GK or Hartke?

[Al Heeley]

I've posted a few threads over the months about my disappointing Marshall MB4210 & MB115 reliability issues. I've had enough now after 4 separate crossover card failures and they've agreed with the internet retail outlet to take the units back and credit me.
So now I have to spend the equivalent back at SoundsLive which somewhat limts my options according to the range they cover.

I want a separate 300 - 400W head and a 4 x 10 cab.
Within the workable proce range theres the hartke LH500 head (or HA3500 at a pinch) and VK or 410XL cab or the GK 600 head and 410 cab.
I can't really afford much extra cost in moving upmarket on either cab or amp head. Maybe a [i]little[/i] extra.

I would be grateful for comments / feedback on the above in terms of sound, quality, performance, bearing in mind they are both not exactly entry-level gear but low to middle tier.

I'm playing mostly MM bass or Jazz bass in 2 bands - one is a functions covers band, think Stones, Abba, blues, blondie, light funk, the other is a rock/punk band doing pistols, green day, foo fighters, so quite a wide spread of tones & styles needed.

[steve]

Hi Al,

I've had no experience of GK, but i used to use 2 hartke 210XL's, (arranged as a tower, 1 driver wide and 4 high) and they were great - cut thru two load guitards without any problem with IIRC and ampeg svt3pro (I at least i think I had both at the same time) I only changed them because I built my Omni10.5s, which are ridiculously light and loud and sound ace

[Leftbass]

I use the Hartke gear( see avatar) and its been reliable. HA3500 and 2 410s. I'm considering changing one cab to a 1x15 so I might have a used but not abused cab for sale soon. Failing that there is always some Hartke on Ebay. I can't say anything about GK but at the North East Bass Bash I took my rig and did not feel that it was below par against some of the more expensive gear on display.

[dangerboy]

Get second-hand GK gear. It holds its resale value, sounds amazing and is bomb-proof. I've never done a gig with a GK head without being congratulated on my tone by other musicians.

But then I've never found a Hartke I liked. It's a very subjective thing.

[Al Heeley]

I can't make use of second hand gear ! - if i could I'd snap up some of the stuff here like that Ededn Nemesis 4x10cab on offer.
The store will NOT refund me, they have agreed credit only, and only after a hard battle. They state the units are too old now and they are both working fine! Despite the fact they have suffered 4 separate breakdowns in 11 months, I cannot guarantee they will fail again soon, so they are not due for return/replacement according to the store!
Now they have the gall to charge me £40 for the honour of returning them. I am not happy.
However, a compromise is to take the credit and buy what they have in store.
Which really limits me to the GK or Hartke stuff within my budget.
Please don't ask me to buy second hand or ebay! I'd love to but I can't!

Edited December 4, 2009 by Al Heeley

[RussFM]

Out of those two, the Hartke. That GK head is from their budget range, you'd be much better off with one of the RB heads if you were going for GK (which I'd highly recommend!). The LH500 gets good reviews around here, and I've been happy with the 3500 when I've used that in the past.

[LawrenceH]

[quote name='dangerboy' post='674177' date='Dec 4 2009, 01:59 PM']But then I've never found a Hartke I liked. It's a very subjective thing.[/quote]

I was trying some j-basses out the other day and the shop demo amp was a Hartke 4x10 combo. I was looking for the classic jazz growl, all I could hear was the Hartke. Every bass I tried through it sounded exactly the same - absolutely nothing in the mids, and that was with the amp set completely flat, all eq/shape options out. It was a good sound for some stuff, but it was the only sound the amp seemed capable of making and nowhere near what I am after. I ended up switching to a Marshall practice amp and at least I could hear the different characters of the different basses in their mid voicings.

So I'd go GK by default!

EDIT - just noticed the OP is going for separate heads and cabs. In that case I'd probably think about the Hartke LH500 and pairing it up with a more neutral-sounding cab, since those heads seem to have a very good rep here for a clear sound. I suspect it was the drivers that were responsible for most/all of the deficiencies in what I was hearing

Edited December 4, 2009 by LawrenceH

[Moos3h]

The GK Backline 600 is FAB, I'm only selling mine (on ebay) as I couldn't resist the charms of the Bass Terror

[Al Heeley]

[quote name='RussFM' post='674188' date='Dec 4 2009, 02:15 PM']Out of those two, the Hartke. That GK head is from their budget range, you'd be much better off with one of the RB heads if you were going for GK (which I'd highly recommend!). The LH500 gets good reviews around here, and I've been happy with the 3500 when I've used that in the past.[/quote]
Thx, I think the RB heads are out of my price range, I've got about £500 - £550 ceiling. The Hartke LH500 looks a good price for the power but not a great array of controls (that i might not use anyway) Is this the head with the slightly non-intuitive tone control re mid boost/cut?

[Al Heeley]

Any opinions on the hartke VX410 cabs vs the 410XL or the AK410? These models span about £120 price difference

[Moos3h]

All I can say on that score is I recently played through a VX series 4x10 at a Jam night and it was pretty awful. It looked like it had a hard life though, so could just have been knackered

[MacDaddy]

I've used a Hartke 4x10 combo in a rehearsal studio and got a great tone I liked. But at the SE bash I jammed with the drummer through a GK 400RB head (think that was the model - definately a GK though) and for me it was so much better. I like a big fat rock tone and the low mid punch on the GK was exactly how I like it.

There's a lot of love on here for both Hartke and GK, ultimately the only right choice is the ones your ears make.

[nig]

Despite a run in with gk over a burnt out driver, I had an rb 400, loved it, I now use an rb 1001 mk2 with 2 1x12 neos, have 2 mb 150s, an early one and a mk 3, one I use with an swr 1x10 and one with a glockenklang 1x12... I love the flat sound of gk, its true and the nuts, as for hartke, look for 'biscuit' on here he has an endorsement with them, hes nice guy too.

[Al Heeley]

Just to throw another option in - for similar money they have the Ampeg BA300: 2x10 300w combo, a bit less power, a bit less air-moving but worth considering as an alternative to the separate head + 4x10 cab option?