Are all Hartke HA3500's junk?

[Patrick the red]

My cab is 8 ohm. I have plans to add another 8 ohm cab latter. Or I would have if I didn't need to buy a new amp. And I borrowed a friends amp to see if it was the Avatar 210, nope, the cab rocks. It is the HA3500, it is pitiful and week. I've considered sending it in to Hartke for repairs. I'm sure they will say it works fine, just like it's supposed to.

Yes, I do miss those Eden cabs. And with the 3500 mosfet they had loads of bottom.

 

[KramerBassFan]

I have used this EXACT set up.

HA3500 into an 8 ohm Avatar 2x10.... and it sounds like the amp is the problem.. cause for me it had plenty of power and volume for stuff i did.

Maybe your old Eden cabs were just more efficient.

 

[dukeisdog]

Do you like the tone you get out of the head? Maybe it's time to upgrade to the 5500. Or try getting in touch with Hartke with a phone call. They have great customer service and I'm sure they'll help you out.

 

[No Neck Shrek]

There are 2 pre amp controls 1 for Tube & 1 for Solid State. Where are your setting for the pre amp set ?

From the user manual;

3. Pre-Amp A (Tube) control - This determines the amount of preamplification
being provided by special circuitry which simulates the sound of a classic tube
amplifier (this circuitry actually includes a real tube!). Note that when both
Pre-Amp knobs are used at equal settings, the amplifier will be twice as loud as
when only one is used. Avoid setting both Pre-Amp knobs on maximum (“10&#8221,
since the result will almost always be undesirable distortion.

4.Pre-Amp B (Solid State) control - This determines the amount of preamplification
being provided by special circuitry which simulates the sound of a solid
state amplifier. Note that when both Pre-Amp knobs are used at equal settings,
the amplifier will be twice as loud as when only one is used. Avoid setting both
Pre-Amp knobs on maximum (“10&#8221, since the result will almost always be
undesirable distortion.

 

[jaywa]

FWIW on my old MOSFET 3500 I usually ran the Tube and Solid State Pre's both at high noon (i.e., 50% up) and by the time the Master Volume was at 4 it was louder than I could stand ... through a single XL-410 cabinet.

 

[lbwdog]

There are 2 pre amp controls 1 for Tube & 1 for Solid State. Where are your setting for the pre amp set ?

Ive been wondering this all along.

 

[BurningSkies]

I used a MOSFET 3500 for a number of years, and it definitely wasn't junk. It's a great amp. Later iterations, maybe not so much.

I DID tend to run with my power amp at least 3/4 of the way up. Then I ran my pres low...both around 9 o'clock or less. You get a little more noise out of the amp, but not enough to bother me. I found that when I ran either of the pres up at half or more, I'd clip.

 

[jumbodbassman]

FWIW on my old MOSFET 3500 I usually ran the Tube and Solid State Pre's both at high noon (i.e., 50% up) and by the time the Master Volume was at 4 it was louder than I could stand ... through a single XL-410 cabinet.

usually the same with me except sometimes i would 10 and 2 it towards the tube side to get a little me tube grit...

My 3500 rocked for years. still us it or my 7000 for outside gigs without pa support. ampegs for smaller venues as the ss ampeg are clearly under powered versus the rating...

 

[Patrick the red]

I always ran my pre's at 6 tube (2 o'clock) and 4 ss (10 o'clock). I had my original 3500 mosfet for quite a few years, I was very familiar with it. Last night I played around with this HA3500 again, I ran the pre-amps at 2 and 10 and the master up to 8 (almost full on). And the volume was a joke, it would not even compare to the mosfet 3500 at 1. In all the time I owned the mosfet 3500 I never, I mean never, needed to turn the main past 4 out of 10 (10 o'clock) to get band practice volume. This Ha3500 at max volume will not be loud enough to hear over the drummer.
There has to be something wrong with this amp, I (we including my tech) can't find it. I've had no luck with Hartke getting any ideas on what could be wrong with it. And the Hartke tech I talked to was an idiot, I seemed to know more about electronics than he did. So should I send It in? I could end up with a big bill and still not have an amp that works right. Maybe it's time to ditch Hartke and but a better brand amp.
For those of you who know the old 3500 mosfets what would be a newer comparable head?

