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Anyone tried the Hartke HD150 Hydrive yet?

alaskaleftybass

alaskaleftybass

Will Hanbury, Jr.
In Memoriam
Mar 21, 2012
9,920
22,352
Sitka, Alaska
#1
Hi all, Happy Friday fellow bass players...
I was looking around at new gear and this one popped up in the online stores.
Hartke HD150 Hydrive.
Has anyone had any experience with this new amp? Looks good and I hardly ever see complaints about Hartke here on TB.
Thanks in advance! :thumbsup:
Will

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#7
Strangely, Lefty, this combo line has been seemingly off the radar since its introduction and I don't really know why. I looked at them a few months back as an addition to the stable, but didn't need another 15", and the 12" lacked high power and an XLR out. So unless you are looking for a smaller practice combo, I felt like the line missed the mark of what many look for in a portable gigging combo.

I'd enjoy reading an owner's evaluation of them though.
 
#8
It's a combo amplifier that cannot use an external speaker.
It has "professional features" like a 1/8" AUX input.
Its heavy enough the manufacturer has casters on it.

Why the hell is anyone excited?
Sounds like an overgrown, underpowered toy to annoy your parents with.
Hardly worth multiple bumps in one day.

I'm saying all this meaning no disrespect to Hartke. I enjoyed every amp of theirs I've played.
I'm even sure it's a fine example of what it is, but are you folks reading something about this that I'm not?
From whence comes the hubbub?
 
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#10
Hello , being this is an old post I'll just state my impression of the amp . I was looking for a decent size combo that i could plug into the PA . Same as I did with my SWR "Working Man's 15" .
To be completely honest , i really like the amp . You need to get use to it a bit ( controls , EQ , limiter ...) but once you get the feel of the amp , for $400 its a pretty good deal .
I've gigged with the SWR extensively & find this has more punch & is better constructed. I Love low end , & the hybrid speaker gives you plenty of that without it sounding muddy . You get a full, clean , warm sound that also cuts .
I always plug through the PA , & never experienced the few volume issues I read somewhere . As far as just plain rehearsal , no PA , still no issues , ( knock wood)
I do agree the lack of ext speaker jack kinda sucks , but I can live with that .
 
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#11
Jmozz60 said:
Hello , being this is an old post I'll just state my impression of the amp . i was looking for a decent size combo that i could plug into the PA . Same as I did with my SWR Working Man's 15 .
To be completely honest , i really like the amp . Yow need to get use to it ( controls , EQ , limiter ...) but once you get the feel of the amp , for $400 its a pretty good deal .
I've gigged with the SWR extensively & find this has more punch & is better constructed.
I always plug through the PA , & never experienced the few volume issues I read here . As far as just plain rehearsal , no PA , still no issues , ( knock wood)
I do agree the lack of ext speaker jack kinds sucks , but I can live with that .
Click to expand...
The amp is still for sale, and from the reviews I've read about it on MF, Sweetwater, etc. it seems to be a pretty solid amp. But then most Hartke stuff is. So it doesn't have all the bells and whistles. It's a one trick pony and evidently it does it well, since everyone is still selling it, and it gets good reviews. Things like, deep bottom end, crisp highs, better than Rumble, etc.

hartke.JPG


@Jmozz60 thanks for dropping by and commenting. I'm glad the amp is working out fine for you.
 
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#14
Ok its August already so I hope i can reply to this old thread. Well I just got my hands on a Hartke HD150 and Im accustomed to the Rumble. So far I've not been able to really play it in anger. Its louder than I was expecting as it hits loud enough for me at 2 in a sports centre hall with acoustic drums and then we dont put any bass into the foldback and just go with that for the band. Its nice and light and easy to hump around for its size. The castors are really useful. It seems solid enough so far..
Ive not had time to mess around with tone yet but it doesn't seem to sound as nice as the Rumble. The rumble sounds nice out of the box, but maybe once I fiddle with it Ill find that the Hartke sounds good.
My initial perception is that the Hatke tone was very different and not in the direction that appealed to me.
It seems to be lacking in character and warmth - but again let me say that I need more time to play it so lets see.
But Ill report back once I get a chance to dig in and mess around with it. It certainly does what it says on the tin and its loud and no-one else notices that the tone isnt as good as Fender.
 
#17
I own this amp. Is it great? No. Does it suck? No. Gets the job done... I wouldn't gig with it, but for a practice amp that cuts over drums and a loud guitarist, it is fine. The eq is good... one problem I read from a Sweetwater review is that the bass amp for some reason doesn't find its way into the subs though a PA, but my guess is that the crossover was not set at the proper frequency. I haven't had this issue yet... solid amp, but don't spend the money for a new one - find it used or a floor demo like I did at Sam Ash in White Plains, NY.
 

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