non-clean tone with Hartke lh500

[Thijsklaps]

i've been using the Hartke lh500 head for quite Some time now and I really like it!
There is only one flaw, it only does clean tones.... For the band I play in now the hartke is just too clean and clanky sounding. Are there any suggestions to also get Some more bass heavy, gainy sounds out of It? I've been thinking about the sansamp bass di but I haven't tried iT out yet, any other ideas are welcome! Thanks!

 

[jwr]

You'd have to add an od to it. I just bought a Hartke lh1000 because my Mesa Prodigy took a crap and is in repair for a month. The amp ONLY does clean as far as I've seen. So anything with a little grit would suit it.

The Darkglass pedals sound great through it as does Smallsound Bigsound, Okko, Toneczar Opehaus...etc. I bet a Sansamp would sound good as well.

 

[bassmusic17]

I play a Hartke LH1000. It is a very clean amp. It is also super loud. I run a BBE 383 preamp with a Sonic Maximizer and then a plethora of dirt pedals. My tone is very dirty.

 

[Thijsklaps]

I realize now that I might have said it a wrong, I'm not really looking for a 'dirty' sound from a pedal. What I'm going for is a more natural, heavy sound, that sounds like an amp could produce it on its own. Thanks though!

 

[bassmusic17]

I realize now that I might have said it a wrong, I'm not really looking for a 'dirty' sound from a pedal. What I'm going for is a more natural, heavy sound, that sounds like an amp could produce it on its own. Thanks though!

Then get a new amp. My LH1000 won't get heavy without some help.

 

[Grissle]

I realize now that I might have said it a wrong, I'm not really looking for a 'dirty' sound from a pedal. What I'm going for is a more natural, heavy sound, that sounds like an amp could produce it on its own. Thanks though!

Pedals for bass have evolved to an astounding level in recent years. They can get you very, very close to natural all tube/valve overdrive.

Your amp was not designed to do what your asking on its own. So you will either need a new amp or use pedal, up to you.

 

[LSMFT6]

As far as the Bass Driver DI goes, a lot of its tone would be considered pretty scooped and clacky, so it may not be the best choice if that's what you're trying to avoid.

 

[BazzTard]

Dude, you have a clean loud amp.

That's why they have effects.

Add an OD or Fuzz or Tube emulator pedal. it's better than having a dirty amp and wanting a clean sound

 

[skulletwhip]

Solidgold Beta

 

[Hank Scorpio]

I had an LH500 and found that I got a good, warm mild OD sound with it using a VT Bass, and with a B3K with careful EQing. The VT was closest to what you've described, but you would be best off trying a few

What was that site that rents pedals for a monthly fee? May be the way to go.

 

[crapusername]

I get great results with cm2, ts9b, b3k, and vmt through my lh500

 

[Jazz Ad]

As said you need to use a pedal or another preamp. The Hartke's contract is clear, it makes you loud and clear for cheap. Not many sculpting tools.

 

[20db pad]

I'm a longtime LH user - all it can really do is loud and clean. It took some knob-twiddling but I've had good results using a Darkglass VMT to add some grit when needed.

 

[DieterVDW]

I also cannot understand why this is a problem.
You've got an amp that stays clean perfectly, and a virtually unlimited choice of OD units to put in front if you want some grit.
Most people would consider that a plus.

Why is it so important for you the OD happens in the amp?

 

[FunkHead]

I love the Darkglass B3k with my LH1000. Plenty of warm tones and as much grit as you want to add.

 

[ArtechnikA]

I have heard the LH500's can get a little wooly if you push the volume past 2 o'clock. You may need to be pushing an 8-Ohm cabinet if you want to be in the same room when this occurs. You can also try kicking in the Limiter because that's frequently reported to be a bit of a power-soak as well.

As I have an LH1000 and a 4-Ohm cabinet, there's no way I'll be running the volume up to 2 o'clock unless I'm playing a venue with 'Stadium' in its name (unlikely...).

Hartke was actually #4 on my original list when I went researching for amp shopping originally. Heard a lot of good stuff about the Aguilar Tone Hammers. Most reviews concluded the built-in tone is great if you love it, but it's there to stay. So too with the GK's (actually, a GK Fusion 500 is still on my list as a small-venue and backup amp). The MarkBass had the reputation for clean & clear but were having some reliability and parts availability issues at the time. (I hadn't heard of Glockenklang at the time but they'd be on my list today...)

But the point is - you can "dirty-up" clean, and you can do it -exactly- how you want for the tone in your head and the project at the time. You just can't clean up a baked-in tone if you don't like it. I kinda envy the Ampeg and Tone Hammer guys because it's a one-stop shop -if you love that tone-. But I need that crystal-clear tone -and- some vintage tubey when I want it.

For the 'warming, tubey, vintage, OD' vibe, I'm partial to the Darkglass stuff; I have a B7K that can get me that 'Vintage Cream' Jack Bruce tone and I expect I'll add a Vintage Microtubes Deluxe as a further refinement on that Marshall classic rock sound (VMTD not yet available when I bought my B7K...).

The LH's offer a great value in tons of loud, clean headroom in a rugged rackmountable package. I think of it as an integrated pre- and power amp, ready to go. At a remarkable value price point. If I want the ToneHammer tone, I can just go buy a ToneHammer pedal and be 90% there (the drive circuit is a little different). Or one of the DarkGlass offerings. All of these options are true preamps and _can_ completely replace the LH pre section if you want, or in case of something like tube failure (rare, but it happens).

Start with a clean slate and add the dirt you want, when you want. You're still $$$ ahead...

 

[Thijsklaps]

I understand that I need a pedal to get what I need. Thanks though for clearing everything up! I'm now looking for that one pedal to give me that push. Most likely a mild overdrive.
I will look into all the suggestions given!

 

[Bassmike62]

I used 5500 head + 215 cab for a few years and my pbddi' dirt setting always sounded great with it

 

[KablesP]

I understand that I need a pedal to get what I need. Thanks though for clearing everything up! I'm now looking for that one pedal to give me that push. Most likely a mild overdrive.
I will look into all the suggestions given!

I get great barely overdriving bass tones using a Barber Direct Drive through a Boss LS-2 Loop to be able to blend in some clean tone. I would definitely look into a blender as well as an overdrive. The pedal on its own will usually accentuate the highs making it feel like there is low end loss (even if there isn't but most times there are) and with the blend you can have literally any amount of dirt.

 

[ArtechnikA]

The built-in Blend is a key element of the DarkGlass elegance.