Hypothetical Situation! (Hartke Content)

[Snakeman1066]

Hypothetical situation...

Ok say you band is picked to support a signed act in your local area (as you are well known by the hometown crowd)....after the show and A & R guy from an amp company comes up to you and offers you an endorsement deal...

In this case the New Hartke LH1000 and you choice of HyDrive Cabs (which I have not even seen let alone played through)....he also says since in noticed your using a MXR-M80 I'll throw in a Hartke Attack Pedal as well...

Here is the Rub....you play in two bands and you must play the Hartke rig in both bands...

(Now i use an old Hartke HA3500 Head paired with an HS410MX cab, but the Hartke drivers have been replaced with Delta Bass lites....in the Bar, as i got it cheap and it can live there/ I can leave it there without too much worry...note the bar is also our practice space)

Do you do it? It is Hartke after all! Do i Tell him to take a flying Leap or give the equipment a try?, heck it might even be decent stuff......I mean seriously it is an endorsement after all!

Well? anyone?

 

[JimmyM]

Hell yeah you do it!

 

[Guest043]

idk..hartke can do some real bad things to you bass sound..

 

[thebean]

Do it. Its free stuff.

 

[Count Bassie]

You're going to sign a contract for a period of time? You have to honor the contract, right? You got the deal using this, but they are offering you that. I'd say don't do it unless they'll lend you the gear and you can try it first.

Never make a decision on-the-spot unless you can work out of it in a way that you can get on with.

 

[superkicky]

well.. it's pretty simple, really. you need to answer two questions:

1) do you like hartke stuff?
2) would you buy and use his gear even if you weren't under an endorsement deal?

if you answered yes to both, then go for it. you can always ask to try out the hydrives before signing anything... after all, if it's going to be your tone you should do it right.

 

[Eric Perry]

You're going to sign a contract for a period of time? You have to honor the contract, right? You got the deal using this, but they are offering you that. I'd say don't do it unless they'll lend you the gear and you can try it first.

Never make a decision on-the-spot unless you can work out of it in a way that you can get on with.

Exactly. If they are confident of the gear, they should have no problem letting you test drive it.

 

[Lync]

Do it...Hartke is capable of producing a very nice bass tone that sits right in the mix but still enables you to hear yourself.

 

[smogg]

free bass rig? umm..........YEAH

 

[Count Bassie]

free bass rig? umm..........YEAH

It isn't free. You're essentially getting paid with a bass rig to shill for Hartke! Plus you're committing yourself to be under contract to play through nothing else for a duration of time/tour/whatever. This is the giving up of a freedom (artistic at that) for the price of a bass amp that hopefully is floating your musical boat. If you dig Hartke (I still do, even though I don't have any of their gear right now), and that bass amp in particular, then maybe it's okay. But that's what it is.

Get 'em to let you at least play a gig or two with it... how do they know you wont blow it's ass up?

 

[ljazz]

This is certainly not what I'm saying you should do..... it's all me.....

I really liked the Hartke rig I played with 15 years ago. 3500 head with the 4.5 cab. Sweet sounding rig, that was capable of sitting beautifully in the mix... both with and without PA support. But I had a horrible CS experience with Samson/Hartke when I originally bought the gear.

I would do the endorsement, IF there was a plan for improving the CS to go along with it. I couldn't endorse something or someone if I didn't believe in them 100%.

Ljazz

 

[Count Bassie]

This is certainly not what I'm saying you should do..... it's all me.....

I really liked the Hartke rig I played with 15 years ago. 3500 head with the 4.5 cab. Sweet sounding rig, that was capable of sitting beautifully in the mix... both with and without PA support. But I had a horrible CS experience with Samson/Hartke when I originally bought the gear.

I would do the endorsement, IF there was a plan for improving the CS to go along with it. I couldn't endorse something or someone if I didn't believe in them 100%.

Ljazz

Good point- you'll be an influence on people to buy their gear, and you don't want to leadanyone into a potentially troublesome situation (put yourself in those shoes)! I'd definitely have a relaxed sit-down with this re; they are asking for you to be a poster-boy, of sorts- it's your face!

But you'll have your own set of reasons for doing it.

 

[DWBass]

I'm a Hartke fan and user. I say see if you can have a listen to the rig first. Being a funk and jazz guy who needs a basic clean sound, Hartke works for me. If you are looking for that Ampeg-ish overdriven sound, I don't think Hartke is it. But then again, the LH1000 may do it.

 

[Dennis40]

I'm still knew around TB and my opinion probably doesn't carry much weight ... BUT HELL YA DO IT ... It's not everyday people get a endorsment deal ... try it out for a bit, see if its the goods ... hell, at this point in my life I would endorse Daisy Bass' ...Jk.

 

[Snakeman1066]

Having never been endorsed I think it is kind of flattering....however considering that it is Hartke (and even though i own some of their equipment they seem to have a reputation for being somewhat well no other way to put it than cheap) I have had the entire weekend to consider it...talked to the band, the wife, you guys, my dad.....I have decided to at the very least try out the gear and make a decision based on how they sound..

