Hartke Model 4.5XL Bass Cabinet (400 Watts, 4x10 in.)

Quality:
"Made in China" construction. Beware of loose speaker screws. Hartke uses metal screws instead of wood screws to secure it's speakers for unknown reasons, I assume they got a discount on metal screws. You will need to check all speaker screws!!!

Desirability:
Aluminum drivers look great on a dark stage. It speaks rock-n-roll!!!

Sound:
I have used Hartke cabinets for over 10 years. Excellent clarity on stage! Very directional sound, unlike other cabinets which tend to sound fuzzy on stage. The 4.5XL covers all frequencies: bottom, mids, and highs!!!!

Ease of Use:
The new style side handles are easier on the hands while loading/unloading. I screwed on 4 caster wheels on the bottom for easy transportation.

Support:
Hartke support does in fact respond to customers. But they could NOT defend their cheap metal screws that support their speakers!

Overall:
Overall great clarity on stage. Just beware of loose speaker screws!

Feature:
Hartke aluminum cone woofers... Don't be fooled by the Behringer aluminum cones. I know people that have owned those. The Behringer sounds good when you first get it, but the cones are no good, and blow very quickly from regular use. Save your money for ANYTHING Hartke before you buy the imitator... The Transporter line by Hartke is a great way to have a great rig without spending a lot of money if you can't afford this cab. The reason that I give this cab an "7" is because I wish that it handled more power.

Quality:
I was very satisfied with my 4.5 when I had it. The thing is built like a tank, and the woofers are a good quality.

Value:
This cab is an excellent value because you get a pro-grade cab at a middle-grade price. Whether you get one of these, or stack two of them and bi-amp, you get great tone time and time again. If you bi-amp, I would recommend pairing this with either the 115XL or 215XL. I had the 215B XL (discontinued now), and ran full range through both cabs. That... ...was... ...AWESOME!!! If I played this cab without knowing the price, and assuming that I had never played Hartke before, I would probably pay more than the price that zZounds is selling it for.

Desirability:
I want to get this cab again, but I will probably go with something smaller due to the transportation that is available to me. I've played through the 2.5, and it is a really good cab too! Again, I wish it handled more power... As far as I can see, that is the ONLY downside to Hartke aluminum cones. However, for the wattage they hold, they are LOUD!! The cabs are designed to project the sound well, and the speakers have a high output. I'll either get the 2.5 or the 410XL when it is time to buy a new live rig again.

Sound:
I rarely rate products as "10," because there is always room for improvement, as with all things in life. With that said, this is a STRONG "9." This no longer own this cab (there wasn't an option for "I used to own it"), and only sold it because I needed to take a break from music to reevaluate my life and circumstances. This thing is the real deal. LOADS of low end, punchy mids, slicing highs... Very versitile cabinet that works well with many styles of music. I especially liked playing slap through this cab! Cab itself doesn't seem to add too much color to your tone; the only coloration that I experienced was a little bit of added brightness from the aluminum cones. For me, this was a good thing -- it allowed my tone to cut through the live mix better at gigs and rehearsals. If your guitarist has a stack that everyone knows is turned up too loud, but no one really says anything about it, push about 400 watts through this... That will shut him up. :) This cab is great for recording too. The attack that Hartke is designed for hits hard without being harsh. The punchiness of the mids come through well in recordings without being honky or muddy, allowing your tone to showcase within the mix, but without standing out too much. The word: CLARITY!! NOTE: These woofers hit differently from paper cones, so play it yourself to see if you like the response.

Ease of Use:
Plug in the speaker wire from the head and play. It can't get much simpler than that!

Support:
I never had need to contact Hartke for support, but I know a guy that owned the 410XL, and he needed a replacement woofer. He had no problems.

Overall:
Overall, I like this cab a lot!! Solid construction, deep lows, crisp highs, punchy mids. This is what a bass cab is supposed to be, right?!?! ALWAYS PLAY IT BEFORE YOU BUY IT!! You may find that its not for you, or you may fall in love with it. I was skeptical years ago when I bought mine, but after playing it, went with this over Eden because of the better price and clear, defined tone, and volume output of this cab as compared to wattage. To each their own. Bearing in mind that I'm a studio guy, and clarity in tone and attack are paramount from my perspective in recording bass lines, this cab delivers the goods, and I have not been in a recording environment where the engineer did not love miking Hartke cabs. So, for what its worth to you... ...there it is. There are no mistakes in the universe.