Sending a 110 lb amp to the manufacturer for cleaning/calibration. Good idea? How to ship?

I use to lug my gear all over in packing crates. Mac C20 GLASS face.
and 2 MC30 valve amps. Sea to shining Sea.. 4 year of traveling. I Never had a problem.

If you don't have the original packing, tell the manufacture to send you one THEY approve. Sounds like freight to me, need to get a small pallet and shrink it to the pallet inside the recommended shipping container.

LABLE IT.. Don't wonder why it gets treated like a sack of potatoes if you don't label it correctly..

HEAVY, FRAGILE, HANDLE WITH CARE, THIS SIDEUP, DO NOT TURN OVER, GLASS INSIDE (put a tube in a box and bubble wrap it put it inside the shipping container) Do not get wet.... You name it, you label it.

IF YOU  don't pack it TIGHT in the box it will get destroyed. NO MOVEMENT, double sides. No peanuts, no bubble wrap. tight in styrofoam.  IT CANNOT MOVE in it's packing.. PEPIOD.
Double boxed. The inside CANNOT meet the outside. EVER..

49 yeas of shipping NEVER a packing problem, MILLIONS of dollars of equipment to and from all over the UK. to anywhere in the Americas, North or South.

Big Red Letters. BIG RED LETTERS, BIG RED ARROWS..

Or don't ship it.. and carry it in... :-) ROAD TRIP!!!!

Regards

Send it and you will love it more upon its return.

Based upon my ongoing headaches with FedEx damaging packages (and then refusing to pay the insurance), I’d strongly recommend avoiding FedEx and shipping via a freight carrier with the amp strapped on it’s own pallet.

I received a 93 pound amp via FedEx, no issues, sent in my 70 pound trade in the same way.
In both cases, original packing and double boxed, clearly marked.  If you don't have the original packaging, the idea of getting advice from manufacturer a good one: maybe they can send you boxes.
I had a bad experience when someone sent me an amp via UPS -- face plate of amp looked like it had been hit by an axe. UPS came out took pictures, and disappeared.  I won't use them now, and have had good luck with FedEx, but jayrossi had bad luck with FedEx.
So, maybe on a pallet with freight company is safest.  I shipped a pair of speakers that totaled #300 with Bax Global that way.  Went smoothy, and I thought the $300 cost reasonable-- interfacing with such outfits can be a bit less user friendly than the usual suspects, though.

Hi Folks,

GREAT advice - thank you All for taking the time to respond!

@jayrossi13 even if Fed Ex (UPS is every bit as bad) offered to come pick it up and ship for free I wouldn't do it, LOL!

@oldhvymec great call. I will either go freight and wrap/strap/pack the pi$$ out of it, or road trip depending on where they are. I'm waiting to hear back from them on this. That would actually be my first choice! And thanks great call reaching out to Simaudio and asking for a shipping carton. I do have the original box and packing but at this point it's like a Rubik's Cube to put back together and I just don't want to play with that.

Christ the thought of disconnecting, packing, shipping and most of all being without this for weeks is giving me pause. I know it'd be worth it but damn!