 

[BurningSkies]

Check the effects loop volume setting on the back. I always forgot about it, but there was one time on stage where I had low volume and later realized that someone had monkeyed with the effects vol. in back.

 

[lbwdog]

Hmmmmm....Call (or PM) Larry Hartke. His number is in many posts around here.

 

[guitarhuckster1]

I have a HA3500. I run it with Hartke XL210 and XL115 cabs. It's surprisingly loud IMO.

 

[Larry Hartke]

Brother Patrick,

I'm away for one day and look what happens! Just give me a call (201-680-8153) and I'll get things sorted out for you right away. The MOSFET's were not any louder, sounds like something is wrong with your 3500.

 

[knucklehead G]

And this is why I keep putting Hartke back on my GAS list. I wish there was somewhere around here for me to try them. I like the idea of the owner being reachable.

 

[lbwdog]

And this is why I keep putting Hartke back on my GAS list. I wish there was somewhere around here for me to try them. I like the idea of the owner being reachable.

Hell.....you don't even have to reach him. He'll find you!!

 

[Larry Hartke]

Hey Knucklehead G..and I mean no disrespect...hey it's your facebook name! But please call me, even if there is no Hartke dealer near you..I'll figure something out for you!

201-680-8153 Cell

 

[levis76]

I have owned two different Hartke HA3500 heads and I still own one today. The only issue I have ever had was a pre tube go microphonic. I ran my first HA3500 through a Transporter 410 and 115. Loud, even if either cab was run alone at 8ohms. The one I own now I use for practice and as a backup to my tube head, which I did need it for a gig one night. The 400+ popped a power tube when I flipped it on, so I hooked up the Hartke and it killed thru a 8ohm Mesa Diesel 410. IIRC, the gains were set tube 6, ss 4, comp off, eq on with slight low cut, low mid boost and highs flat, contours at 0. Ended up setting master at about 3 to match stage volume. Soundman mic'd the cabinet (DI didn't work, sorry Larry, can't win 'em all) and it sounded great.

Stupid question, but you aren't using a crappy patch cable or instrument cable to run the speaker cabinet are you? There are instrument cables and there are speaker cables and they are NOT interchangeable. Using an instrument cable to run a cabinet will result in poor cabinet performance.

 

[Patrick the red]

I have a monster cable, could that be defective? I'm going to call Mr. Hartke in the morning and see what he can tell me, I'll post my results. I'm very impressed that he found my post and is willing to help even after I've been ripping on this amp some.

 

[knucklehead G]

Hey Knucklehead G..and I mean no disrespect...hey it's your facebook name! But please call me, even if there is no Hartke dealer near you..I'll figure something out for you!

201-680-8153 Cell

Left you a voicemail, and no disrecpect taken! Knucklehead was given to me by a sergeant that I just kept running into or tripping over a few years ago, and it stuck. I put the G on the end so it ends in EAD G.

I have a monster cable, could that be defective? I'm going to call Mr. Hartke in the morning and see what he can tell me, I'll post my results. I'm very impressed that he found my post and is willing to help even after I've been ripping on this amp some.

Even if the Monster Cable isn't the issue, take it back to GC and tell them it is the issue and get a freebie new one. If fixes it, it was the cable. If it doesn't, hey, new cable.

 

[BillyIVbass]

I have a monster cable, could that be defective? I'm going to call Mr. Hartke in the morning and see what he can tell me, I'll post my results. I'm very impressed that he found my post and is willing to help even after I've been ripping on this amp some.

Try a new cable. I bring my HA2500 out for Open Mic/Bar stuff and can fill a room no problem. It's only a few months old.

I gigged with an artist that was sponsored by Monster and I was needing to replace my cables once a month!