I did a lot of homework when looking for another amp for smaller venues and I feel right now Hartke was the best and most sensible choice to make. Some of my decision making was based on these kind of reviews from actual customers. Most of them were very pleased with their Hartke purchases. When picking a new amp, price wasn't that much of an issue for me. I could of gotten the larger Hartke model with a 15 inch speaker -but most people seemed to think that it was neccessary to- so I got the 12 inch speaker model and it still sounds great. A little bit lighter to carry too which is nice than the larger model. Fits in the backseat of a car and you don't need a van to move your equipment around which is neat. The 12 inch sidekick amp has plaenty of balls and the titlt back design is something new to me which is a great idea! You'll like this amp a lot.

Sound
Very puchy and clear sound when you want it, and yet by adjusting the tone controls on the amp you can creat the older types of bass sounds such as you might get from an old Fender Bassman amp, or say an old Ampeg amp. You can easily get a wide range of tones. Its amazing how much sound comes from only one 12 inch speaker!

Features
Features are quite good. I wish though that they would have included an extra speaker jack on the rear of the amp for adding another speaker cabinet if you wanted.

Quality
Mine came perfect right out of… read more the factory carton. Solid and built like a rock, yet very light weight, (about 42 lb). No problems here.

Value
Seemed like a good value to me after comparing other brands and prices. There are cheaper amps out there-but you get what you pay for I guess...

Manufacturer Support
I wrote to Hartke about a minor problem with an exsisting speaker cabinet that I perviously bought and got a personal letter from the president of Hartke who dealt with my problem in a very fast and profesional way. The support was great! He couldn't of been nicer and interested in pleasing me as a customer, and then even sent me a Hartke T shirt and free bass strings. I was blown away by their efforts!

The Wow Factor
Looks good to me -basic black. I'm not a real fan of colored vinyl amps that are done in colors like maroon or purple and what not. I want an amp to look like an amp- not like vinyl seats in a 50's Cadilac.

Musical Background:
Active Musician

Musical Style:
Rock, Blues, and Folk player read less