably going to change our shipping on combos to include a flight case, after events this last summer destroyed a beautiful amp - they probably tossed it off a dock.

[fyrwyr]

Had some horrible shipping experiences lately, speakers ripped right put of the baffle and the speaker itself ripped and the tubes in the head were shot. Looks like someone played basketball with the amp!!! From now on tubes are packed seperate, possibly preamp tubes too...

[s2amps]

I think you are going to find the answers to this question to work out 50/50. We ship amps with tubes installed. We have found the safest place for tubes to be is in their sockets and held by retainers.

[HipKitty]

Had some horrible shipping experiences lately, speakers ripped right put of the baffle and the speaker itself ripped and the tubes in the head were shot. Looks like someone played basketball with the amp!!! From now on tubes are packed seperate, possibly preamp tubes too...


Man, I am sorry to hear this....this is the kind of story that looms as a nightmare for anyone trying to ship good quality product....maybe another carrier?

[fyrwyr]

Man, I am sorry to hear this....this is the kind of story that looms as a nightmare for anyone trying to ship good quality product....maybe another carrier?

I have been hoping for a carrier that does what you pay them to do: deliver your package in one piece, not just on time, and take care of you if they do mess up. Let me know if you find one, I very much would like to not be forced to hand deliver every amp;)

[HipKitty]

I have been hoping for a carrier that does what you pay them to do: deliver your package in one piece, not just on time, and take care of you if they do mess up. Let me know if you find one, I very much would like to not be forced to hand deliver every amp;)

What a tall order! Sadly, I don't beleive there is a carrier that doesn't damage some goods...maybe it's some kind of stress relief program the carriers use.....the individual "route agent" is required to slam "x" number of goods to smithereens each month:o

We primarily use FedEx and have had only one delivery go awry ...fortunately, it was a pedal delivery and not an amp delivery. We do insure the piece(s) shipped at purchase value...maybe they are less likely to damage the product due to the replacement cost....don't know for sure....but it does seem like a little finger crossing is required when sending out product via a carrier.....

[WesKuhnley]

Neither Resonant, nor Great River Electronics has ever had a product destroyed by UPS. I attribute this to the fact we pack everything like a super-strong retard is going to be delivering it. It would not surprise me at all to see package handlers tossing things off shipping docks, one of the reasons we insure everything as well. To answer the OP's question, yes we ship with tubes removed.

[Nolatone Ampworks]

I attribute this to the fact we pack everything like a super-strong retard is going to be delivering it.

Hey, hey, HEY!! I HAPPEN to be a super strong retard!!!:BOUNCE

[Joe Naylor]

Pack the power and rectifier tubes if you're using bear-trap type clamps. If you use the clamps with the springs and metal hat, I don't think you need to.

[FortinAmps]

I pull the output tubes and pack them in boxes, then secure them inside the head shell attached to the back grill. I leave the preamp tubes installed.

[bonertone]

We used to ship with the power and rectifier tubes pulled and safely packed in a seperate box but found the end users were often unfamiliar and uncomfortable installing them and even if the amp made it thru the bowels of UPS the tubes would still occasionaly be damaged upon installation by the end user.....
So for the last year and a half or so we have shipped them all installed with no problems....so far.

What I would really like to see is the shipping company being paid AFTER a successfull delivery rather than pay up front and wish for the best.

[Reinhardt Amps]

We used to ship with the power and rectifier tubes pulled and safely packed in a seperate box but found the end users were often unfamiliar and uncomfortable installing them and even if the amp made it thru the bowels of UPS the tubes would still occasionaly be damaged upon installation by the end user.....
So for the last year and a half or so we have shipped them all installed with no problems....so far.

What I would really like to see is the shipping company being paid AFTER a successfull delivery rather than pay up front and wish for the best.

I agree. I used to ship everything with the tubes pulled. After more than a few frantic phone calls from the new owners who were unsure what to put where, and how hard to push etc, I ship witht he tubes in. I have had no more torn up that way than i did when I pulled everything, and if a tube does get destroyed, I overnight tubes to the new owner. IF its an amp with KT88, or KT66, or something heavy, I will ask if the person would like them removed.


And I really wish shipping companies operated like that :dude.