| Author | Message | ||
| bassment
New Username: bassment Post Number: 8 Registered: 3-2003 |
Has anyone had any experiences with your Alembic and Hartke? Is the tone nice? Clarity? I'm considering a Hartke setup, so any input would be great! | ||
| bracheen
Senior Member Username: bracheen Post Number: 706 Registered: 11-2003 |
I'm happy with mine. I don't play out just at home but all is good. I have a HA4000 head with a 2.5XL cabinet. Mine is all solid state but I've heard plenty of the hybrids and they sounded good. There is a photo in the "Bass Rig" thread of my setup. It's not crystal clear like you might get with Eden or Glockenklang but bang for the buck it's not a bad choice. A good sampling would be Jack Bruce. He's using the 7000 with the 4x10XL & 1x15XL cabinets. Sam | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 1525 Registered: 5-2002 |
James; I have a Harke rig that I've been meaning to sell and just haven't gotten around to it. The amp is a 7000 and I have two 410XL's. This was my main rig for several years in blues bands with my Alembic Essence. I also have two Musicman 115 cabs that I used with this rig from time to time. The 7000 has a built in crossover and I would use the 115 cabs to carry the low end in shows where I wanted to put out a lot of sound. The speakers in the 115's are kinda worn and they don't like running full range, but with the crossover they still do fine. If you are interested in this rig, I'll throw the 115's in as a bonus. What makes all this possible is that you are apparantly only a little over 4 hours from me. Email me if you are interested. | ||
| richbass939
Intermediate Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 192 Registered: 11-2004 |
James, 16 years old and you already own a vintage Alembic Series I. Wow!! You are getting a great start in bass playing. Congrats and good luck to you in finding the perfect rig to play it through. Rich | ||
| willie
Member Username: willie Post Number: 58 Registered: 11-2003 |
I had 2 410 XL's and 2 1x15 Xls' 2 405 XL tweeter cabinets and a 7000 amp. Sold em all, (still have 1 of the 405 tweeter cabs in the garage), and replaced all them cabinets with 2 Eden 410 XLT's and have a much better sound now. Instead of the 7000 I use a Alembic F-1x, Alembic SF-2, DBX 160A compressor and Crown PB3 power amps. The Hartke's were OK in the early 80's when there weren't alot of companies making 4X10 cabinets. Now there is a much better selection of cabinets with 4 10's and compression horns. So you may want to look around, but thats just my opinion, but the best thing I did for my sound, (except for having Alembic basses built), was to sell that Hartke stuff. Willie | ||
| slapbass
Junior Username: slapbass Post Number: 13 Registered: 3-2005 |
I agree with Willie. I ran Hartke amps and cabs at first. Then started playing outdoor festivals and the speakers wouldn't hold up. The 7000 was ok just need that tube feeling. Currently running a F-1x, Eden wt 800, Bass Pod xt pro into 2 410 Schroeder cabs for outdoors and 2 Goliath III for indoors. Just my opinion. Dale | ||
| gare
Intermediate Member Username: gare Post Number: 169 Registered: 11-2003 |
James What type of sound are you going for ? And what is your budget ? I'm sure with a little more info that people here on the list can offer many good opinions and options. I've never owned Hartke gear, but in try outs in stores I wasn't hearing the sound I wanted. There are so many options its boggles the mind. Good luck in your tone quest ! Dale..those two Schroeders have got to sound BIG. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 1536 Registered: 5-2002 |
Dale; the 7000 does have a tube preamp. | ||
| bassment
New Username: bassment Post Number: 9 Registered: 3-2003 |
Thanks for the input so far. I'm looking for a punchy sound, in your chest, but its gotta be clear and crisp, I hate muddy bass. I distribute my style kinda like, fingers-55%, slap-35%, tap-10%. The kind of music I play is a mix of funk, blues, and rock. My price range would be no higher than $1300, so thats kind of restricted. I'm pretty picky, so I'm having a hard time. | ||
| kungfusheriff
Advanced Member Username: kungfusheriff Post Number: 289 Registered: 8-2003 |
I understand you don't get many cold snaps in West VA, so my primary issue with Hartke--cones cracking during wild temperature swings--probably doesn't apply. That said, I'd still worry. My recommendations are an '80s SWR SM-400 (~$400) and Mesa/Boogie 210 and 115 cabs (~$300 each), all prices being secondhand on a pretty good day. In my experience, the Mesas are heavy as all Hell, but unless they're abused none of the three components are prone to failure and they sound pretty good together with a good variety of tone. Got a shot of that Series? I looked but you didn't come up. | ||
| slapbass
Junior Username: slapbass Post Number: 14 Registered: 3-2005 |
Gare, Big isn't the word for that pair. I have never had any one say that they couldn't hear the bass on stage. Ya Dave the 7000 has a tube preamp but just did have the clean tube sound of the Eden's tube preamp. Anyway Bassment I only live about 2 hours from you If you want to come to the studio in here in C-ville. Or wait a week or two And I will be visiting my family in Beckley. Let me know. I never leave home without a rig and at least one bass. Dale | ||
| slapbass
Junior Username: slapbass Post Number: 15 Registered: 3-2005 |
