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Hartke vs Ampeg?

jsingles

jsingles

Aug 30, 2007
2,659
34
Lowell/Amesbury Massachusetts
#1
I will be purchasing a new rig pretty soon and I have been leaning towards ampeg SVT cabinets. Today however, I played some Hartke cabs for the first time.. and WOW did the 410 have ALOT moer punch and a better sound than an ampeg 410...

Is this a rarity or are hartkes better sounding cabinets than ampegs. I do not know much about hartke gear... but now I am seriously thinking of going hartke over ampeg. (strictly for the cabs, I am getting a GK 1001 for a head.)
 
#5
The Hartke 410XL and 4.5XL are GREAT cabs. I used them for many years and only stopped because the Epifani UL series came out which offered better weight/size/efficiency/power handling ratios. I still love the sound of them.
 
#6
For starters much of the sound depends on the head that you are using. Ampeg uses paper cone speakers for the svt, this provides a smoother sound than the Harke. The Harke load theirs with a metal cone speaker that will be a bit punchier however, I find to be harsh and abrasive after a while. Also, make sure that they both equipped with the same stuff, if the Harke is loaded with a horn and the Ampeg isn’t that is why it would sound crisper. It all depends on you man, if you can take you head in and hook it up to each cab with the exact same settings and listen to them carefully. Go high, go low check out how each performs; this will give you a direct comparison. The size also can determine the sound, I prefer 10” or 12” speakers, 15” and 18” are a little slow for me. You know what sound that you are looking for; make sure that it is going to fit with the type of music that you play. Good luck
 
#7
+1 for Kyle on pretty much everything. It's what YOU like, not us, but I prefer Ampeg cabs over Hartke. But to be honest, there are many other more efficient and lighter cabs on the market than both of them for around the same price.
 
#8
thanks everyone!

I think the Hartke stuff is more for me... I was told Ampeg was the best and I always just assumed it was... until I inevitably started to realize that it isn't for me just because it is popular (which I think is because its so easy to find ampeg stuff). I like the harsher punchier sound of the aluminum speakers.
 
#10
The 4.5 XL is a very underrated cabinet. Unfortunately it is also very heavy.

I wouldn't exactly call the sound of aluminum cones "harsh and abrasive". They certainly impart a certain sound of their own, but I never found it to be harsh.
 
#12
Kael said:
The 4.5 XL is a very underrated cabinet. Unfortunately it is also very heavy.

I wouldn't exactly call the sound of aluminum cones "harsh and abrasive". They certainly impart a certain sound of their own, but I never found it to be harsh.
Click to expand...

I never really understood the whole "harsh" term in relation with hartkes either. No doubt that hartke cabs can be abrasive if needed...OTOH, i find that they have a very smooth tone..... crisp, defined and even in all frequencies. I think thats what sells alot of hartke users is the clarity. At this point i wouldn't have anything other than hartke.
 
#14
A lot of what sells Hartke is the clarity, most definitely. That and their ability to take punishment. But I'm in the "abrasive" camp, too. Aluminum cones just don't work for me. All speakers can sound abrasive. Go to GC or Sam Ash any day of the week and you can hear it. Not all speakers can sound smooth, and try as I might, I can't get the smoothness I need out of Hartkes.
 
#16
Back in the 90's Hartke cabs were highly desirable and endorsed by a lot of high profile bassists. So it shouldn't be too surprising that some of their cabinets still sound good. I played a 410XL for 10 years and it always sounded great and never let me down. So why did I sell it earlier this year? Weight. It weighed about 90 pounds and the depth of the cabinet made it difficult to fit in some cars.

I'm not familiar with newer Hartke stuff - but I know that their reputation has taken a pretty big hit. I found that out when I tried to sell my cab.....
 

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