koula901 Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 Hi Guys, Someday, I anticipate buying a dolly to get my amp up and down 3 flights of stairs to my home. When I brought the Blues Jr home, the amp guy said it was a good idea to put the amp on a pillow (for the car ride home). If I had one in the car, I'm sure he would have put the amp on top of that. Once I get a dolly, I imagine it would be prudent to put a pillow under the FBJr, since it will be going down many stairs, for the bumpy ride. What do you think?
DetroitBlues Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 I think he's crazy.... Put the amp on a seat and make sure it doesn't move. Tubes are sensitive, but not that sensitive.... Its when you toss them in the back of a truck or some place they get banged around will you need to worry....
bolero Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 what Detroit said...car seat should be fine; just don't toss it around blues junior is a small amp isn't it? 1x12? do you need a dolly for it? if you are shipping an amp you should always pull out the tubes though..I pack them inside newspaper/box & stuff them back into the cab for protection
pressure Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 Make sure the amp has cooled a bit before moving it. Hot tubes are more fragile.
schundog Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 I buckle any amp in, more for my safety than the amps safety.
Guest HRB853370 Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 I would be happy to roadie for you...once the snow thaws up there!
tulk1 Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 Is this a serious question? People have been slinging amps around for ages. Lay it down with the speaker face up. Make sure it doesn't slide around and have at it.
fxdx99 Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 I've found this type of handcart to be very useful when walking a bit from car to gig (city gigs often present this distance thing). Folds flat and compact, amp/gig bag and even mic stand can be put on it with guitar in gig bag on back so one trip in/out. Not sure I'd use it for bringing an amp up/down stairs, tho... bump bump bump... http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00987615000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1 In the last 5 years I've had 3 different tube amps go out at gigs and I'm pretty gentle on moving them in the car, don't bang 'em around a lot. One the power transformer went out, the other 2 the rectifier tubes. Just the nature of the design if you're going to use tubes. Hence, either need backup tubes/parts with you to fix on the fly or a backup device. On really important gigs, I bring a 2nd nice tube amp. On 'normal' gigs, I now usually bring the ZT lunchbox which is small and solid state. Or, my bad monkey pedal has a line out that can be used in a pinch thru the pa, but it's not ideal.
koula901 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Posted January 19, 2012 Is this a serious question? People have been slinging amps around for ages. Lay it down with the speaker face up. Make sure it doesn't slide around and have at it. Sad to say, yes, a serious question - more concerned about using a dolly to haul it down and up 3 flights of stairs - it definitely will go bump, bump, bump, and if that doesn't work out, I suppose I could carry it, and go down very slowly - have a bad knee. The amp is not heavy, but on the knee it is.
koula901 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Posted January 19, 2012 Randy - thanks on the advice to carry extra tubes, and the hand cart.
pegleg32 Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 That's a pain in the arrears that you have to haul that thing up and down 3 flights of steps on a bum knee. You might think about storing it at your practice place and just getting some earmuffs for practicing at home.
fxdx99 Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 Thinking about it a bit and that handcart may work going up/down stairs with maybe a bungy cord wrapped on amp to ensure it doesn't tip off. Still need to go slow, but it may not be too bad... Ya know, on the spare tube thing, the last amp to go out on me was my princeton reverb reissue. Thought it was the rectifier tube, but on swapping it out still no sound. Only 2-3 years old, still under warranty, so I brought it to the tech and he calls and says 'you're rectifier tube is out'. Huh - told him I'd swapped and it still didn't work. A slight pause and he says, 'well on these reissues they've added a fuse to the pcb board that needs to be de/re-soldered'. He's talked to Fender on why this was added, but doesn't have a real good answer. Would remove it, but I've still got a couple years on the warranty so it stays (for now). Anyway, guess the point is that even spare tubes and parts won't always keep ya going in a timely fashion. Since you've a pedal board, might try one time at practice plugging it into the pa just to see if/how that may work in a pince.
koula901 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Posted January 19, 2012 Okay - will keep the P.A. option in mind. I was thinking about placing the FBJr on a pillow, on the dolly, and also hoping to strap the 137 on same dolly, using bungie cords to secure everything. That way-everything goes downstairs, all at once. I don't bring the big pedal board with me at every practice, and am thinking of creating a mini board - that I can carry like a back pack (or in the back pack).
