need some advice (hartke related)

Devils138 · #1 11-23-2010, 06:51 PM

hey everyone. i've got a question that i could use some advice on. recently, i came across a used hartke combo amp in my local music store. it was this one i believe:

http://www.samsontech.com/products/p...1938&brandID=3

now, i dont remember exactly how much it was. all i do know was that i can't currently afford the whole thing. so my thinking is, i really want the hartke. i've heard nothing but good things about them, especially the hydrive series, (although i havent found too much info on that one in particular). i currently have an ampeg ba115hp combo amp. here is where i could use the advice. would it be worth it to sell my ampeg, (which i was never all that crazy about in the first place) to the store, and buy the hartke using the money i get for the ampeg, plus however much else is needed? like i said, i cant afford to buy the amp, so i'd have to sell the ampeg in order to be able to afford it. the hartke has more watts than the ampeg, and it seems like overall, i can do more with the hartke. i just don't know what i should do. what do you guys think. keep the ampeg? or sell it for the harkte? i hope i havent bored you all to death with my rambling, haha. i just want to make sure i make the right choice. any/all responses are welcome. thanks in advance everyone!

MNAirHead · #2 11-23-2010, 07:03 PM

Amps alone are irrelevant with out knowing the type of band you play with.. how they're amplified and/or the quality of your PA support.

They'll sound different.

I'm a fan of kickbacks w/di --- I'd never be playing with a death metal band etc... never wtih a band with a bad PA.

froghat · #3 11-23-2010, 07:26 PM

Unless you value convenience *very* highly, don't sell your Ampeg to the store. You will get a better price on Craigslist or the classifieds here.

Devils138 · #4 11-23-2010, 07:27 PM

well, i play mainly metal (think rust in peace era megadeth). i dont know if that helps. in fact, david ellefsons bass tone is what got me interested in hartke in the first place. i just need to know that trading my ampeg for this hartke isnt a stupid idea.

Devils138 · #5 11-23-2010, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by froghat

Unless you value convenience *very* highly, don't sell your Ampeg to the store. You will get a better price on Craigslist or the classifieds here.

yeah i figured that i'd get ripped off by selling it to the store. however, i was hoping they could give me some kinda deal, being that id be buying the hartke from them right after selling my amp.

kosmicwizard · #6 11-23-2010, 07:36 PM

If I were you I would bring the Ampeg down to the store. Try them side by side, and if your ears tell you that the hartke is better, ask the owner if he would give you a good deal on trading the Ampeg for the Hartke. Most stores also allow customers to make payments. Hope this helps. Cheers.

BTW, what don't you like about the Ampeg? I can get a pretty usable tone out of it. I like style 3 and roll off the mids a bit and boost the bass. How loud do you play when you practice with your band, in that sense the Hartke might be a better choice, or is it time to step up and get a head and a cab? All the best.

Devils138 · #7 11-23-2010, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kosmicwizard

If I were you I would bring the Ampeg down to the store. Try them side by side, and if your ears tell you that the hartke is better, ask the owner if he would give you a good deal on trading the Ampeg for the Hartke. Most stores also allow customers to make payments. Hope this helps. Cheers.

BTW, what don't you like about the Ampeg? I can get a pretty usable tone out of it. I like style 3 and roll off the mids a bit and boost the bass. How loud do you play when you practice with your band, in that sense the Hartke might be a better choice, or is it time to step up and get a head and a cab? All the best.

this helps a lot. thanks for the responses, everyone. as far as my ampeg goes, i guess i shouldnt say i dont like it. i think maybe my expectations were too high when i ordered it. i use style 2, and when im practicing with the band i usually have the volume up to 3. i just feel like the tone i get out of it is kinda flat, and boring, no matter how i mess with the settings. i bought a Boss bass overdrive pedal to try and get a slightly different tone out of it, and it worked for a while. im still just hooked on David Ellefson's hartke tone. that is the tone i want. ive considered getting the head/cab, but we dont play THAT many shows, and when we do, the place isnt so big that a combo won't cut it. anyway, enough rambling. ill go tomorrow to try out the hartke with my ampeg, and make my decision from there. thanks again everyone who already responded. much appreciated!

Devils138 · #8 11-25-2010, 05:09 PM

hey again. i played the hartke in the store, and i like it a lot. however, i was wrong, it's the hydrive 112c, not the 115. before i make my decision on whether or not i wanna trade my ampeg, i wanted to see if anyone knows if the 112c would be a good enough amp for small clubs/practicing with the band. i figure it should be, considering it has more watts than my ampeg (the hartke is 250 watts, the ampeg is 220), and i've used that at shows. the only thing is the ampeg has a 15 inch speaker, and the hartke has a 12 inch. what do you guys think. like i said, i like the tone more out of that hartke, and its right in my current price range. you think it will be good for shows? thanks again for the responses.

genstormbringer · #9 11-25-2010, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devils138

hey everyone. i've got a question that i could use some advice on. recently, i came across a used hartke combo amp in my local music store. it was this one i believe:

http://www.samsontech.com/products/p...1938&brandID=3

now, i dont remember exactly how much it was. all i do know was that i can't currently afford the whole thing. so my thinking is, i really want the hartke. i've heard nothing but good things about them, especially the hydrive series, (although i havent found too much info on that one in particular). i currently have an ampeg ba115hp combo amp. here is where i could use the advice. would it be worth it to sell my ampeg, (which i was never all that crazy about in the first place) to the store, and buy the hartke using the money i get for the ampeg, plus however much else is needed? like i said, i cant afford to buy the amp, so i'd have to sell the ampeg in order to be able to afford it. the hartke has more watts than the ampeg, and it seems like overall, i can do more with the hartke. i just don't know what i should do. what do you guys think. keep the ampeg? or sell it for the harkte? i hope i havent bored you all to death with my rambling, haha. i just want to make sure i make the right choice. any/all responses are welcome. thanks in advance everyone!

That Hydrive combo is a great amp and speaker to go for you do have compression and distortion in it so you can get a lot of what you are looking for playing metal w that cab combo. It is very nice indeed go to the store and play it see if you really fall in love w it Hartke stuff is great quality gear.

Devils138 · #10 11-25-2010, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by genstormbringer

That Hydrive combo is a great amp and speaker to go for you do have compression and distortion in it so you can get a lot of what you are looking for playing metal w that cab combo. It is very nice indeed go to the store and play it see if you really fall in love w it Hartke stuff is great quality gear.

i played it, and loved it. i just need to know that it will stand up against the guitars at practice and such. like i said, im assuming it will, because it has more watts than the amp i have now, but its also a smaller speaker. i just need to hear that trading my ampeg ba115hp to a hartke 112c is not a downgrade in anyway.

Munjibunga · #11 11-26-2010, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devils138

yeah i figured that i'd get ripped off by selling it to the store. however, i was hoping they could give me some kinda deal, being that id be buying the hartke from them right after selling my amp.

They'll give you some kind of deal ... one that is grossly favorable to them.