Hartke 5000

i bought mine new in 1998. it is an extremely versatile amp. easy to get a variety of tones. easy to work with different basses on stage. xlr out is solid with a pre-post switch and ground lift. i use it bi-amp'd for everything except tiny gigs. with a 1x15 sub cabinet and 4x10 top it's as loud (and sounds as good) as an svt 400. i can use the same head (different cabs) for a coffee shop with 20 people.
it doesn't have a headphone jack but i don't use one for anything. it does have an effects send/return which i've only used a few times. it does not have a second channel, which would be useful.

the quality and variety of this amp are what make it worth owning. it has both solid state and tube preamps - you blend how much of each. it has a 10 band graphic eq, plus low and high pass gain/cut. i've played a dozen basses through this over the years and all have sounded sweet! the single-knob compression is adequate for gigging (i do sometimes use an external compressor).
you can get an ampeg edge, a motown thump, a bitey slap, edgeless cool jazz, or just a good old rock and roll roar. dial it up!

i've had this for 10 years. gigged extensively. never had one single issue. it sounds as good today as the day i bought it.

i've never dealt with them.

i've been playing 30 years, have 6 or 7 basses and a 10x15 storeroom full of guitar, bass, and p.a. gear. this is my favorite bass amp! i have both the 5000 and the 7000, so if one were stolen, i'd play the other one.

95 model compressor is simple to use. Very powerful. I never play it over 3. Tube preamp sound very warm, solid state preamp very midrangy.

Transperent sound, a garbage in garbage out situation. If you use a good quality Bass,you get a good quality sound.

never had an issue

have never used them

Use it with Hartke 2.5 XL cabinet mostly, sometimes use biamp and JBL 15" cabinet for lows.Have been playing for 40 years have had lots of amps (Fender, Acoustic, Sunn, Yamaha,Ampeg,Kustom,GK, Peavey) This amp has everything I need, power, clarity,reliability. Sorry they chose to discontinue it. When it craps out, will probably try another Hartke before I buy anything else

As said many times before: Tube and solid state gain controls (mixable), compressor, 10 band graphic equalizer, low and high rotary controls, crossover, balance between the two amps and master volume on the frontpanel.
Four speaker outs, effects loop and unbalanced + XLR direct outs, pre and post switchable on the backpanel.
Poweramp: 2 x 250 watts at 4 ohm
Weight 17 kilo's (aprox 40 lbs) and two units high.
Well tought off, simple and intuitive frontpanel. Easy to use and fool-proof enough for most.

I've been playing bass for about 17 years now. I've used Torque and Crate combo's, then a great Crate BT 350 head (used it for many years) and after the BT 350 I've tried all kinds off 'special combinations'. Like the Amp modeling of my BOSS GT6-B into a Crest 900 watt poweramp, into a single Peavey TXF 410, 4 ohm. And a Berhinger V-bass pro into my Crest, a Groove Tube preamp into my Crest, ...

Bottomline was that I wanted to bi-amp. I bought this awsome Warwick Terminator cab (2 x 15" + 2 x 10"/horn in one cab) that just asked for bi-amping. My 2 x 300 watt Crest amp did the trick in combination with the crossover on the Groove Tube preamp, but there was a whole lack of power. Plus I just couldn't get the mighty growl out of my system that the Crate BT gave me those days.

I knew that the Hartkes were able to provide my sound, so I started looking around an stumbled on this HA 5000 for only 230 Euro (aprox 250$) ! This amp can create the sound I like. Maybe it's not an Ampeg sound, but who cares ? I hate 'the Ampeg sound' !
What's even more; since this thing goes so increadibly loud with only two 250 watt amps, I often wonder why Hartke made the HA 7000 ?

I only have it for a year now, but it doesn't fail me. I alo now a lot of Hartke users and only heard complaints about the transporter and VX series cabinets. My amp is als quite old and has been on the road with the previous owner for years without breaking up.

I' confident !

Concerning reliability: I acidently plugged my two 4 ohm cabs into one poweramp, making it drop to 2 ohms. The amp just didn't give any signal, until I unplugged one speaker. So I'ts fool-proof protected !

Wouldn't know, acually. But since I've got no warranty on it, I would simply have the repairs done by our local tech. I think Samson does a great support job in Europe, but I never had to find out.

At this moment I'm experimenting with cabs to find the ideal combination. The cabs I currently own; Warwick Terminator, Warwick 611 Pro (6 x 10" + horn, 5,4 ohm), Peavey TXF 410 (4 x 10 + horn, 4 ohm) and a Peavey BX 15 Black Widow (4 ohm). I used the amp on the Terminator, then the Peavey 410 for highs and the 15" for lows. Then the 410 + 15" bouth fullrange. Then the Warwick 610 on high (above 80 hz) and the 15" on lows. I 'm still not sure what the correct combination is, but I'm working on it.

