Hartke Kickback 10

9 (just because 10 is never honest!).

The features of this great little amp are well documented in other reviews here...the one I use most is 'shape'. This feature is switched on with a button and then you control the shaping with a rotary knob. The effect is really useful - you can get a rich full 'bottomy' sound or a honky tight toppy feel, all with a sweep of this control. You need to set the sound to roughly what you want with the 3-band eq first though - shape can then 'tune' it nicely for you.

One thing which might be of note is that, should you need to, you can swap out the speaker without de-rigging it because it is on a 1/4" jack situated next to the power input connector on the recessed rear panel.

My Kickback must be at least ten years old now and I must have played 500 gigs with it. I use it as a monitor in front of me, next to the PA monitor, or as backline at small gigs. I don't have a need to make loads of noise on stage but if I do find myself in a noisy environment it has rarely lacked the whack to keep up with the others. As I say, you could plug a 4x10 in on the odd occasion if you needed to..using the kickback as a pre/poweramp.

I haven't found a use for the headphone jack yet but I guess it could be handy if you use the amp in a studio or for silent rehearsal...an aux input might have been handy for this.

9 (see above).

I mainly play a standard '78 P-Bass these days, and it sounds like it should through this amp.

I haven't had any voice-coil or distortion hassles - nothing at all has been a problem over 10 years or so. It is very quiet - never had a FOH engineer complain when I give them the balanced out.

10 (exception that proves the rule).

I use it without backup all the time (but I mainly use it as a monitor). It seems bulletproof..I haven't had any problems at all in 10 years.

Don't know - never had to contact them.

I have been playing for 25 years and bought this amp because I was fed up of carting big boxes around. As I say, I mainly use it as a monitor and DI out to FOH, so I dont need to make vast amounts of noise on stage. It is pretty loud though and does a good job of filling small halls and theatres - belying its size.

120 watts 10 in aluminum cone---great for rehearsal-easily totable...XLR out allows for use at larger venues.

I own 3 basses- 2 Yamaha RBX775 five strings, and a 1980's vintage Washburn four string. Sounds good even on the low B....External port on back seems to liumit distortion. Good clean and thumpy.

First hartke product-no opinion...

Got it new on Ebay from the Muzic Store in NJ...Speaker buzzed right out of the box, I called, they sent me a new speaker from their hartke rep, no questions asked...Super!

Great sound, small box, no sore back...

Single input, 120 watt amp with the famous aluminum 10
and a vented cabinet - headphone jack and direct out xlr.
The built in comp that appears on other models would
be a nice addition.

I use this for practice and to jam with acoustic guitar players, the
amp performs these tasks very well! It is punchy and full bodied for it's size but a tweeter like the foster would be a plus.

My many pieces of Hartke gear have worked well with few problems for years - I expect this to as well.

Only used online info - and the time I needed an input
jack for another amp - they sent it for free!

For the size/weight/cost this amp is a great value.
The SWR Workingmans 10 is also - maybe a bit better
but you can't go wrong with either!

Not overloaded with features which is just the way I like it. Has everything I need for a small combo although others might find the minimalist spec restrictive. Lightweight and compact. Kickback design is great but the amp has a tendency to roll over if knocked or on an uneven surface. See previous reviews / Hartke website for further specification.

Style: Jazz
Bases: Warwick Corvette 4 string fretless / Squire P-Bass

Great sound for jazz. Clean, warm and punchy. Plenty of volume for this style of music for practice, rehearsals and small/medium sized gigs. The amp cuts through the rest of the band nicely when needed with headroom to spare. I don't use the shape control often as it seems to take the edge off the tone when activated. I'm not convinced about the suitability for louder band situations but it is just a small combo after all.

I've had the amp for 2 or 3 years and it seems generally quite reliable. There was a minor problem with the input jack but it's been fixed now. I don't expect any other reliability issues and am happy gigging without a backup. Hope that's not tempting fate too much...

Never dealt with them.

I've been playing bass for 10 years and this is only the second bass amp I've owned. I wanted somthing small that sounded good in relatively quiet band situations and that's just what this amp is. Good tone and volume for its size, lightweight, generally reliable and not overloaded with gimmicks like so many other amps seem to be.

120 watts, 1-10" speaker, knobs: volume, shape (w/button to activate), bass, mid, treble. DI Out, Limiter, Kickback cab, removeable power cable, 30lbs. Wish it had a built-in compressor... the limiter is not adjustable... For its size and price, it is well equipped.

Very straight forward sounding bass amp. The shape knobe really helps. Clean overall sound, but will distort if you overpower its speaker... duh.

