Hartke HA3500 information.

[lukeave.]

Saw one of these for $240. Did some research and I haven't found anyone saying they are bad amps. What do you guys think?

 

[Bob C]

I have a very old 3500. I think they later added the "HA", and I don't know if there is any other difference in the two models.

It is a decent sounding, pretty loud and very reliable amp. There lots of heads that are more pleasing to my ear, but it gets the job done and was a heavy-weight in its era.

Look on ebay and such. There are lots of them, around, and I think you can do better than $240. That's not a terrible price though. How old is it?

 

[Captain Marvel]

Mine was reliable (never faltered in 3 years) and sounded great for the price.

When put through a good cab they are hard to criticise other than looking very dated now.

 

[timber22]

I have one I bought thinking it'll be purely a backup amp, but it actually sounds pretty good and it's definitely loud for 350 watts.

 

[Simon Goulding]

I've used one o these for years. Highly recommended. Great sound & amp. That's a nice price too.

 

[Nedmundo]

They are good amps. My band's leader has one in our rehearsal space, so for the past two years I've used it more than my G-K 700RB-II. I certainly prefer my G-K, but the Hartke delivers lots of power and good, solid tone. No complaints here.

 

[jaywa]

I used this exact amp from about 1994 till two years ago when I finally retired it.

I loved it and hated to quit using it, however the onboard direct out circuit (XLR) started crapping out every 3 or 4 months and nobody I took it to could effect a lasting fix. So I finally gave up on it, which killed me cause in terms of sound and features I have yet to find anything I've liked better.

$240 may be a little high considering these things come on the market pretty frequently. OTOH it appears to be in good condition, and if you want to get something in a hurry, you wouldn't be overpaying by a lot.

Pair with a Hartke XL-410 cabinet (circa 1993) -- or two -- for best results.

 

[Myth_103]

I agree with pretty much all the others. This was my first bass amp. It's a good one, especially for the price.

 

[jordy_on_bass]

I used one at a gig last year, very nice sounding head. I think it was a switch to turn off the EQ on it, and in doing so I loved the sound. Definitely recommend it for the budget-oriented.

Cheers,
Jordan

 

[jaywa]

I used one at a gig last year, very nice sounding head. I think it was a switch to turn off the EQ on it, and in doing so I loved the sound. Definitely recommend it for the budget-oriented.

Yes. The graphic EQ can be switched in and out (the sliders light up when it's engaged), AND the direct out can be selected "Pre" or "Post" EQ. So you can run an un-EQd ("Pre") direct signal to the board (which makes the sound guy happy), but still do whatever you want with the graphic EQ to shape your stage sound. There are amps out there costing a whole lot more money that don't give you this level of "real world", practical flexibility.

Bottom line, this head made me a lot of money over the years. In fact, following this thread has me thinking maybe I need to go looking for another one of my own....

Just based on my experience though I would advise investing a little extra into a travel case for it since I'm pretty sure that had something to do with the recurring issues on mine.

 

[Munjibunga]

Reliable and decent sounding. $240 ain't that bad.

 

[jumbodbassman]

very reliable and sounds very generic. right down the middle. Sounds a lot louder than 350 watts. Needs to be in a case or rack as the knobs are not very strong and stick out enough to ..... I used mine for years with various speakers and found it best with a 2 12" avatar cabinet. still bring it as a backup to my ampegs.

 

[jaywa]

Sounds a lot louder than 350 watts.

Most definitely. Run it thru 8 10s, set both Pre knobs at high noon and it will curl your hair before you get to Master Volume 5.