Lately I 'm sure I'm going to buy a HA 7000, and use that as the main amp. But I will never sell this HA 5000, I'll keep it as back-up and practice amp. So if it were lost or stolen I 'd get another in an instand !

Bought this amp awhile back. Haven't been disappointed yet. My style of playing are very broad: From Heavy, med, & soft rock, blues, jazz, classical, accoustic, progressive, funk. This bass does it all. I personally find the controls quite versatile. If you play around with the frequency knobs and the tube/solid state knobs enough, you can really tweak your tunes to nearly perfection. The 10 band EQ is quite good & extremely useful - allows nearly unlimited control over your sound. The compression is quite useful too, especially, if you like to do alot of slapp'in and stuff. This feature is usually found in the more expensive amps. I combined this head with a Hartke 4.5xl 4X10 cab and my sound is awsome. I also found that pairing the head with a cheaper cab, your sound is gonna sound different and, of course, cheaper. Most of the stages I play are medium size. This unit is loud enough to shake any houses down. Occasionally, I'd direct-line out to the PA for extra bottoms, etc.

My amp hardly distorts. It takes my fender Jazz bass and Schector Elite bass nicely. Aside from this awsome sounding machine, it tends to be a bit noisy from the fan. But during normal playing, who's gonna hear a fan blowing?

Have not had any problems yet. If you're the abusing type, your instrument is going to take some punishment. If you take care of it, like I do, it'll take care of you. (in my opinion)

have not had any dealings with them yet.

Have been playing guitar for 24 years and actively play'in lead guitar for a hard rock & classic rock band over the last 12 years. Have been actively playing bass in the last 8 years. I would definitely buy another amp if this one is stolen.

I purchased the HA5000 new in '99 and have played it in various rock bands since, as well as lending it out to friends and sharing at venues. I have never experienced any of the problems mentioned in these reviews.
The tonal variety could be better, but it's been great for rock (husker du, pixies, replacements...).

Ibanez and Fender basses - the quality of your bass and cab make the difference. There's nothing wrong with the head. Excellent for large venues, and yes, quiet enough for small.
The compression is useless, as you never need to turn it past .5

Like I said, absolutely no problems in 6 years of ownership, and it certainly hasn't been coddled.

No need.

I'm thinking of selling because I don't play bass as much anymore (switched to drums and guitar, mostly), so I know I can get a cheaper head that will serve my purposes. But this thing it reliable and has great tone, so I'm not anxious to get rid of it.

This amp is basically the same as the HA7000, only a little less powerful. The front and back panels, I believe, have exactly the same knobs, switches, and jacks. It has just about all the features you could ask for with the exception of speakon jacks, which shaves off a point. This amp is very powerful and very versatile though and gives me everything I need.

The sound from this thing is brutal. I know that a lot of bass players don't give Hartke the respect they deserve. But believe me, this amp has a sound that will blow you away. I use two Fender Standard Jazzes thru this amp with a Hartke VX410 and VX115. Although this amp doesn't need much help to sound great, I also have an MXR M80 DI+. Combining the two different preamps, high and low contours, 10 band EQ, and the crossover, I am able to dial in almost anything with this amp. This truly is the most versatile amp I have ever used. Whether you want a new school edgy tone or a smooth, fat, jazzy tone, you'll get it from this amp.

OK...I think this is where Hartke gets a bit of their bad reputation from. I have heard a lot of stories about bad solder joints and wiring problems with a lot of Hartke amps. To be honest, I have only had mine a few months. However, I have yet to experience any issues with it (knock on wood). The thing seems to be pretty well built from the outside. I haven't opened it up to check out the inside simply because I don't play with stuff like that unless I have a good reason to. In addition to my own amp, an old band of mine spent several years practicing at a studio with all Hartke bass rigs. I have never even had any issues with their amps, and we all know how much abuse rehearsal studio equipment can take with all the different hands touching it. I have to give it an 8 only because of the numerous horror stories I have heard. But as far as my own experience goes...I cannot complain.

Haven't had to deal with them yet.

The bottom line with this amp is that you get a lot of versatility and a lot of power for a very low price compared to the equivalent amps from other manufacturers. An Ampeg or SWR head with these features will probably run you close to a grand...almost twice as much!!!! For example, the SWR 550X sells for $999 and the Ampeg SVT-3 goes for about $900. I owned an SWR 350 head before this amp and I have to say, the SWR head didn't impress me any more than the HA5000. For under $600 you get a great, versatile amp that can rattle stuff on the walls. If you need a great amp with a lot of power but can't afford to waste more money on an amp that costs iwce the price than you should definitely check out a Hartke head.

I bought this amp new along with Hartke's XL model 4x10 and 1x15 cabs. I had gone into the shop to buy a trace rig and discovered that they don't seem to exist anymore! I chose the Hartke over similar priced models because it had the most clear and honest sound of the lot (Ampeg, Ashdown, Warwick etc.) In all the venues I have played it has been ample, rarely does it get turned up above 50%.

