Where do you find good boxes for amp shipping?

[Tubes and Strings]

So, due to a mix of gear churn I've done recently (amp building and kemper purchase) I'm about to list my Carr Mercury. But, I'm gonna need a sturdy box to ship it in. Where do you folks find such?

-Gerald

 

[jnovac1]

So, due to a mix of gear churn I've done recently (amp building and kemper purchase) I'm about to list my Carr Mercury. But, I'm gonna need a sturdy box to ship it in. Where do you folks find such?

-Gerald

guitar center or other music store. or an appliance store.

 

[mrwhipple]

I go to a shipping box store like Box City. Not sure what’s in your area. Whatever you get make sure it’s double-wall thickness.

 

[muchXS]

The nearest dumpster?

Home Depot is next to The UPS Store in our town. The dumpster is behind The UPS Store.

The usual challenge is finding a guitar box. A box for just a neck is even more of a hassle. I know you're not shipping a long skinny amp but it's worth mentioning.

We have an electrical supply in town that's The Motherlode. They have triple wall boxes that blast proof industrial lighting fixtures come in.

Hone Depot has a $2.00 box that's 18" x 18" x 22", very handy for shipping a small to medium size amp. They have a smaller triple wall that's great for Champ sized amps.

You won't find a better deal. Two bucks!

I go to a shipping box store like Box City. Not what’s in your area. Whatever you get make sure it’s double-wall thickness.

That's great if that's available in your area. Out here in the boonies we make do. Otherwise it's great to have the rest of your life to track down an appropriate box.


I pack stuff as if it's going to be airdropped into an active war zone. There are ways to make an ordinary recycled cardboard box UPS- proof. There are also ways to customize an oversized box to make it exactly the right size while making it look like it came from The Big Box Factory.

 

[buddy7168]

As much as it sucks I just pay extra and have the UPS store pack it. That way if the package is damaged they will deal with UPS on your behalf. If UPS still won’t pay up, you can get the money back from the store since it’s their packaging that failed. Fortunately I’ve only had to do this once. It took a long time but I eventually did get my money back even though UPS denied the claim.

 

[sugarlou]

So, due to a mix of gear churn I've done recently (amp building and kemper purchase) I'm about to list my Carr Mercury. But, I'm gonna need a sturdy box to ship it in. Where do you folks find such?
-Gerald

First version Mercury?

 

[VintageKnob]

I went to lowes and got a refrigerator box. Very thick cardboard. I once watched a guy at FedEx take a couple of boxes and cut them into the right sizes and tape them together. So I did the same with the fridge box. You can use a few different things for liner. I used the 1 inch insulation foam panel material. I was shipping a vintage Super Reverb and it go there just fine. The box was so good, the buyer used it to ship another amp of similar size.

- D

 

[RGB]

There is a place near me that will build custom one off boxes to my specs. Usually $10-$15 depending on size and thickness. The double thick boxes are very tough.

Maybe you have something like this near you?

http://smallquantityboxes.com/

 

[lgehrig4]

Home Depot
U-Haul
UPS Store (more expensive)

People always suggest asking Guitar Center but I’ve tried that a few times and never had luck. I never tried but you could probably add Lowe’s to that list. They usually have what HD has

 

[Astronaut FX]

Trick question. The normal shipping providers (FedEx, UPS, USPS) are really not the right vendors for shipping amplifiers. Amplifiers are heavy, often not balanced (without a true center of gravity), and have very delicate components that do not tolerate jostling.

I know that many people use the big three, and often with success. But the odds are against you when you put an amp in a cardboard box and roll the dice. Amps should really be crated and sent via an actual freight carrier. Yes, I agree that this is not cost effective, especially in a deal between private parties.

But yeah, I’m not liking the odds of an amp in a cardboard box bouncing around in the back of a truck with hundreds of Amazon boxes. YMMV.

 

[Tony Foran]

I always have boxes custom made. Really isn't that expensive.

 

[AXEnGEAR4J]

So, due to a mix of gear churn I've done recently (amp building and kemper purchase) I'm about to list my Carr Mercury. But, I'm gonna need a sturdy box to ship it in. Where do you folks find such?

-Gerald

No boxes!
Shipping and receiving many vintage amps over the years I found where people try to over think this and also spend way too much money only to find it was inferior.

