Orange Amps Forum

Let's say you were about to move from the east to the west coast. You're not taking furniture with you, rather just selling what you have and starting fresh when you get there, since moving large stuff that far just costs so much.

Now there are some things which don't get replaced. For example my guitar and pedalboard. Of course there are some other items too, but none really big enough to warrant a uhaul - more like a couple packages sent UPS.

What about the amplifier? Would you sell and replace? Or ship it?

For reference, I have an AC30CC2, with upgraded speakers (1 Blue and 1 scumback) and I did the Lyle Caldwell mods as well as replaced all the caps with Sozo mustards. It is my voice. Feel free to consider your own amp as a point of reference as well.

7 years ago I did this, I sold all guitars, amps, a PA system and that way nothing got damaged in the process and I was "free"

when you have to much, the stuff starts owning you!

Yeah, I'm really about minimalism these days. But let's face it, some things are just a necessity. And some things I already have are cheaper to ship UPS than to buy new when I relocate (plus I will have help from the east coast).

My Thin Skin Jazzmaster is one of them. Not going anywhere. But the amp, does it really make sense to ship it? Or to start over?

I would just try and keep the amp for a few reasons.

1. You probably would lose money selling the amp and then finding another one and modding it the way you want again.

2. Same thing with the cab, hassle of getting speakers shipped etc etc

3. I think fewer people would be willing to pay extra for the mods.

4. I am guessing you have had the amp for a while and know it's working well and that to me would be preferable to buying another one and not knowing what sort of abuse it has been through.

With that being said you could still put it up for sale at a price worth the hassle trying to put your sound back together after you finish moving, and if nobody wants to pay for that then oh well you still have what you want.

I would definitely keep the amp. It's not that much to move / ship and you already know exactly what it is. You would kick yourself if you sold it, bought a replacement, spent the time and money to mod it to your specs, and it ended up not sounding exactly like the other one (or close enough). I think you would notice the tiny differences from one amp to the next based on your familiarity with your amp. They are all slightly unique and have their own personalities.

Figure out a way to ship the amp and/or drive it/fly it with you across the country. Just don't hire Dana Carvey's character from Moving to help!

I agree with other posters on here that it's best to just keep and get out there with you than go through the hassle of selling it and then trying to find another and mod it the way you like it.

Ship the amp and put insurance on it. Double box with good padding. I think it would cost you more to sell it and start from scratch to get the same sound with speakers and all. People never seem to care about upgrades. I've modded my rocker quite a bit knowing its not going to be worth as much as original even though my mods have been upgrades as far as I'm concerned.

I would keep it and ship it.

As mentioned, you're gonna lose a fair bit a change by selling and rebuying new later, and nobody "cares" for your mod, they just (beside the speaker) devalue your amp. Ad if it's a good amp, it's worth keeping.

And nothing stops you from getting another amp after the move.......
So you could still get to play with something new!!!!!

Yeah the only fly in the ointment for me is the real potential for the (in)famous UPS 'Un-Pleasant Surprise'. These guys don't always exactly handle heavy things as if they might be breakable - to say the least! (They aren't the only carriers who employ some 'no-brain numpties', F***ed Ex do that too. Also 'Parcel Farce' in the UK managed to heavily drop the Rocker 30 a mate was reviewing for a magazine, though while bent it actually survived and worked well enough to really impress him.)

For that reason if possible I'd think hard before shipping. When I moved here from Scotland 10 years back I hired a van and brought all my gear over by ferry. All speaker cabs went face down (so that speaker cones would only move in their working direction with bumps and jars.)

At any rate if shipping I'd make sure the boxing (double with good firm packing between the boxes!!!) was good, the amp well marked as "FRAGILE, THIS WAY UP!", and that I was happy with the damage insurance offered. I'd probably also take the valves out, possibly packing them separately inside the cab. (You're talking a combo here?)

Sure if I had a single amp that was my sound and was having to travelling light (and not able to drive it!) I'd consider shipping it. There are risks, but since it isn't an irreplaceable vintage job I'd probably do it. When buying my '74 Hiwatt head though I grabbed it personally, bringing it over by ferry, well packed with a fold up trolley. No way any of those numpties were getting a shot at bending that baby!!!


Andy.

If I have to move again, I may consider one of these:

http://www.pods.com/?ViewFull=true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't know how expensive they are, but you pack it up and it arrives at the destination with relative ease.

I would want to hang into the amp, but I've been trying to decide what I'd do if I were put in that situation soon. I might sell my amps/cabs and keep my guitars, or a sell 50% of both. Not really sure. I'm too much of a sentimental sucker about gear.

I just put all my stuff in my corrolla and moved cross country

so I could not fit some stuff. fortunately I sold it, cause along the "move" my tastes changed from MESA BOOGIE TO ORANGE!!!

world of tonal difference

PODS would cost me $3500 for the small 7x8x7 box to move cross country. Way too much. Even the UPS U-Box would be around $2500.

I've already sold most of my stuff. My furniture is mostly gone, my music gear has been downsized, hell I even sold my Orange amp today It was a long time coming, but it went to a friend who is a great musician and deserves it.

The mods themselves mostly consisted of resisters and capacitors, but I don't want to do that again. It also seems as though the CC series is going pretty cheap these days. I don't know, my amp sounds phenomenal, (even with the master pretty low), but the mods really helped. So yeah, of course I won't get the money for it.

I'll probably just ship it. I'm going to do a test run of packing the car next week, but I start my journey on the 26th, and I don't have a whole lot of time to sell it (although with my luck it probably wouldn't be a problem

Oooof, pods are expensive! There goes that idea for me too.

Where are you heading btw? Hollywood for your one true chance to make it as an action film star?

indianDYsummer wrote:Oooof, pods are expensive! There goes that idea for me too.

Where are you heading btw? Hollywood for your one true chance to make it as an action film star?

I think he's moving to the Valley to do the porns. He's going to change his name to 'Giver Magoo'.

A lot of folks on the TalkBass classifieds have luck shipping heavy tube bass amps with either USPS or Greyhound bus line's freight service. If you decide to ship it UPS or Fedex use a box store like Kinkos so that they can box it for you for a nominal fee- much less likely they'll deny a claim that way should it get damaged in transit.