Hey, so im in the market for a new amp, between the LH500 and LH1000 is there any differences other than wattage. Ive heard that the wattage may be a little exaggerated on these models. My previous amp was a GK 1001rb and im confident that i got a full 700 watts from that beast so i dont want to pick up a Hartke LH series and be disappointed.I do not absolutely need another amp at the moment but i would like to try something different. I hate how marketing produces zombies who only purchase a few brands because they are the "Best".. I want to try something different but reliable and good quality. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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Hartke LH500 VS LH1000
- Thread starter martarmetal
- Start date
700 watts.... way to go. 
I never played the LH1000, but I did test out the LH500. I assume they sound the same.
The LH500 wasn't my cup of tea so I got the GK1001RB-II a couple of years ago... and recently switched to a Hartke HA3500.
The GK was awesome but I found the tone I get out of the Hartke HA3500 a bit better to my liking.
I only need 350W though.
GK RB and Harkte HA are sort of similar... the LH series are in a different ballpark when it comes to tone. However my philosophy is that I can get the sound I want out of any amplifier.
What cabs are you running and what sound are you after?
I never played the LH1000, but I did test out the LH500. I assume they sound the same.
The LH500 wasn't my cup of tea so I got the GK1001RB-II a couple of years ago... and recently switched to a Hartke HA3500.
The GK was awesome but I found the tone I get out of the Hartke HA3500 a bit better to my liking.
I only need 350W though.
GK RB and Harkte HA are sort of similar... the LH series are in a different ballpark when it comes to tone. However my philosophy is that I can get the sound I want out of any amplifier.
What cabs are you running and what sound are you after?
currently i have a 2x12" cab with eminence delta lfa's and i have two 1x15" cabs with the eminence delta series. I would like to get a punchy sound, not too "fat and buttery" and not too "growly"... just defined and punchy.Heres my rig now.
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ALSO!!! I do some recording, how is the direct out on the LH series amps, hopefully it is post-FX loop/post-preamp. Has anyone recorded with one of these amps?
ALSO!!! I do some recording, how is the direct out on the LH series amps, hopefully it is post-FX loop/post-preamp. Has anyone recorded with one of these amps?
Thank you, my two biggest worries are if it sound good recording through the direct out and if the wattage of LH500 is enough for a loud 5 piece rock/metal band at a medium/large venue.
Ok so i just downloaded the users manual, i was pretty sure i was going to be purchasing the LH1000, I will be using two 1x15" cabs for live performances but that doesnt leave me the option to bridge mono because i can not daisy chain my cabs(each cab has only 1 input, 8 ohms each) so i will be running each cab in dual parallel mode at 8 ohms each, producing *2x225 watts* 450 watts total?!?!?! Am I better off getting the LH500 then with 500watts at 4 ohms??
I have played the LH1000 several times in backlines, and it always sounds good. I have owned the LH500 and wish I still had it. Killer amps! Once you get the hang of the EQ they are terrific. I would probably recommend the LH500 for what you are doing.
thank you for the advice. did you feel the the LH500 was sufficient for liver performances or did you like the extra headroom for the LH1000? From what I understand the DI is pre-EQ and FX loop, I plan on recording with this amp often and I dont really have to option to mic the cab, is the DI ok for recording even though it is pre-eq?
I don't gig anymore so I'm not much help guessing if the LH500 would be enough volume for you. I think if it were me I would probably go for the bigger LH1000 to be on the safe side even though I really like the sound of my lh500 and it gets pretty loud. But I would imagine they would sound about the same anyway, just different wattage. Hope that helps you some. Also Hartke is very good about taking care of customers. I've seen him on this site personally taking care of people with any problems they might have. Quite impressive in these days of automated responses, on hold forever, etc. etc.
I've been using lh500 for a almost a year and I must say I love it. I run it yhrough either Trace Elliott 2103h or Fender bassman 215 and it works a treat for me.
I have used it in small and medium venues as well as couple of live gigs and it has never let me down.
I have used it in small and medium venues as well as couple of live gigs and it has never let me down.
thank you for the insight, that makes me feel a little better that it will perform well at some larger venues. I think I might just do a complete overhaul on my current rig and build around the LH500, new cabs and all. I have a good set up now but my rig is a monster to haul anywhere.
The LH500 is loud. I never had a problem getting volume out of mine and that was with an inefficient cabinet(Acme Low B2). The DI is fine. Its not a Radial JDI, but it works well.
I opted for the LH-1000 when facing this choice and never end up turning it up past 5 on the main. Even then, I'm adjusting the volume with the vol pot on my bass. I have a Bag End 112 and an Eden 212 and it gets very loud at that level.
Yes, It's overkill and Yes, it's awesome.
My other thought was that I can always bridge or add cabs to the setup and have lots of headroom.
Yes, It's overkill and Yes, it's awesome.
My other thought was that I can always bridge or add cabs to the setup and have lots of headroom.