DetroitBlues Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 I could not imagine carrying my Deltablues up or down three flights of stairs....
DetroitBlues Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 I was thinking about placing the FBJr on a pillow, on the dolly, and also hoping to strap the 137 on same dolly, using bungie cords to secure everything. That way-everything goes downstairs, all at once. I don't bring the big pedal board with me at every practice, and am thinking of creating a mini board - that I can carry like a back pack (or in the back pack). My pedal board will fit inside an old laptop case. I had a Toshiba Toughbook, so its got a deep pocket, perfect for pedals...
Blunote Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 Just be sure you're following the cart down the stairs rather than pulling it behind you. I assume that's what you mean to do. Are you on the 4th floor of your building or is it a staircase with a few stairs, a landing, a few more stairs, another landing and a final set of stairs. When I first read this, an old Laural and Hardy film, the Piano, I think, came to mind. Good thing it's only an amp.
Guest HRB853370 Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 Sad to say, yes, a serious question - more concerned about using a dolly to haul it down and up 3 flights of stairs - it definitely will go bump, bump, bump, and if that doesn't work out, I suppose I could carry it, and go down very slowly - have a bad knee. The amp is not heavy, but on the knee it is. That really sucks Koula, don't they have accomodations for the disabled and elderly? (Not you, just to comply with the law). I guess since its not a public facility they wouldn't be required to. This is not worth hurting yourself over-I would take one of the suggestions posted above about leaving it at your practice facility, if it is safe and you are ok with that.
tulk1 Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 Sad to say, yes, a serious question - more concerned about using a dolly to haul it down and up 3 flights of stairs - it definitely will go bump, bump, bump, and if that doesn't work out, I suppose I could carry it, and go down very slowly - have a bad knee. The amp is not heavy, but on the knee it is. Yeah, the 3 stair thing. I may have glossed over that. Was reading while waiting for the chili finals to be announced. In that case, take TONS of precautions if you're rolling down stairs. Bumps be bad.
koula901 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Posted January 19, 2012 HA : ) it's 12-13 steps, landing, 12-13 steps, Something else I just thought of -- I the BJr is small enough that if I put it on a piece of cardboard - I could just slide that down on the hand rail, all the way down. Coming back, just set it down every 2-3 steps, repeat, repeat, repeat. : D Where there's a will there's a way.
bolero Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 ah sorry i missed the 3 flights of stairs bit too if it's bumping a lot you could always screw a 1" thick pad of soft rubber/foam etc to the base of the cart, and put the amp on that...would absorb most of the shocks that folding one fxdx posted seems like a great idea, you could even strap a plastic milk crate onto it & throw stuff in that...the sides would keep stuff contained
koula901 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Posted January 19, 2012 charming idea!! I'll strap the milk crate on, put the 1" thick soft rubber/foam and bungy that to the cart - great idea!
koula901 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Posted January 19, 2012 My pedal board will fit inside an old laptop case. I had a Toshiba Toughbook, so its got a deep pocket, perfect for pedals... that's pretty cool!
NoNameBand Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 Vibration is the element you want to manage or eliminate. Bumps are Bad. Tubes can work loose. Circuitry can be damaged as with all amps, tube or transistor. I treat my amp as good as my guitar including a cover, just in case it rains. Neither are tanks they are fragile.
koula901 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Posted January 19, 2012 I would be happy to roadie for you...once the snow thaws up there! Hey! No snow. C'mon up! ; ) Naw! thanks for the offer!
Blunote Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 Have you thought about moving to something on a ground floor?
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