UPS packing sucks big because they box and put in in a larger box of peanuts which are the worst because they shift to one side moving around in transport, you don't want anything moving around, I've had many items damaged that way.
A "box" which is actually bad for that reason as you cant get it packed tight.

- Wrap amp in heavy cardboard and tape (any HEAVY scrap is fine and easy to find)
- Wrap again with big bubble wrap and tape.
- Wrap heavy cardboard once again and tape.
- Wrap again with big bubble wrap and tape.
- Wrap again with heavy cardboard and tape.

Done and done well!
This way it's double wrapped and double packed and packed tight, again you want ZERO movement inside.
No carrier will deny claim with this type packaging. Also you will save money because the dimensions should be overall smaller.

 

[buddaman71]

Box City or Home Depot. Home Depot has a good selection of large boxes/different big rolls of bubble wrap, etc. Far back wall of store near the center

 

[lgehrig4]

Trick question. The normal shipping providers (FedEx, UPS, USPS) are really not the right vendors for shipping amplifiers. Amplifiers are heavy, often not balanced (without a true center of gravity), and have very delicate components that do not tolerate jostling.

I know that many people use the big three, and often with success. But the odds are against you when you put an amp in a cardboard box and roll the dice. Amps should really be crated and sent via an actual freight carrier. Yes, I agree that this is not cost effective, especially in a deal between private parties.

But yeah, I’m not liking the odds of an amp in a cardboard box bouncing around in the back of a truck with hundreds of Amazon boxes. YMMV.

Where are you coming from with this post? Every person, company and dealer uses cardboard and one of the big carriers but that’s not the way it should be done?

I’ll one up you. Something could happen even with a crate and freight carrier so why not drive it to the destination yourself? Wait, even you can get into a car accident and damage the amp. Probably safer to get on a train and have the seller meet you at his local station?

I’ve shipped over 300 amps and guitars and never had one damaged. If the odds are against me how the hell have I been beating the odds all these years?

 

[andyk]

I get what's called a "Golf Bag" box from my local shipping store - 13x13x50. Then I cut it shorter. $12. Then I pad all the corners with bubble wrap, or that packing paper. Done. Never had a problem.

 

[NamaEnsou]

As much as it sucks I just pay extra and have the UPS store pack it. That way if the package is damaged they will deal with UPS on your behalf. If UPS still won’t pay up, you can get the money back from the store since it’s their packaging that failed. Fortunately I’ve only had to do this once. It took a long time but I eventually did get my money back even though UPS denied the claim.

I just bought a Friedman combo and the seller paid FedEx to package and ship it which made it really easy to collect when they broke the cabinet. He didn't list a value so they came up with some figure on their own of what they were willing to pay without a fight and it was good enough for me. Would have been a lot more hassle if he had packaged it himself.
On the other hand, he'd probably have done a better job than FedEx did and not had a problem when they dropped it.

On a last note, very important to declare a value because if he had then I probably would have received a little more out of them on the settlement.

 

[AXEnGEAR4J]

Strong believer of a full double wrap double pack, especially good for insurance purposes.

 

[NamaEnsou]

No boxes!
Shipping and receiving many vintage amps over the years I found where people try to over think this and also spend way too much money only to find it was inferior.

UPS packing sucks big because they box and put in in a larger box of peanuts which are the worst because they shift to one side moving around in transport, you don't want anything moving around, I've had many items damaged that way.
A "box" which is actually bad for that reason as you cant get it packed tight.

- Wrap amp in heavy cardboard and tape (any HEAVY scrap is fine and easy to find)
- Wrap again with big bubble wrap and tape.
- Wrap heavy cardboard once again and tape.
- Wrap again with big bubble wrap and tape.
- Wrap again with heavy cardboard and tape.

Done and done well!
This way it's double wrapped and double packed and packed tight, again you want ZERO movement inside.
No carrier will deny claim with this type packaging. Also you will save money because the dimensions should be overall smaller.

This post is spot on and what I've been doing too for a couple decades now. AXEGEAR is going overkill, but in the case of sending expensive equipment, overkill in packaging is what you want.

Get the heaviest cardboard you can find, generally in my case, appliance boxes, and pull out your knife for a custom fit every time. If the cardboard you find isn't heavy enough, double or triple layer it.

 

[PLX]

I use a local, commercial "post office box" place.

They can make almost any size custom box for ya.

 

[Boundcustom]

Try asking a local music store if they can pack and ship for you. We do that usually cheaper than the UPS store for people.