Hartke 5500 Head

The amplifier has aceptable features for its range. I'm not going to list them here as it is in the product literature. A nice feature is the solid state and tube pre-amp. The EQ is good and well designed to provide sufficient control for most occasions. The biggest limitation is the lack of speakon speaker output that should be standard for an amplifier of this rating. It is also irritating that no speaker lead is inlcuded for the amplifier or the cab from Hartke. HoweverI guess for the price these limitations are not critical. The fan is not too noisy (when working properly see later comments...)and runs continuously

Dissapointing valve pre-amp. I have fond over time I have dialed this out despite being drawn towards a valve sound by nature and style. It has a muddy low-fi quality that stamps of any dynamics and does not break up in a pleasing way when driven. Having said that the amplifier is very loud and delivers its rating. With a good quality bass it provides a bright but warm tone and through the Hartke alluminium coned cabinet a pleasing top end which adds good definition. I have noticed a mid scooped bright tendency but I think this is the cab. I tried it through an Ashdown 4x10 and did not notice it.
This unit is a good all rounder it is adequate for blues or Motown but would not be a first choice for these styles. Very good for slap and 80s/Pop or any other music which needs a clear defined sound.

Like the other reviewer the fan is making a nasty intermittent buzzing. I think its probably the bearing and started after about 2 hours use. I intend to return it for a replacement or based on the other reviewers comments, fix it myself if a replacement is not forthcoming(screw the warrantee).
Currently I would not like to rely on this amp and would need to carry a spare, not really what I hoped for.
In general the build quality seems quite good and I would be prepared to accept that the fan might might be from a batch of duff components. The test at this point will be the vendors attitude towards a replacement as it is very new.

So far the shop has been helpful and sympathetic towards a return and replacement. I will see what transpires. The ease with which this is sorted out would determine if I would purchase Hartke in the future.

I have been playing semi professionally for 20 years primarily as a keyboard player. I switched to bass through 'boredom with keyboards' about 2 years ago. I own a USA J bass, Mexi P bass and a 4 string Warwick Streamer $$. I play the J bass mostly through a Sadowsky pre amp DI

If this amp were stolen I would probably not replace it and would get a seperate pre amp unit (possibly the BBE T-Max)as I have an abundance of power amps witch do not have noisy fans.

The ease with which the fan problem is sorted out would determine if I would purchase any Hartke equipment in the future.

I compared this unit to the Ashdown range (Evo 2), the Phil Jones range and the Ampeg SVT and Classic. I thought this was the best value the Ashdown sounded like itself irrespecive of what was played into it, the Ampeg Classic sounded wonderful but as expensive and heavy the SVT non-valve was overpriced and ordinary, the Phil Jones suitcase was not loud enough even with the extension cab but did sound very nice but was also justifiably expensive.

Made in 2005 - I thought I was crazy about it at first - some nice power but the fan is very noisy and there's been a hum with it that nobody could fix

I have several basses - right now I'm using a custom made CB bass with active pickups - sound is pretty decent from the amp - just tha tloud humming - which has nothing to do with the ground - Hartke checked it out under warranty and I was told it come swith the territory

I've used it for 3 years without a back-up - blew one of the aluminum speakers once and I wasn't playing loud - it was an outside gig and the repairman told me that it just overdrove outside. Speaker was replaced for free under warranty

They tried to be helpful but nobody ever resolved the fan/humming issue.

I've been playing for 30 years - I have an old Acoustic Amp with a 15" Reflex speaker.
I wwould but Hartke again but if I won a free giveaway I'd use it.

Don't know when it was made, but since it's a pretty new model, it must be 2003-2006 or so. I run it through Hartke 810XL cabinet. The amp is very versatile,I appreciate that very much, since my bass isn't so versatile. I play jazz, funk, metal, rock, and use fingerstyle and slapping, and I can set it to sound good for anything. It has 1 channel, effects loop, if I'm not mistaken and a wide variety of controls - pre-amp knobs(tube and solid state, the tube pre amp is pretty crappy though), compressor knob(which also is more or less useless, when you turn it past quarter on the dial), a 10-band graphic EQ, master volume of course and high and low knobs. I only miss a mids control. The amp is 500W at 4Ohms. Has a handle on the side, too.

