Hartke LH1000

[la bam]

Hi all 

Managed to get hold of one of these used this week for certain gigs (overnight stays and the more rougher / lively ones etc) when we get gigging where I dont want to take my full rig.

I wasnt expecting a great deal, just a decent useable sound.

Well, talk about impressed! The reviews I've read kind of implied it was quite bland etc, but it really isnt. It's quite a rich sound.

Using the eq as per manual and discussion it really seems to deliver.

Has anyone gigged with these amps?  How did you find them in the mix etc?

Also, picked up a hydrive 410 for the same type of gigs. There really must be some bad info out there online - I was expecting a massive heavy cab. Some sites suggesting 35kg etc - it's nowhere near that! I'd guess it's around 25-27kg max.

[barkin]

Don't know about the LH1000, but I've used a LH500 for several years now and have no plans to change. It's a fantastic sounding, simple amp.

[dudewheresmybass]

I tried the 1000 at pmt not long after they came out. I was very impressed. Since then, I have an lh500 as my back up/ pub band head. 
always sounds great. 

Edited November 15, 2020 by dudewheresmybass

[Owen]

Old school led sled. The same tone stack as an Alembic pre-amp and loads of headroom. It constantly suprises me that we do not all own one.

[la bam]

I've A/B against my RM500 and the difference is night and day. A real full richness across the frequency. It makes the RM sound thin and fragile.

Bass at 3, mids full on at 6, treble at 0 - pretty much flat, sounds awesome.

Yes, its heavy compared to a class d, but the difference in sound is massive.

I'm really shocked to see you can get these for around £350 new!!

Edited November 16, 2020 by la bam

[Lozz196]

That’s an eye/ear opener, as the RM is a pretty full sounding amp.

[la bam]

22 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

That’s an eye/ear opener, as the RM is a pretty full sounding amp.

Yeh, it really surprised me Lozz. It's a really really nice sound through the hydrive 410 cab. The RM (to be fair at least 10kg lighter) really sounded weak next to it.

I cant comment on how the lh1000 does in a band setting yet though.

[thodrik]

Honestly one of the best sounds I have ever got was using one of these amps through an EBS Proline 8x10. 

I have recommended it to my nephew for a first 'proper' bass amp. 

[paul_5]

I’ve used both the lh500 and lh1000 - sometimes it was mine, other times it was the back line at festivals and I’ve never found them lacking in anything.

The only real difference (apart from an extra 500W) is that the LH1000 can be bridged to run at 4ohms.

[Cuzzie]

 Nah - those people slating this are talking rubbish - it’s way more than decent - great amp the LH1000 and built like a tank, loved mine - congrats

[NancyJohnson]

When I had my Hartke deal, I had three LH1000s.  They went plenty loud enough, but man alive, they all suffered from the old angry hornet syndrome and they had a horrible aroma when they got warm.

 

[Merton]

I had an LH500 for a while probably 10 years ago, it was a superb amp. Simple, effective, loud.

[Mudpup]

Yep - great clean amps and a bargain too

[uk_lefty]

I used to go on a different forum years back where it was de rigeur to refer to Fartke... But the kickback amp I had was utterly superb. The price the LH heads go for second hand is insane too, and now you've said it spanks the RM500 you've set me off on mad ebay search, curse you! 

Am I right in thinking there's some valve involvement in the LH heads, maybe in the pre amp? 

[la bam]

The l1000 (I'm not sure about the 500) has a preamp valve which sounds nice and warm.

The real trick is to read about how the tone stack works properly.

Settings for flat are not (out of 10) bass 5, mid 5, treble 5, but instead bass 3, mid 10, treble 0. That gives a great starting point. I can see how others may have struggled if they used everything at 5,5,5 perhaps even 7,5,7 in a band setting.

I fully expected to rig the rm500 up and it be close enough for me to keep with the l1000 that I would keep the rm500. But it really did sound a lot thinner and drier (understandably).

I suppose it's different amps for different people, but this works for me with the hydrive cab.

[Merton]

The LH500 is identical to the LH1000, the only difference is the 500 has one power amp and the 1000 has two

[King Tut]

I've had a couple of LH500's and moved them on but only because of the weight. Lovely sound, plenty of volume and easy to get a good tone once you understand the pre.

Edited November 20, 2020 by King Tut

[danbowskill]

I Had the 500  a few years  ago. Found it worked great as a platform amp using a preamp into it like vt bass. On its own for me it didn't do much to excite..... I like boosted mids and a little growl.but for the price it's hard to beat.

Edited November 20, 2020 by danbowskill