Hartke: Why Do Musicians Use It?

[Indiana Mike]

Just put this together.

Sounds great. Still tweaking. No overdrive is gonna happen without effects. That’s ok , not what I’m going for. We play a lot of stuff that needs to be “clean”. Yes , it will get loud.

Rack bag inbound to protect the head/knobs and to help schlep the 20+pounds for the head.
The cabs are light and easily carried.

I will see in a couple weeks how it performs in a live setting.

 

[tshapiro]

Just put this together, less than a thousand dollars.

Sounds great. Still tweaking. No overdrive is gonna happen without effects. That’s ok , not what I’m going for. We play a lot of stuff that needs to be “clean”. Yes , it will get loud.

Rack bag inbound to protect the head/knobs and to help schlep the 20+pounds for the head.
The cabs are light and easily carried.

I will see in a couple weeks how it performs in a live setting. View attachment 4593857

Nice rig!

 

[Robf]

Just put this together, less than a thousand dollars.

Sounds great. Still tweaking. No overdrive is gonna happen without effects. That’s ok , not what I’m going for. We play a lot of stuff that needs to be “clean”. Yes , it will get loud.

Rack bag inbound to protect the head/knobs and to help schlep the 20+pounds for the head.
The cabs are light and easily carried.

I will see in a couple weeks how it performs in a live setting. View attachment 4593857

Nice rig! I have been thinking of a similar stack and not much of an amp snob so I'm looking for the best value of the dollar. Looking forward to hearing about your experience with it.

 

[Aussie Player]

If there is anything inferior with Hartke products, I never experienced it.
Still use a couple of Hartke's today and they are utterly reliable and articulate the E string in a way that even Jack Bruce approved.

 

[Old Blastard]

I'm lucky to have two awesome combos that I gig in two different bands. I use a Hartke Hydrive 112c combo in the original rock trio and a Genz-Benz Contour 500 in the Americana/60s rock trio. Sneak the Rumble 40 in there on occasion for small venues and running through the FOH. They all sound very different tone wise, but they fit the sound of the bands. It's interesting to hear how the same bass sounds through different amps.

 

[Smokey P]

Just put this together.

Sounds great. Still tweaking. No overdrive is gonna happen without effects. That’s ok , not what I’m going for. We play a lot of stuff that needs to be “clean”. Yes , it will get loud.

Rack bag inbound to protect the head/knobs and to help schlep the 20+pounds for the head.
The cabs are light and easily carried.

I will see in a couple weeks how it performs in a live setting. View attachment 4593857

For me this post really answers, or atleast gives my answer, to the question from the OP. Even though I am selling my hartke gear soon cause I have some more dough, I played it cause you can get a full on, modern, professional rig that will serve a bassist perfectly fine in nearly any situation for under $1000. Lots of folks on here will pay that much for just one cab, which is fine, you do get what you pay for. But if you need something reliable, budget friendly, with a clean sound that most any band would be happy with, hartke is really the only answer.

 

[Aussie Player]

I'm lucky to have two awesome combos that I gig in two different bands. I use a Hartke Hydrive 112c combo in the original rock trio and a Genz-Benz Contour 500 in the Americana/60s rock trio. Sneak the Rumble 40 in there on occasion for small venues and running through the FOH. They all sound very different tone wise, but they fit the sound of the bands. It's interesting to hear how the same bass sounds through different amps.

I've also got a Hartke KB15 and it sounds great, but is not 500 watts RMS in a pink fit. Must be a Peak Music power number, but you can turn it to 5 and it stays clear and keeps up with drums but if you go to 6, it starts to break down which isn't bad, because most bass players enjoy a touch of breakdown or distortion now and then anyway. It doesn't really sound like distortion, its more like a growl that you never got from any other amp. I like it.

 

[Phlipper]

I love my little KB 12. It has the typical (as I understand it) Hartke clean punch. I play with a typical classic rock cover band that isn't exactly quiet. And I have been surprised that in the practice room it keeps up without mic'ing or DI'ing and I've never heard it farting out. I would, of course run to the PA on a gig. But for small spaces and as a stage monitor it is almost perfect. I read somewhere it's only 250 watts RMS, but it really does put out when pushed and stays clean. At least up to 5 on volume. Haven't needed to go past that.

I can't imagine anything better for $499. So why not Hartke?

 

[Old Blastard]

I love my little KB 12. It has the typical (as I understand it) Hartke clean punch. I play with a typical classic rock cover band that isn't exactly quiet. And I have been surprised that in the practice room it keeps up without mic'ing or DI'ing and I've never heard it farting out. I would, of course run to the PA on a gig. But for small spaces and as a stage monitor it is almost perfect. I read somewhere it's only 250 watts RMS, but it really does put out when pushed and stays clean. At least up to 5 on volume. Haven't needed to go past that.

