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Hartke 3500, an unsung hero?

barroso

barroso

Aug 16, 2000
3,846
106
51
Italia
www.danguitars.com
#1
I am using in this recent month an Hartke 3500 head.
It's really powerful and good sounding, also came really cheap.
I guess that this model is one of the best seller during last decade and sincerely, being an utilitarian product, is not really that much talked about here.

Is there anyone out there who still uses this amplifier?
Do you like it as I do?
 
#4
I had one for a while and liked it. Sounded surprisingly good, reliable as all get out. A little noisy in the fan (never caused me a problem) and not a lightweight. Nonetheless, I'm looking for a backup and it's on my short list. Nice amp. :D
 
#5
I remember reading that the current iteration of the 3500 was a bit hit and miss - some people got reliable, roadworthy ones, and some got junk.

The older "Transient Attack" version from the '90s is generally considered very reliable and tough - although the tube it came with was garbage for most uses. I still keep mine around in an SKB rack tote... it's been extremely reliable.

Incidentally, plug two 8ohm cabinets into one and it really opens up nicely and gets bloody loud.
 
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#11
I had two of the early ones, and hated them both. They were very reliable, contrary to a lot of I'net comments at the time (mid to late '90s as I discovered my Eden WT-400 in November 1997). I really liked the Hartke speaker systems, and had two of the original Guild/Hartke 4x10s. The idea of the 3500 on paper seemed perfect- two pre-amps, one tube and one SS, a simple good sounding compressor, bass/treble shelving controls and the graphic EQ. In real life I found the two pre-amps fought each other. The tube pre has a severe mid-cut EQ
 
#17
frankie5string said:
I remember reading that the current iteration of the 3500 was a bit hit and miss - some people got reliable, roadworthy ones, and some got junk.

The older "Transient Attack" version from the '90s is generally considered very reliable and tough - although the tube it came with was garbage for most uses. I still keep mine around in an SKB rack tote... it's been extremely reliable...
Click to expand...
I had one of the old TA ones. Was a great amp, till it crapped out. I had it fixed and sold it. Replaced it with an SVT-III.


...I shoulda kept the Hartke! :smug:
 
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#18
JTE said:
I had two of the early ones, and hated them both. They were very reliable, contrary to a lot of I'net comments at the time (mid to late '90s as I discovered my Eden WT-400 in November 1997). I really liked the Hartke speaker systems, and had two of the original Guild/Hartke 4x10s. The idea of the 3500 on paper seemed perfect- two pre-amps, one tube and one SS, a simple good sounding compressor, bass/treble shelving controls and the graphic EQ. In real life I found the two pre-amps fought each other. The tube pre has a severe mid-cut EQ
Click to expand...

You know your right. I tried using the biamp and it sounded worst. I had a 410XLT and 210XLT Eden and certain frequencies just were not there (especially with the B), unbalanced no matter what you did. I finally got a WT500, not bashing the 3500.:hmm:
 
#19
Remember the Transient Attack amps were pretty much designed and voiced to work with their aluminum coned speakers. When I bought mine, the local amp technician (His name was Buzzy for all you people from Toronto Canada) told me there was a mod he could do as long as I wasn't going to drive aluminum cone speakers with it...

So I think the power output section had some additional trickery because it's fairly well documented how easy it was to blow those Hartke aluminum speakers ...

Since I briefly had hartke alum cone speakers, I decided against the mod.
I remember running it through an SWR Workingmans 2x10T ...which was great - but it really shone when I ran it through my super-efficient EA 1x12...
 
#20
barroso said:
I am using in this recent month an Hartke 3500 head.
It's really powerful and good sounding, also came really cheap.
I guess that this model is one of the best seller during last decade and sincerely, being an utilitarian product, is not really that much talked about here.

Is there anyone out there who still uses this amplifier?
Do you like it as I do?
Click to expand...

Um, yeah...not so much. I think they sound pretty much like ca ca.

The new LH series heads sound awesome though.
 

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