Dual-chamber, sealed Cabinet
4 x 10-inch 250 watt HyDrive neodymium hybrid cone drivers
1-inch titanium compression driver
Power Handling: 1000 watts @ 8 ohms
Frequency Response: 30 Hz to 17 kHz
Sensitivity: 99 dB @ 1 W/1 m
Voice Coil: 2.5 in.
Parallel Speakon and 1/4 in. inputs
High frequency attenuation switch (On, -6 dB, Off)
Removable casters
Dimensions: 24(H) x 24(W) x 15(D) in.
Weight: 68 lbs

Still unsure about the hybrid speaker cones...half aluminum and half paper...

Here is the head:

2 x 500 watts of power, 1000 watts bridged mono
Classic 12AX7 High Voltage Class-A tube preamp circuit
Bass and Treble Shelving, plus mid-peak EQ controls
Selectable brite switch for added high frequency response
Selectable limiter switch with LED indicator
Balance control blends level of A and B outputs
Front panel XLR balanced direct output
Rear panel 1/4-inch effects loop
1/4-inch plus Speakon output connectors
Two-rackspace metal chassis with steel faceplate and handles

however after researching their products i think i would much rather play through this...

True 2 x 500 watts of power, 1,000 watts bridged mono
Three 12AX7 tubes
10-band graphic EQ
Bass and Treble shelving, plus mid-peak EQ controls
World-famous Hartke Shape Control and Bass Attack Overdrive
Variable compressor
Deep and brite switches
Limiter switch
Front panel tuner output jack
Direct output with level control and select switch to choose input, compressor, EQ or effects
XLR balanced direct output with ground lift switch
Footswitch jacks for optional footswitch to control Overdrive, EQ, effects and mute
1/4-inch and Speakon output connectors
Three-rackspace chassis with milled aluminum faceplate and oversize handles

Sent Them an E-mail and left a phone message we shall see what they say...

 

[DWBass]

Despite what some folks say, Hartke is not cheap. Affordable would be a more appropriate word, IMO. Hope it works out for you!

 

[Snakeman1066]

well.. it's pretty simple, really. you need to answer two questions:

1) do you like hartke stuff?
2) would you buy and use his gear even if you weren't under an endorsement deal?

if you answered yes to both, then go for it. you can always ask to try out the hydrives before signing anything... after all, if it's going to be your tone you should do it right.

Well I have an older HA3500 that i use in the Bar, the tone seems a little generic but i really have no issues with it. The cab i use with this head is essentially a Hartke cab, however their drivers have been replaced with Delta Bass-Lites, so i can't really comment on their cabs. I remember hearing he aluminum cones back in the mid to late eighties and not caring for them much.

Yes I probably would buy their gear if i were just starting out...simply based on their price point....It is hard to get some of the features they offer at the price they ask compared to the competition...but as a seasoned player probably not unless i got a really good deal (like the Ha3500 i picked up for $100.00)

I'm curious as to why the want to push these two particular products on me....could it be that they are simply new products and they just want people to see and hear them? I think it is rather odd that same day music seems to have more info on their products than Hartke's own web site....

And While they don't seem to carry the stigma of Behringer does people do seem to look down their nose at Hartke....can anyone tell me why? Stu Hamm uses them does he not?

 

[Count Bassie]

...I'm curious as to why the want to push these two particular products on me....could it be that they are simply new products and they just want people to see and hear them? ....

And While they don't seem to carry the stigma of Behringer does people do seem to look down their nose at Hartke....can anyone tell me why? Stu Hamm uses them does he not?

I had an old Guild/Hartke 410 cab I used with a Trace Elliot AH200 head with my Rickie 6 or 8 years ago, and it sounded nice for small rooms. It's a solid sound, very clean and it always seemed to sit in a nice sonic pocket. It's not racey, but it's dependable.

Maybe Hartke is doing just what you indicated above, and trying to break into a new 'demographic' of players.

There's no way to make a good decision based on what other people are using though, I don't think. Pros who use certain gear are also doing something else you're not doing perhaps, so your mileage will vary more than likely.

Jack Bruce however uses Hartke gear. There's a guy who is, in some meaningful way, partly responsible for this whole bass player scene we have here, and for the fact that we now get heard. I'd get a loaner rig from this rep/agent and see how it works for you. Might be a very cool deal. ?

 

[*insertcoolname]

Man if I was in this situation there wouldn't even be a thread on talkbass.........DO THAT DEAL. Sure you have to play through a certain amp but you still get a choice of bass which along with how you play will have a larger effect on your tone. Free is free, no matter how you look at it.

 

[Jazzdogg]

well.. it's pretty simple, really. you need to answer two questions:

1) do you like hartke stuff?
2) would you buy and use his gear even if you weren't under an endorsement deal?

if you answered yes to both, then go for it. you can always ask to try out the hydrives before signing anything... after all, if it's going to be your tone you should do it right.

+1 If you answered both with a strong "yes," then review the written agreement in detail - if there are any items that are questionable, ambiguous, etc., have a lawyer look at it and suggest alternative language before you sign anything.