I can't imagine anything better for $499. So why not Hartke?

I think mt 112c is the predecessor to the Kickback and it puts out 250. When plY a larger venue it
Goes for the to the house and is plenty loud for a stage monitor. I've enjoyed it.

 

[Old Blastard]

I've also got a Hartke KB15 and it sounds great, but is not 500 watts RMS in a pink fit. Must be a Peak Music power number, but you can turn it to 5 and it stays clear and keeps up with drums but if you go to 6, it starts to break down which isn't bad, because most bass players enjoy a touch of breakdown or distortion now and then anyway. It doesn't really sound like distortion, its more like a growl that you never got from any other amp. I like it.

My G-B is a 500 watter only with an extension cab. Otherwise it's 350. The Hartke says 250 and I find it plenty loud for most of what we do. It does have a clean sound and growls the harder you push it as opposed to a Rumble or the G-B which brings then low end, but it is perfect for that band.

 

[Phlipper]

I have actually thought about cutting the head off my KB12 to run it with a pair of Hydrive 1x12s or single 4 ohm Avatar 2x10. But the little angled 12 just sounds so good I can't bring myself to do it. Will most likely invest in a TX600 and a pair of Hydrive at some point if I start gigging regularly again.

 

[Aussie Player]

I like the Hartke KB15 enough to consider getting another one and run them as a pair.
That would handle any sized job without compromising on tone and punch.

 

[Greywoulf]

Started out decades ago with a now obsolete Hartke Kickback 50w 1x12 combo and I loved it's sound plus the convenience of it! Don't use Hartke gear now tho but that's because of me, not them... I need lightweight heads and cabs now (like TC Bam200 head and TC 2x8 plus Elf 1x10 cabs) and all of Hartke's stuff appears to be a bit on the heavier side... -But I'll always be fond of and grateful for that original Kickback 50!

 

[Obese Chess]

They sound good, they're affordable, the customer service is great, and they're practically bomb-proof.

Just bought another Hartke rig, LX5500 with a used Hydrive 112, going to add another cabinet when I find one. Whole setup cost me less than $500 and after A/B'ing it with a bunch of other amps, the only setup I liked more was a Bergantino Forte through an NXV212, which is between 4-6 times more expensive.

 

[GreaserMatt]

I've owned many of their heads & cabs over the years with no issues. I like the aluminum cones fwiw...

 

[Drummerboy2]

Hartke cabs work great for all my needs.

 

[yonkrz]

They may be cheaper and cheaper built than many other cabinets, but I bought a 410xl v2 when they first got reissued with the tolex, I ended up selling it and going thru 7 or 8 other higher end cabs over the last year and a half or so. Long story short I will be receiving my new ( 2 nd) 410xl v2 tomorrow. Out of all the cabs I’ve owned over the last 4-5 years I think for the money spent this is the best dang sounding out of them all, granted I only play at home anymore as a hobby and it may be heavy and not as loud as some of the others but i just had to have another.

 

[Drummerboy2]

They may be cheaper and cheaper built than many other cabinets, but I bought a 410xl v2 when they first got reissued with the tolex, I ended up selling it and going thru 7 or 8 other higher end cabs over the last year and a half or so. Long story short I will be receiving my new ( 2 nd) 410xl v2 tomorrow. Out of all the cabs I’ve owned over the last 4-5 years I think for the money spent this is the best dang sounding out of them all, granted I only play at home anymore as a hobby and it may be heavy and not as loud as some of the others but i just had to have another.

I'm very curious what other cabs you tried after the Hartke cab.

 

[yonkrz]

Hello, first off I’m in no way trying to start any kind of argument whatsoever,Period.I have been a hobby player only for 40 + years have had many basses, amps and cabinets.

I have had numerous Aguilar cabs both DB and SL series which sound absolutely awesome, also a few Eden cabinets, a few Ampegs a Reeves 115 and also a couple of the Newer hydrive cabinets.

They ALL sound great in their own way, I guess all I’m saying being the gearslut that I am with buying,selling and trading over the years, for the money spent the xl series with full Aluminum speakers just sounds great to me. Could be the bass, the amp or the room but after playing all the cabinets I’ve had I just think it sounds awesome.
I have come to like a tweeter in my cabinets but something about the all Aluminum im guessing a horn just isn’t needed. I could go on and on and like I stated above every one of those other cabinets sounded absolutely great in their own way, I just was at the point of switching up again and remember how good they sound, and they have been around for a damn long time I’m guessing for that reason.
And in the end I’m not saying anyone particular one is better than the other, to me it’s 100% personal preference.

 

[StringslamDan]

I love GK. You could think of it as a wife or husband. You just get married and love them for who they are, faults and all. I could leave GK for Hartke. It might give me a new tone for a while. But in the end I love GK. Something's never change.