It sounds nice and very versatile, I use it with a pretty crappy sounding bass(due to financial problems), and it makes tht piece of crap sound good, I can get a good sound using slap and fingerstyle. The amp goes from low and smooth to trebly and punchy. I love the lows - they're right on the money for me. Hartke isn't no world wonder, but it gets it's job done. The only thing is, that sometimes the really sharp highs don't mix, but there is nothing you can do about it without messing up your sound otherwise, so you got what you got. Some say the "Hartke highs" suck, but I kind of like 'em.

Well, the fan has started making wierd noises and it had a problem, which was, that the amp sort of died, and when you hit the strings really hard, it came back to life, like nothing ever happened. haven't had this problem for a while now so don't know what happened. After that thing, I haven't gigged with it anymore.
The looks of the amp is like brand new. I've had it for a year and it got a lot of transport and play.It has been in outoor gigs, indoor gigs, a lot of people have played with it, it has been played a lot a lot, alot, Overall, pretty sturdy.

Wouldn't know. I'd proabably get it fixed by a guy I know or in a local store anyway.

I've been playing... can't even say, when I started. proabably 4-5 years? I'm a bass teacher and play in my band and run a rehersal studio, it serves there, too. If it was stolen or ran over with a truck or something, I'd proabably get something else, just to try something, but whenever I meet a Hartke, it will be a pleasant encounter. Oh, and it's not too expensive, too!

This is a brand new amp straight from the store. It was manufactured in 2006. For the list of features visit the manufacturers website, there's no reason to waste valuable space on this site. I think it'd be enough if I said that the only thing this amp lacks in features is Speakon jack connectors and a mid knob in the contour section. Besides that it has just enough goodies inside to satisfy an average pro bass player who doesn???t have this few extra bucks to afford an Ampeg .

I???m playing a five string Ibanez BTB405QM and a four string Cort Curbow, both with Bartolini soap bar pickups. I play the amp through two custom made cabs, a 1000W 4x10??? or a 500W 1x15???. Occasionally I pair them up if there???s a need (outdoor venues or a large club w/o decent PA).

I play generally blues, sometimes a bit rocking. I also took part at few metal-core projects. I must admit that as it goes for blues, the amp is just perfect. For rock situations it???s still a good amp, not as good as Ampeg, but still very good.

Some argue that the tube preamp is a joke, but I think that for the price for this amp it???s a crime to require something better. On several occasions I was given to play some other hybrid amps. Compared to SWR x750 Hartke is more the less on the same level, but it???s at least twice cheaper. I also played Eden WT800, and yes, I must admit it sound better, but it???s at least three times more expensive. Same goes for Ampeg SVT-4PRO.

Although the fan is quite noisy, the DI output is crystal clear, without any artifacts. No buzzing, no hiss. It???s silence or the music ??? it???s all you will get from this amp. Unless of course you have a noisy guitar, which seems to be a quite popular problem of most people publishing their amp reviews on this site.

As I???m not a fan of fine-tuning I generally don???t even touch the graphic EQ. I can get the sound I like just by blending signal from both preamps and using contour controls. Only sometimes I have to make some minor corrections if the room I???m playing in has strange acoustics.

The compressor isn???t much of use due it???s simplicity. One knob? Oh, c???mon!!! If you want a compressor, then buy a separate one. The one Hartke uses is good only for speaker protection at high output levels. Turning it any further then 10 o???clock makes the rig sound like the cab was obscured by a wall.

The distortion starts at about 3 o???clock on master and both preamps knobs, but honestly I just can???t imagine a situation when 12 o???clock isn???t enough if not even too much. It???s 500W, baby !!!

I have this amp for less than a month, so it???s hard for me to write about reliability. It works. That???s all I need to know.

Read above.

I???ve been playing bass for over 6 years. Before I bought this amp I owned a Peavey Mark VI 400W. I decided to change my amp due to the lack of DI output. I was fed up with the need of using separate preamp to deliver the signal to the PA, so I decided it???s time to upgrade. The decision was between Ashdown MAG 600, Warwick Pro Fet 5.1, Peavey MAX 450 and our hero: Hartke HA5500.

So, why not Ashdown? The same reason I wouldn???t buy a Trace Elliot. It has only one usable EQ setup and if you try tuning something else you will end up with [censored] and I just didn???t like that ONE tone. Oh, and the so-called ???sub-harmonic generator??? just didn???t seen to effect the sound at all. It just doesn???t work.

Why not Warwick? I just didn???t like the sound, nothing personal. Good amp, but to harsh for me.

