Adapting US to German electrical system

[Doug]

I've never played outside North America and will be working (regular job, not gigs) in Germany for nearly a year. Takin my guitar and a small amp...

Any USAmericans with experience playing in Countries with 220-240 V power able to advise me on a power adapter & plug?

Thanks!

[BobArsecake]

If you're there for near enough a year I think you'd be better off buying one over there. Then you're not lugging yours over, even a little one will be another suitcase. If you do that you won't need to research and buy adapters.

[Chris Fleming]

Unless there is something super special about your amp I wouldn't bother and buy one, as BobBumbiscuit says. Surely the price of shipping it over and back would be about the same? Even buy one second hand and sell it after you're done? Wouldn't lose much if anything

[blane]

When we lived in Germany we had to buy transformers for most of our electronics. They were big silver boxes. Wasn't really a hassle as far as I remember. But this was the 90s I'm sure the boxes have gotten smaller. And I don't remember if it supported 3 prong plugs.

But ad many said, Might want to just get a small practice amp over there...

[Chris Fleming]

do transformers not weigh a fuck ton? wouldn't want to lug one around... ones i've used were usually yellow, about the size of two car batteries and about as heavy

[BobArsecake]

http://www.thomann.de/gb/index.html

Cheap amp from there, problem solved. You could get a little Orange, probably cheaper than you'd get in the states. They have (I think as a standard) option to use EU or North American power by flicking a switch on the back and you just need to switch the kettle lead. Treat yourself to a tiny terror combo ;]

[Doug]

http://www.thomann.de/gb/index.htmlCheap amp from there, problem solved. You could get a little Orange, probably cheaper than you'd get in the states. They have (I think as a standard) option to use EU or North American power by flicking a switch on the back and you just need to switch the kettle lead. Treat yourself to a tiny terror combo ;]

Thanks, guys. Good suggestions, and I may just take Bob's advice and buy a little amp when I get there. Can I assume my guitar will plug right in without any adaptation?

[BobArsecake]

http://www.thomann.de/gb/index.htmlCheap amp from there, problem solved. You could get a little Orange, probably cheaper than you'd get in the states. They have (I think as a standard) option to use EU or North American power by flicking a switch on the back and you just need to switch the kettle lead. Treat yourself to a tiny terror combo ;]

Thanks, guys. Good suggestions, and I may just take Bob's advice and buy a little amp when I get there. Can I assume my guitar will plug right in without any adaptation?

Perhaps give the embassy a call.

[mkt3000]

http://www.thomann.de/gb/index.htmlCheap amp from there, problem solved. You could get a little Orange, probably cheaper than you'd get in the states. They have (I think as a standard) option to use EU or North American power by flicking a switch on the back and you just need to switch the kettle lead. Treat yourself to a tiny terror combo ;]

Thanks, guys. Good suggestions, and I may just take Bob's advice and buy a little amp when I get there. Can I assume my guitar will plug right in without any adaptation?

Uh.

Yes.

[Joey]

http://www.thomann.de/gb/index.htmlCheap amp from there, problem solved. You could get a little Orange, probably cheaper than you'd get in the states. They have (I think as a standard) option to use EU or North American power by flicking a switch on the back and you just need to switch the kettle lead. Treat yourself to a tiny terror combo ;]

Thanks, guys. Good suggestions, and I may just take Bob's advice and buy a little amp when I get there. Can I assume my guitar will plug right in without any adaptation?

Uh.

Yes.

Heyyyy.... he's gotta ask. You foreigners are always doing shit half ass backwards. You guys drive on the fucking wrong side of the road! Drive NORMALLY!!!

[Chris Fleming]

Heyyyy.... he's gotta ask. You foreigners are always doing shit half ass backwards. You guys drive on the fucking wrong side of the road! Drive NORMALLY!!!

It's mostly only us that do that... the rest of Europe drives on the wrong side of the road like yerself and they all have weird plugs? Three pin British plug is the only one that makes any sense.

[sunshiner]

There are amps like Carvin Vintage 16(old model) and some Egnater amps that have a switching from 120V to 240V. Carvins are relatively cheap, you can find one on ebay for less than $300.

[sunshiner]

There are amps like Carvin Vintage 16(old model) and some Egnater amps that have a switching from 120V to 240V. Carvins are relatively cheap, you can find one on ebay for less than $300.

[stewart]

do transformers not weigh a fuck ton? wouldn't want to lug one around... ones i've used were usually yellow, about the size of two car batteries and about as heavy

those are for use on construction sites and convert 230v to 110v.

[Chris Fleming]

Oh... ok. We used them at college was all. Electricity is magic in plastic vines that come from ground and make things go move and bright light... look for my future posts on anything electric for proof that I know nothing how things work

[stewart]

Electricity is magic in plastic vines that come from ground and make things go move and bright light...

this is essentially correct.

[paul_]

The "buy a new amp over there" option sounds more sensible, but it will actually be more costly/just as troublesome down the line. Basic step up/down transformers are cheaper than guitar amps this side of battery-powered beltclip jobbies, plus you have the hassle of getting rid of the German amp before you come back which is really the flipside of the coin of what you're facing now (do you take an amp or save luggage space and buy one there).

My dad made little step down transformers for all his UK stuff when we moved to Holland and then the US in the late '80s/early '90s, they were the size of ghost traps from Ghostbusters (I remember this because I had him make me one of those too). I'm still using some of them to run his old hi-fi or our PAL-format VHS machine on occasion.
You can buy little dual-purpose ones with German plugs for like $30-$50 in the US, and that would be good for anything you take, not just your guitar amp.

[Joey]

Doug, I offer guitar sitting services

[blane]

Thanks, guys. Good suggestions, and I may just take Bob's advice and buy a little amp when I get there. Can I assume my guitar will plug right in without any adaptation?

Uh.

Yes.

Heyyyy.... he's gotta ask. You foreigners are always doing shit half ass backwards. You guys drive on the fucking wrong side of the road! Drive NORMALLY!!!

Red= Right side drive
Blue= wrong side drive

[BobArsecake]

Uh.

Yes.

Heyyyy.... he's gotta ask. You foreigners are always doing shit half ass backwards. You guys drive on the fucking wrong side of the road! Drive NORMALLY!!!

Red= Right side drive
Blue= wrong side drive

It is weird.