Hartke LH500 - Owners Opinions

[Linus27]

Thinking about either getting a Hartke LH500 as a spare head or to replace my Genz Benz Shuttle 6. Now the Hartke has been out for some time, just wondering what owners think on them.

Are they a real budget entry level head or a great reliable work horse?

Are they loud and powerfull or pretty lame?

Are they really clean and hi-fi sounding or quite dirty and driven?

Opinions really appreciated.

[51m0n]

They are the absolute canine undercarriage at that price.

Very loud (really really bring the beef), push a lot of air with the rigth cabs.

Down sides: -

Well they are old school tech so not ultra light, but not stupid heavy by any means.

Funky tone stack will take some getting used to, its very musical, and just as unintuitive

No speakon connectors

Little bit bright and hissy until you get around the tone stack thing

Remember this is a very very clean tube head, it doesnt growl, parp or grind in any way, its not supposed to, this could be a positive for you though (it is for me).

Nowhere near as cheap as they were

Other than that its a terrfic bass amp. HIghly recommended.

[thisnameistaken]

Couldn't be happier with mine, easy to use, super loud, super cheap, no reliability issues I've been gigging it for a year.

[Daquifsta]

I have the LH1000, which is basically two LH500's in one box. I love it to bits and have never had any reliability issues. Only thing to remember is that flat on the eq section is actually about 2-7-2 (Bass-Mid-Treble), i.e. if you have all the knobs on the same setting, you end up with scooped mids. This also means that there isn't a whole lot of room to boost the mids with this head, if that's your thing.

[gillento]

+1 on all the positive comments above.

... and that's coming from a guy usually playing a Sadowsky SA200 tube amp

[Conan]

I agree with all of the above! Still getting used to mine, but it sounds great "out of the box". It's very hard to get a poor sound out of it. Volume control is a bit odd though - up to about 5/6 it doesn't increase volume all that much, and you start thinking "Uh-oh, this is not going to be loud enough". Then it just goes off the planet when you get past 6!!! Hugely loud, but still clean and warm.

It's not a lightweight, but after an Ampeg SVT200T it is a pleasure to carry about!!

Highly recommended, especially if you can pick one up used for under £200!

[fxpedal.co.uk]

The LH500 is a great head offering exceptional value for money. If you do decide to go for one, we would be more than happy to supply at preferential rates for Basschatters. Feel free to get in touch.

Richard

[krispn]

This was the house bass amp at a gig I played recently. Its a great amp and I recall thinking during the set that the bass sounded pretty good. Bear in mind that it was my only time playing it and someone did have a TE V4 head and I thought it sounded less good than the LH500 but maybe he didn't set it up to my liking. Oh an on the passive tone stack thing - I always try new to me bass amps with the classic Fender passive settings and with everything at noon just to be sure they are not passive stacks.Wise advice for you cats playing with other peoples gear.

[krispn]

This was the house bass amp at a gig I played recently. Its a great amp and I recall thinking during the set that the bass sounded pretty good. Bear in mind that it was my only time playing it and someone did have a TE V4 head and I thought it sounded less good than the LH500 but maybe he didn't set it up to my liking. Oh an on the passive tone stack thing - I always try new to me bass amps with the classic Fender passive settings and with everything at noon just to be sure they are not passive stacks.Wise advice for you cats playing with other peoples gear.

[Raslee]

I've got one that i take out with my party festival band, really like it (although would swap for Ampeg BR2E-hint) - will be using it tonight playing mashed up prog rock & dub in the early hours. Can get good bass out of it for my sound too!!!

[Dood]

I have an LH1000 - brilliantly simple and monsterously loud without break up. It LOVES being driven with my high output active pickups and stays clean and full bodied. I need headroom to make those low notes sound with authority and I'm pleased to say the LH heads deliver! I bridge in to two Hartke Hydrive 410s.

[Stag]

[quote name='dood' post='884122' date='Jul 2 2010, 04:35 PM']I have an LH1000 - brilliantly simple and monsterously loud without break up. It LOVES being driven with my high output active pickups and stays clean and full bodied. I need headroom to make those low notes sound with authority and I'm pleased to say the LH heads deliver! I bridge in to two Hartke Hydrive 410s.[/quote]

hasnt Kev just bought one of these? He could provide some useful insight as well...



[i]EDIT : ah it appears he has done just that! [/i]

Edited July 3, 2010 by Stag

[BassCat]

I have just bought one of these! Gigged with if for the first time last night and it really is the dogs doodaa's!! A very good warm sound (not unlike the Trace Elliott V-Type) and packs a lot of punch when the volume goes up. Even the drummer looked a little scared!!

The only negatives (if any) as mentioned above:

No speakon connections (although I've never used speakon)

They are a bit heavy (although not back-breakingly heavy)

All in all, this is probably the best amp you can get for under £300.

[Conan]

[quote name='BassCat' post='884693' date='Jul 3 2010, 11:43 AM']All in all, this is probably the best amp you can get for under £300.[/quote]

I think you'd have to spend at least twice as much before you started to notice any real improvement, but even then - sound/tone is subjective so if so many of us can get what we strive for from an amp costing so little, why pay more?