customer reviews
17 People rated this product :
7 out of 10
2 People wrote reviews
5 out of 10
"I sure hope that not all Hartke products are like this, looking great, sounding like crap."
Feature:
Nice features that I wished my Ampeg had, like speaker out, and limiter control. I liked the heavy speaker grille, more secure than the Ampeg's cloth.
Quality:
No blemishes. The knobs work smoothly, and the grille looks strong. Everything else felt cheap and iffy. Again, by comparison with the Ampeg, everything, right down to the port in the back, seemed poorly thought out and executed. The metal corners (thin) look like ornaments rather than protection. I've had my Ampeg roll backwards off of a stack and come up dancing. The Hartke feels like the cabinet would split open.
Value:
There's lots better out there, and not too hard to find. Spend the extra $$$. Seriously.
I found this combo to be so irritating that I'd never want to use it. I'd be out shopping for something else within a week. What's the sense in that?
Desirability:
Well, it's gotta last longer than a Fender Rumble. Actually, this Hartke looks very nice - at a distance. When checked out up close, its cheapness would be embarassing. I don't want it.
Glad I got the Ampeg. Very glad. Way sexier.
Sound:
I've wondered for a long time how these little jobs sound outside of a music store.
Finally, I got to play through one side by side with a very similarly spec'd combo in several different rooms. This amp had the misfortune of being A-B'd alongside an Ampeg BA110. In a large gymnasium with lousy acoustics, it sounded acceptable - loud, cutting-through, "responsive". When I switched to a smaller, more focused room, I realized it was about as smooth as barbed wire, no matter how I adjusted the eq. With any technique, it lacked a sense of fundamental; was muddy, and indistinct. By contrast, the Ampeg made every string, every note, every nuance stand out. The Hartke seemed to have a greater dynamic range, but at the expense of smoothness. An irritating sound after 1/2 an hour.
Ease of Use:
Since I couldn't get a satisfying sound from it, I gotta say it's not easy. The controls did what they are supposed to do (although the limiter didn't do much of anything - the input level felt the same whether it was on 3 or on 8). The Ampeg's one-button contour switch turns a tubby sounding thin combo into a whomping floor shaker, again, by comparison. The Hartke's eq couldn't salvage the presence that was lacking.
Support:
Couldn't say. Luckily, I only borrowed this amp to check it out. Judging from my experience with it for a couple of hours, I'd never have to find out about the customer support.
Overall:
If you can get one really cheap, go for it. Otherwise, spend yer extra nickels on something that you'll WANT to play. All these boxes are hyped, including the Ampeg. Trust your ears and run any amp through an honest, objective listen. I learned alot.
Submitted: 5/3/2007
Style of Music: Folk (olde timey fiddle tunes), classic country and blues
10 out of 10
"DONT OVERLOOK OR UNDERESTIMATE THIS AMP!!!"
Feature:
Features...Its has them all! Only amp of its size to have a BALANCED XLR out. I also bought the LA 10 from SWR...good little amp but it couldnt handle the low B, also the SWR doesnt have an XLR OUT. It has a 3 BAND EQ but with the BRIGHT feature it almost seems to have 4bands. The LIMITER is a compression effect and works really well to give punch and to keep the sound really tight. EFFECTS LOOP, works great, and it boasts an RCA STEREO input on front so you can hookup a CD player and play along, or drum machine even. We wvwn used it for practice with a low- end microphone for vocals.....it worked in a pinch! HEADPHONE JACK for stealth practicing. Another feature maybe overlooked.....The SPEAKER OUT is a 1/4 jack and you can unplug the internal speaker and power another cabinet if you like! Most amps of this type are "hard wired" and its unable to fathom the idea, but I powered a 15" and was able to use amp at a high level (8) with no clipping or sappage of power when use of Low B. Also Hartke thought of PORTING OUT the back so if you want to you can Mic the port to catch extra low lows!
Quality:
Hartke are absolutely great quality amps, ive owned one before. Cabinet is built tough, no rattles! Chrome corners. Rubber feet that it stands on when in upright position have super burley washers so I dont see those breaking anytime soon. Steel grill cover to protect that Super Heavy Duty 10" aluminum Driver, which FYI has the burliest magnet on it ie... explains a bit of the 30 lbs of weight. Like a Tank!
Value:
Well worth the price I paid! Best amp of this size and price, maybe bee even better than most 60W 12" driver combos ive played through and looked at. There is alot of amps that run around $200, but grab the extra $20 or $30 from Grandma and get this one!
Desirability:
I thought it was just a practical addition to my collection, being its size and portability. But this amp surprised me I even took it to a small gig over my SWR 210C and it worked! Its kickback monitor style allows me to hear it and gives me decent stage presence and gives flexabilty via the Balanced XLR out.
Sound:
Good sound for such a small amp. It even handles my 5 string. I bought the Behringer BX1200, and this amp kicks its ass. Dont let the 35 watt powerplant fool you. I would have never been able to use all 120W of the Behringer, and who needs the two channels anyway. I was able to get a whole range of tones from this unit! The limiter is great at adding compression, and the 10" driver carrys all notes without use of a horn. Loud enough for a good practice session, also small clubs and venues.
Support:
Dealt with them before with my old amp. Graet service, friendly and quick! But I highly doubt you will need it untill after years and years of use and abuse. The old amp I had was 10 yrs old before i needed to get it worked on. Was only out of comission for 3 days!
Overall:
Keep this one for along time, and really recommend this as a first amp for a beginner because of its features and it will be around with you for along time! Great for studio musicians as well.
Submitted: 12/13/2005
Style of Music: Funk-rock-Reggae...slap and funk meister...thx P-nut!
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