Gare, Big isn't the word for that pair. I have never had any one say that they couldn't hear the bass on stage. Ya Dave the 7000 has a tube preamp but just did have the clean tube sound of the Eden's tube preamp. In my opinion. Anyway Bassment I only live about 2 hours from you If you want to come to the studio in here in C-ville. Or wait a week or two And I will be visiting my family in Beckley. Let me know. I never leave home without a rig and at least one bass. Dale | ||
| willie
Member Username: willie Post Number: 59 Registered: 11-2003 |
No cold snaps in W. VA? I visit Braxton County at least 4-5 times a year and I've seen it plenty cold. Played the Kanawah Palloza in 2000 and had to go through a blizzard to get there. James, sounds like you're after a similar sound as me. Crystal clear over the whole audio range and with enough power to knock the place down. Good luck finding it, I know it took me a while to put together a system that could do that, (and alot of $ too). I'll be down in W.VA around Memorial Day, maybe we can get together for an Alembic jam. The drummer from my band Strange Kreek lives down there. Drums,2 basses and no guitars, wow what a concept. Willie | ||
| slapbass
Junior Username: slapbass Post Number: 16 Registered: 3-2005 |
Willie, Maybe we could get together for a Alebifest bass jam around that time in Ol' WV. My guitarist plays an alembic (featured custom April 01) He would might be interested in that. Let me know. Dale | ||
| willie
Member Username: willie Post Number: 60 Registered: 11-2003 |
Dale Sounds good to me. An all Alembic jam, I guesss we won't have to worry about sound quality. Where are you located in W.VA. I'll check the featured custom archive to see your guitar players guitar. Are there any pictures of your bass or rig on this site? Willie | ||
| kungfusheriff
Advanced Member Username: kungfusheriff Post Number: 290 Registered: 8-2003 |
"I visit Braxton County at least 4-5 times a year and I've seen it plenty cold." Well, there goes any pretense of knowledge I may have had (LOL). Carry on.. | ||
| slapbass
Junior Username: slapbass Post Number: 17 Registered: 3-2005 |
Willie, I apologize I live in Charlottesville,VA but my folks live in Beckley, WV. I go and visit every chance I get. I don't have any pictures on the site yet my scanner is down and waiting to get it repaired. I do not own a digital camera I like the warmth of film. I will bring the little Eden Rig (Wt-800, and Bass POD Xt Pro) with a Schroeder cab or two. Bring the SC and the Epic 5 and the Smith 7 string. Dale | ||
| willie
Member Username: willie Post Number: 61 Registered: 11-2003 |
I certainly didn't mean to question or insult your knowledge. I just know from going there that it gets COLD. Dale, let me know when you'll be down that way again and we'll see if we can set something up. I checked out that guitar in the featured custom archive. SWEET. Yeah I visit there as much as possible, have friends and family down there, but I guess not enough to speak for the weather though. | ||
| ajdover
Intermediate Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 183 Registered: 11-2003 |
James, I used to have a total Hartke set up; 7000 head, 4.5 XL, 115XL, and the tweeter array (I'm not sure of the nomenclature - it had 4 5" tweeters, I believe). I didn't have Alembics then, but I used it with my other instruments (primarily my '73 Fender Jazz and my '79 Musicman Stingray). I can't speak to the weather effects on the aluminum cones, but I found it to be fairly versatile and bullet proof. I ran it via the built in crossover and biamped it. Worked great for me, until ... I tried an Ampeg SVTIV Pro and BXT series cabinets. That did it. I sold my Hartke rig, and bought an SVT IV Pro, and BXT410HLF and BXT115HLF cabinets. I found the tone to be superior with the Ampeg, but that's just me. Also, the Ampeg cabinets have an attenuator built in for the tweeter which I find useful in certain situations. Would you go wrong purchasing Hartke? Not from my experience. It's well built and you can achieve many different tones. What I think is more important is adding an SF-2 to your rig. I run mine through my SVT IV Pro and it is just incredible. It does wonders for your tone shaping. Regardless of what amp/cabinet set up you choose, start saving the money for an SF-2. You won't be disappointed. Good luck in your search, Alan | ||
| bigbadbill
Intermediate Member Username: bigbadbill Post Number: 175 Registered: 10-2003 |
I used Hartke for a while before I got my Alembics, and I never had any trouble with it at all, I found it bulletproof. Plus for the money it's hard to beat, even here in the UK. My favourite Alembic tone that I've had was actually through a Hartke 3500 head and Eden 2x12 cabinet, that sounded fabulous. Ironically I didn't like the setup with any Eden head I tried half as much. I also once tried my first Warwick Dolphin through a Hartke HA4000 with 2.5XL (? 2 tens and a 5)and comparing it with various more expensive small rigs (again including Eden; I even tried an Eden Traveller head through the same cab) I greatly preferred it. But it's all down to taste really, it depends what you're going for. I certainly think it's great value, versatile, and reliable in my experience. | ||
| bassman10096
Senior Member Username: bassman10096 Post Number: 714 Registered: 7-2003 |
I liked my Hartke 3500 too. It was an incredible value for the money and produced a creditable tube sound with the hybrid preamp. The only problem with mine was that the fan was LOUD (sounded like a vacuum cleaner). I'd definitely consider another 3500 for a small rig. |
