Anyone with experience of Hartke bass guitars?

[Nosmo]

Seen a 5 string hartke bass I like the look of but can't find any reviews on line.
I guess I should be trying some first but a lack of shops and options locally is limiting me.
I've been playing an old Aria pro II for years and I like it but want to try moving to 5 strings on a tight budget.
Any info or opinions great fully accepted (preferably no abuse about me liking my Aria:-) )

[BigRedX]

Is it one with the Vaccaro aluminium neck?

[Nosmo]

No hadn't seen that one!

[cybertect]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1376093774' post='2169788']Is it one with the Vaccaro aluminium neck?[/quote]

Do Hartke own shares in an aluminium smelting company or something; they seem to want to use it everywhere?

[ChickenKiev]

Wait, Hartke do instruments?

-Googles-

Okay, as much as I love their amps and am a huge fan, a giant thumbs down to the look of their instruments..

They might sound divine, but there's no way you'd have me seen playing one! Yuck!

[ChickenKiev]

http://m.buzzillions.com/x/mobile.dox?modelId=81106

Hideous.

[Dingus]

These were indeed grotesquely ugly basses .

[ChickenKiev]

Makes me a little bit sad that some poor tree has been hacked down only to be made into one of these abominations..

[BigRedX]

[quote name='ChickenKiev' timestamp='1376142120' post='2170173']
[url="http://m.buzzillions.com/x/mobile.dox?modelId=81106"]http://m.buzzillions...x?modelId=81106[/url]

Hideous.
[/quote]

Really?

[IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n249/BigRedX/DSC01837.jpg[/IMG]

I guess it's all a matter of taste.

So what do you like?

[Nosmo]

Didn't like the look of the one in the link. Chickenkiev - have you heard them or was your comment more about how much you dislike the look?
Nothing good so far then only a hatred of the look of them.

[Nosmo]

I'll try to get a PIC up of the one I liked later, tech failure on using my mobile to get the PIC up.

[BigRedX]

The ones with the Vaccaro neck system are quality basses - especially the made in the US XL-4 which is the one in the photo I posted. These have high-quality hardware and electrics and were supposedly individually checked by Larry Hartke himself.

The more conventionally-necked basses are generally inexpensive starter models that were bundled with a low-wattage Hartke practice amp.

Edited August 10, 2013 by BigRedX

[ChickenKiev]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1376145230' post='2170208']


Really?

[IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n249/BigRedX/DSC01837.jpg[/IMG]

I guess it's all a matter of taste.

So what do you like?
[/quote]

Hideous.

Lovely purple colour though. It would look immense on anything but that sorry looking thing..

It has EMG pickups in a PJ configuration. I'm sure it sounds lovely, but that body shape..

To answer your question "What do you like?", I'm a fan of any body shape that doesn't look like it has melted in the sun .

I studied Design Technology for my GCSEs about six years ago. One of my friends built a bass as his project and the body design was terrible..he was feeling pretty uninspired that day, but due to time constraints he was forced to put pen to paper. After about five minutes he came up with something that resembled a giant splodge.

Looked pretty much like that Hartke bass.

Edited August 10, 2013 by ChickenKiev

[BigRedX]

As I said, it's all a question of individual tastes. The body shape is really comfortable and balances well. The only criticism I'd level at it, is that it's a bit bland - it is after all the most "ordinary" bass that own - but I certainly wouldn't call it hideous.

[Dingus]

It's ungainly to me , but as in all things , when it comes to matters of taste you can only please one person so please yourself . What I do know is that New York bass ace Francisco Centino , who played some fantastic basslines on a lot of hit records back in the 1970's and early 1980's such as Bourgie Bourgie by Gladys Knight and the Pips , uses one of these ( it might even be one of the cheaper versions ) as his main bass nowadays , so they can't be that bad as instruments .

[jaydentaku]

There are a lot of basses out there that far uglier. I would say though, the scratch plate looks like it was cut out by a child.

[Nosmo]

pic

[dudewheresmybass]

Looks nice, and functional

[grumble]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1376145230' post='2170208']
Really?



I guess it's all a matter of taste.

So what do you like?
[/quote]

Umm I like this ? Love the colour and the shape is different without being radical. Then again, I'm someone who gasses after Guild B301's and Danelectro Longhorns

[ChickenKiev]

[quote name='Nosmo' timestamp='1376162625' post='2170457']
pic

[/quote]

Much better. Looks like actual effort went into designing the body!

I have a Washburn Taurus with a similar body shape. Curvalicious.

Nice!

Edited August 11, 2013 by ChickenKiev

[TomRichards]

I own both the XL-4 and an XK-5. Both aluminum necks, both killer. The Vaccaro factory was one town over from me. I also own the Vaccaro X-Ray 4 which was the same as the Hartke but with passives and "V" headstock. As stated previously I know Larry well and he has the first 20 that came off the line, one in each color.

The wood necked Hartke basses run the gamut, so you need to know the model. The SB series were cheapo intro models. The NT series were neck thru Korean imports that were surprisingly good. The WK series were in between. It looks like the buzz ad may be a NT, which should be a good working level bass.

[TomRichards]

It is a WK-5.

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='ChickenKiev' timestamp='1376215689' post='2170787']
Much better. Looks like actual effort went into designing the body!

I have a Washburn Taurus with a similar body shape. Curvalicious.

Nice!
[/quote]

Got to disagree here - this one looks like a lot of thought went in to making it look like every other bass out there whereas the purple one looked like someone was having a bit of fun designing something a bit different.

[Nosmo]

Cheers for the inputs. At least knowing the model I might be able to find out a little more about it even if I now can't afford it as the brakes have gone on the wife's car.

I reckon I need to take a trip out to a big shop and try some as I keep finding stuff I like the look of but need yo find out how they play and sound, (when I have some money)!