America-uk

[climber_k]

hi guys! my second thread! anyway, just wondering if there are any electric techs out there! basically i live in uk, and i wanna buy an amp from america (cheaper), i realise i need a step down transformer to run it here! but what sort? there are loads will any do? or is it not a good idea in the first place? and is there a way of converting the whole amp so it actually runs on uk, instead of US voltage?
any help apprciated!

[bleeding_fingers]

You can check your local hardware store for a power adapter for things like that. Or you can probably find them online for cheap too.

[Teh Glees0rz]

I'm borrowing my friend's Fender Rumble 60 at the moment and I think it's American (it has a 2 prong plug but they have those in a lot of other countries too).

I'm just using a plug adaptor and it hasn't blown up yet. :p

[NavyBass]

To tell you the truth, it wouldn't be cheaper to buy from America.

There are a few things you must remember, shipping from America to UK is not cheap and if you're buying a combo, forget it, the shipping would cost more than the combo itself. Also, any dealer that is reputable is going to want to insure the package and be able to track the package. That right there is extra costs above the shipping charges, and those arent cheap either.

The cheapest way I've seen to ship overseas from the east coast to UK was about $150 just for an amp head, and that didn't include insurance or tracking. Those added about $75 to $100 more on the shipping cost bringing the total up to over $200, and it would take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks to arrive there. If you want it quicker, the shipping charges start at about $250 to $275, not including insurance or tracking.

Now, once you pay all the shipping charges, there's one added expense that you will have to pay, Duty charges. That is based on the price of the amp itself.

Think about all the extra charges for a while. Is it really less expensive to buy an amp from the states and have it shipped to you? I don't think so.

One last thing. What if it arrives damaged? Now YOU have to pay the shipping charges to send it back.

Oh yea, one more thing, You still have to buy the step down transformer to change 220v down to 110v so you can use it. Depending on the wattage of the amp will dictate the size of the transformer needed.

[ebe9]

Depends on the amp..........some come with a useful little switch for changing between 110v and 220/240v but since all amps esentially have a transformer built in for stepping down the current for the internal electronics it is possible for a decent electrical tech to re-wire it.

But go with what JP said....it won't always be cheaper.