Why not Peavey? It???s ugly, it???s heavy, and it???s not rack-mountable. And a bit short on power too, if you asked me.

And finally: why Hartke?
Because it???s the only amp in it???s class with tube preamp (love the sound) and enough power to pull off some serious gigs.

As I mentioned before I would add only Speakon jack connectors and a mid knob in the contour section. Besides that, it???s probably the best amp you can buy (new, not used) for that price. Off course, Ampeg is better, but if you can afford Ampeg would you really be wasting your time reading this review?

brought amp new late last year.similar to the 3500 series but more power.the front looks like a typical hartke amp with all the usual features;active/passive jacks,pre-amp & solid state switches,compression level,eq sliders(10 of)bass & treble contour,and volume buttons.the head is big and over hangs my vxa4x10.why?the fan makes a jumbo jet sound quiet.why?and it weighs a tonne.

the eq sliders light up when used,which is good on darkened stage.there is a fattening up of the sound when using the pre-amp switch but not brilliant.i use a usa fender jazz with s-1 switching.the eq is the key to this amp;i can get any sound from deep(motown)to distortion(the stranglers)to treble(jam)also the contour adds colour to the sound as well.i get a lovely clean crisp sound which cuts through my band;i have no problem with power either.usually only go up to 2 on the volume at gigs;had it on 4 once and the landlord had to re-putty all his windows.over all you can dial up most sounds out of this amp and i"m well happy.paid #890 for the head with vxa4x10,vx1x15 cabs.

gigged over 40 times and numerous practices without a whisper of a problem.

never dealt with them.

its a damn good amp with loads of potential & power.reliable as fxxk.it may not be as glamorous as an ashdown or as exspensive as an ampeg(have to sell one of my islands)but it"ll do any job from pop,jazz,funk,nu-metal,rock or anything else that matters.

This amp was probably made in 2005, since it is a new model in the Hartke range.
It offers a wide range of controls : 2 inputs (active/passive), 2 gain knobs (one for solid state tone, one for tube drive tone), a built-in compresser, two contour knows (one enhancing the lows, one enhancing the hights) and a defeatable 10-band graphic EQ.
The head is pretty light (about 20 lbs) and has a soft handle on the right side for transport. Not the best feature, but works decently with a semi-light head.
This amp is rated @ 500 W RMS in 4 ohms, which probably means 350 W at 8 ohms.
Despite of all these interestinhg features, two days of tweaking did not convince me at all. Next chapter is going to help you understand.

My main bass is a Music Man SUB 5, which is tonewise a REAL StingRay with an extra B string. Being a professional musician, I happen to play many different styles of music, but my current main job consists as playing bass in a mainstream cover band.

The SUB 5 sounds really fine (I always get lots of compliments) with my Ashdown MAG300 rig. When I plugged the Music Man into the active input of the 5500, I instantly had a bad surprise.

There is actually no significant difference in tone between the solid state gain and the tube drive grain. All you can hear as a difference is the noisy fan, and it is probably there because of the preamp tube.

The contour knobs are nothing but boosters for lows and highs. The low contour always sends you to the muddy mashed potatoes world, while the exagereted amount of highs delivered by the high booster (even slightly tweaked) is hard to stand.

I had to keep the lowest frequencies flat, boost the low-mids and mids, and cut off most of the high mids to get a tone that would come slightly close to the one I like (which my Ashdown rig delivers with no fuss). But even after all this tweaking, the Hortke would not deliver a fat warm tone as my Ashdown does. There are dynamics, but the global sound coloration is thin and, let's say, sterile.

On the power side, and though the 5500 is coupled with a 410XL cab, I have to testify there is almost no difference in power with my Ashdown rig (running around 200 W at 8 ohms).

I wanted to get more power loaded into 4 10" speakers, and while Ashdown amps are not very common here while everyone seems to say excellent+ things about Hartke, I tried the 5500 + 410XL experience.

The whole rig is going back to the shop for refund.

I can't say about reliability. And I'll never be able to say, since the amp goes back to the shop.

Same as for reliability ; I didn't have to deal with'em.

There are probably hundreds of players who love these crispy highs. I'm not one of them.
When I hear what my Ashdown MAG head is able to do with only 5 knobs for EQ, it's easy to understand they have really been made for bass players. The Hartke 5500 does not give me the same impression at all.
I give a 5 because the deception was big for me, but I won't say this is a bad amp though. Just not my thing.