Hartke

[SWR_n_EB]

incase any of u are woundering, i am not here to bash Hartke, but i want to ask how u think it holds up to against SWR. are they similar in tone?? price? value? any input would be great. i love SWR...incase u haven't guessed...but i find it hard to get all the money to but thier good heads.I am thinking of the 750x, but it's a lot of money, and i am not about to just go and buy it without looking around. i heard really good thing about Hartke, and not from just here. but i have never played one... i never try it a GC..i never see them.. BUtr i must say...my friend's 2x15 Kustom is sick. totally random i know..but i thought i'd say it.

any help is apprecaited greatly, thnx

 

[Augusto Lopez]

Hartky makes pretty good speakers and cabinets; I've tried the 4X10 XL...something, sorry can't remember the full model's name(the most popular one any way) and though it was pretty bright and it also had a nice bottom end but didn't have the midrange I as looking for. Because I was also looking for something not too heavy(I'm getting old you know) I tried the Transporter, which is the same quadbox but with ligter speakers and made of plywood, I didn't think much of it.
SWR has a warmer tone in general, I personally like it better. Having said that, I saw a bassplayer playing with a funkband here in Melbourne who's sound just blew me away; he was using a Hartke 3500 amp and a Hartke Quadie, (playing a Fender Jazz fretless a la Jaco) I asked the sound guy about the bassplayer's EQ and he told me that he wasn't miked up, I couldn't believe my ears, his sound was cutting through a 7 piece brass section, drums, percussion, guitar, Hammond organ & singer. I guess I'm implying here that your personal dexterity with the instrument has to do a lot with your sound output.
Cheers
Gus

 

[SWR_n_EB]

wow, that's cool! and having heard that...SWR being warmer..i think i may have to stick with it..and the minor lack of midrange also makes me wounder.

The kind of vibe i get of Hartke is that they maybe make an amp more concentrating on jazz, funk, etc. because of the midrange cut.

Thanks for the input btw. but u still don't know until u try it..soo who knows.

 

[Augusto Lopez]

Hi,
Definitely, you have to try and make your own mind. I know also that Hartke has a line call the MX that has papercone speakers and aluminum 5" tweeters, so maybe those ones are abit more throaty and yet keep the brightness of high end. Once again, being Korean made (I think) are not expensive are reazonably good quality after all.
Cheers
Gus

 

[bassmaniac]

Hartke makes good amps and cabinets, but the SWR pro gear has a much better sound.

 

[SWR_n_EB]

i figured that, and incase u can't guess. i am a really big fan of SWR, especially the proseries. i had just heard some really good things about Hartke, and i was curious how it held up against SWR. but i can see it's close, but for a little extra money, u can get a good SWR. for a while i have been planning on getting a 750x or a 550x. i don't need the power of the 750, but i don't think the 550 comes with the overdrive..it only has the subwave... i'd probably get a goliath or a 12-stack.

 

[Augusto Lopez]

I agree, I don't have SRW but use an Eden 2X10 that has got a similar sound(David Eden used to be a SWR cabinet designer in the early eighties) and the bottom end and difinition is one of the best in the market.
A while ago I left a band I was in and had to audition bassplayers, most of them brought SR5's, some SR4's; one of them(with a SR5) used a SWR Henry 8X8 with a GK 800RB head and got a beautifull tone out of it, I though that particular combination of bass, amp & speakers worked well.
Have any of you guys heardJack Bruce live using his Hartke gear?
Bye
Gus

 

[Eric Moesle]

For the umpteenth million time, there's no such person as "David Eden". Its David "BY" Eden, if you look close enough at the badging, being "David" to SWR's "Goliath". Pretty interesting naming going on there.

While The Eden company did originally design the SWR speaker cabs, it was David Nordschow who was the brains behind Eden, the person who keeps being mislabled as "David Eden".

 

[Augusto Lopez]

Ooooooopppppsssss!!!!
Good onya Mr. David Chow chow, they(the speakers) have a mighty sound anyway, and thanks for the info.
Gus

 

[bassmaniac]

For the umpteenth million time, there's no such person as "David Eden".

Sorry to contraduct you, but I've met David Eden at a NAMM show.
Yes, he does exist!

 

[Eric Moesle]

Surely, you are joking . . . its David Nordschow. If you met "David Eden" at a NAMM show, you were either sorely mistaken, or they were playing a name-game with you.

 

[Bo.cox]

i use a hartke 3500 an i agree they are a funk/jazz/soul producing head i have found that if you need to get more midrange trace elliote 15" cabs do the trick nicely. personally i prefere the funk sound produced by 4x10's i use a usa peavey 4x10 an the sound produced mith my MM is masive the note are sharp as a knife

try em out!!

 

[bovinehost]

Certainly there must be at least one person named "David Eden" in the world.

But not the guy from Eden.

Really.

His name is David Nordschow, as mentioned earlier.

 

[bassmaniac]

okay, I am embarrassed that there is no David Eden of Eden, but who was the husky dude whose name badge read David Eden at the NAMM show ???

 

[Augusto Lopez]

I've taken a step forward and send a couple of e-mails, one to the Bassplayer mag and another to Eden Electronics(that has been bought by some other company now); so far no answer but I'll certainly keep you posted
Gus

 

[Eric Moesle]

I'll try and find a picture of David Nordschow to post, but I think its him, he's somewhat husky, hairy face, etc. I'll post a link when I can find the pic.

 

[Augusto Lopez]

Hi guys,
Hereunder is answer from David Nordschow. So now's the matter resolved we can move on.
Gus



Hi,
It is David Nordschow. Most people think its David Eden. Thanks
David Nordschow

 

[robbelle]

Hi,

I use a Hartke 3500 into a 4x12 cabinet. I am generally happy with the sound of the Hartke but sometimes it lacks warmth, life, it can sound a bit sterile. Everything is there, but it just misses a bit of seasoning.

I tried a Ashdown ABM 500 EVO a few weeks back and to my taste this is the amp I want/need/love/will get. It sound incredibly warm, versatile and is equipped with everything you need. Especially the sub-harmonics feature is a plus.

Personally I have no experience with SWR, but I hope it still helps.

Cheers

Rob

 

[RockinRayDuke]

Well, I'm using a Hartke 3500 I've had for years with a Eden 410XLT and/or a SWR Goliath III 210 cab.

Used the SWR cab last night at a jam and it held it's own like a champ, even with 2 loud guitarists. I'm now a huge SWR fan needless to say.

 

[bovinehost]

Yeah, but a 2x10 cab doesn't really work all that well with five string basses, right?

(Just kidding, guys, I was there at this jam and we both played fivers through the rig. It ROCKED!)