I've played an Aria Pro II Active SL-series bass for a good few years and it has never sounded as good as it does now! The Amp has done a pretty good job of keeping up with me, going from Jazz orchestra to thrash metal literally in the same weekend! There is a lot you can do with a bit of time and patience with the settings. One drawback is that the compressor is very simple, sounds nice but dual band would have been useful! I did get it up to 7 in the shop before I agreed to buy it, There was no audible distortion whatsoever, and the volume was increased by the sound of every bass in the shop resonating sypathetically!

A review I read mentioned noisy/bad output on the line out, It's great when you connect it to a PA for a bit more power, but for recording it's no good, much better with a couple of condensers in front of the cabs.

I've only had the amp for a few months and no problems to report!

I've never had reason to get in touch with Hartke but their website is clear and well laid out and full of product information.

I have not owned a lot of bass amps, none the size of this before, I have used a lot of amps belonging to people and the Hartke is my favorite, now those people want the favour returned! If it were stolen or lost (god forbid) I would possibly go for the 7000 to cover the possible future.

Only one niggle, all the way through the shop people and information from the Hartke website state that those cabs were the best for the job, however I have since found that they are 8 ohm cabs which obviously means I don't get the full 500W power, not too big of a problem, as I said before I have not had it above 50%

Don't know the year, but the amp was used in good shape from eBay, I had tried a Hartke cabinet and thought it sounded good, so I thought to try an amp for recording. It had a direct out, but on the back, inconvenient as heck in a rack, the tube sounded marginal at best, minimal tone control, in short loud unsophisticated blasts...unimpressed.

I used a series of 1950 Precision Basses and a 1964 Jazz Bass, tolerable, but my Fender Bassman and Ampeg Portaflex still sounded much better...I was looking for a better, more modern sound with a direct out and more tonal variation and control. The sound was not there for me.

Since I only kept it for three weeks, I don't know. I took the thing apart and it looked well-constructed, but I spoke to a former Hartke endorser when I won this in an eBay auction instead of his H&K BassBase 400, he said they were crap and he refused to renew his endorsement contract even though he would get free kit!

No idea

I thought it was a bargain, it wasn't, I tried to sell it on eBay and couldn't get the price I paid, so I sold it for $225, now that may sound like a good bargain to you, but I felt I got the better of the deal...the thing was junk, and I subsequently purchased a Hughes & Kettner BassBase 400, and couldn't be happier at twice the price...the Hartke was louder but useless for my objectives, a lousy recording tool...very noisy direct out...I would have to agree it was really bad.

I won't repeat the feature list. I will say that I like the bi-amp ability and controls, as well as the tube preamp.

I've used a lot of basses with this amp, both fretless and fretted, 4 and 5 string, bolt on and neck through. OK, I admit I have a problem with owning too many basses.
In all cases the tube preamp has provided the best sound. I like clean and transparent, allowing the character of the instrument to shine through.
Bi-amping has also been quite pleasing with this amp plugged into 1-15" and a 2x10" cabinets.
The solid state preamp and the compressor are both a waste of front panel space, in my opinion.
The graphic EQ has been helpful in curing some boomy room acoustics, and I usually end up with a slight frown face.

Poor reliability. This is the only amp that I've owned that has broken for something that was not my fault. I've had to fix broken solder joints in the power supply when one of the 250 watt power amps quit working. This amp was bought used, so the damage _could_ have been there when I bought it. But I doubt it since the amp had worked on two or three gigs before breaking, was racked and never dropped or abused. Hartke has a problem with cold solder joints historicly, so it was no surprise.
The only other problem I've had WAS self inflicted. The pre-amp tube became crackly (Sovtek) and I changed it to an old RCA I had in the drawer. The tube workd fine for a short while, but failed much quicker than expected. The Sovtek 12AX7WB in there now is doing fine and sounds OK. I suspect that Hartke is a bit hard on the preamp tube, but the sound is worth it in my opinion.

Never tried to contact them.

I love the sound and power, and I still use it for the 3 or 4 larger gigs I play a year. But I always bring a backup. Always. It has only crapped out once in the five or six years I've had it, but then that's only 20-25 gigs or so - not a great testament to reliability.

mid 90's hatrke 5000. this is the 2nd hartke amp i've owned. the first was the 3500 mono amp. i've played all types of music in the past-metal, funk, blues, soul, etc. single channel, tube and solid state, not a true channel switching amp, only combination. good compressor, effective lo/hi EQ, good crossover, and distinctive tube sound, but no overdrive. really good power, never biamped it-just ran it mono.

i played a rickenbacker 4003 with emg jazz bass pickups in it for years. now i also play old jazz basses with seymour duncan pickups. this amp is transparent. if your bass sounds like crap, it will come through the speaker as crap. good basses sound good of course as well.

bulletproof service for me. always kept in a rack. changed the tube 2 times, that's it.

playing now for 10 years. just sold this amp and bought a sunn 1200s(1200 watts!). don't be afraid to buy one used. they do last........