I only wish it had a compressor -- I bring one outboard when using this amp... need to compress for slap-style playing.

For its size and weight, an impressive amp overall. Not too expensive either. Loud enough for many gigs (clubs), not loud enough for big stages where a lot of presence (outdoor, festivals) is required. I love it for rehearsal too.

This is my first Hartke product. They do have a long standing reputation of failing speakers, so I bought this with that in mind... at some point I will probably need to replace... Other than that, I don't know a whole lot about Hartke's reliability...

???

I like the amp for what it is. Just wish it had a compressor. If you are looking for a small and portable -- yet powerful -- bass amp, you might give this a try.

Amp was purchased new April,2003..Used primarily in a low volume 4 pc C&W band.A Beatle bass is used and the amps knobs are set as follows..
Volume at 10 O'clock..Bass..1 O'clock..Mids..11 O'clock..Highs "0".
This amp is more than sufficient for our needs.My only concern was Hartke's re-design of the rear port..it's considerably smaller than earlier Kickback 10's. The main reason for purchase was ease of portability and the weight factor..besides; if we need more power, we can always break out the SVT!!!..SUPPORT..N/A..item is still new and so far, no problems. Will submit another review as time goes by.

Been a pro for over 36 yrs...many different instruments.

Combo 10 inch speaker. 120 Watts. Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, Shape control DI out. Tilt back Cabinet.

This is a real sleeper type of amp. High power which tends to overpower the 10 inch speaker to a point that it can blow the voice coil after some time. I bought mine used, so the speaker was already replaced. But after that it is well worth the price for the power it puts out. Paid $200 used. As far as I know it is no longer in production. Highly transportable. Hook it up to a quality preamp and it will blow the walls down. (120 Watts, no joke) The power is the reason to buy. Portability is another reason.

Blows 10 inch speakers. No joke.

N/A

Portability and power gives great satisfaction. Hartke should have stopped using those aluminum speakers a long time ago. They always have sounded like whitewash to me.

New Amp 2002. This Amp appears to " Cover My Bases ", so to speak, although I only used it one night, but I was very impressed. One Channel, Headphone Jack, No Effects Loop ( doesn't bother me as I have no use for effects anyway ). I wish it had Extension Speaker Capability--In addition to the Internal Speaker. I use the Amp in Jam/Practice/Rehearsals, Open Stages, and perhaps DI'd in Gig Situations whenever they may occur ( which is rarely ! )
Surprisingly, considering it's tiny Size, this Amp has a very good Bite. It will easily handle my needs, and if needed, I can DI to the PA System for External Sound Reinforcement.
Utilizes " Transient Attack " Circuitry, which allows almost instantaneous response time through to the Speaker each time a Note is Played on the Bass.

Using Hagstrom 1971 H II B N Twin Humbucker Bass and Hagstrom 1973 H 1 B Single-Coil Pickup Bass. Very Clean Sound, especially with the H 1 B. This is a Quiet Amp and does not Distort even with the Contour turned up and the EQ at the 3:00 P.M setting across the board. I am amazed how faithfully the Bass Sound is reproduced.

Too soon to tell, I've only had it for a few Days.

I called to clarify some things in the Product Brochure. The Staff were friendly and helpful.

Warranty is One Year.

Playing Bass 34 Years. I own a Hagstrom 1971 Vintage H II B N Cherry Bass, a Hagstrom 1973 Vintage H 1 B Sunburst Bass, a HOB 1977 6-String Acoustic Guitar, a Fender BXR 25 Bass Practice Amp, a Rolls MX-51 Mini-Mix System.
If it were stolen or lost I would probably get another, as this Amp is exactly what suits my needs...Size, Power, and Tone-Wise.
So far I love everything about it: The Size, Weight, Portability, Tone, Sound, Power, Look, Ability to Tilt-Back.
Compared it to the SWR " Baby Baby Blue ", David Eden Time Traveler 10, Behringer Ultra-Bass 1200, Ashdown Mag-Monitor-10.
It was the only Bass Combo that Weighed under 40 Lbs., produced over 100 Watts RMS, was available in a Tilt-Back Design, that was Priced that Low.
It could have a Vinyl Cover available from the Manufacturer. However, I'll get my own made.
I saw a Couple of Notes about a) The little Vent on top of the Amp being susceptable to spillage of drinks and rain, Etc., and b) The Amp being " Tippable " in the " Kickback " Position. These were noted by a previous Reviewer.
They are worthy points but not necessarily negative. Regarding point " a " a good Vinyl Cover would protect the Vent when transporting the Amp outdoors in inclement weather. When using the Amp in the Upright Position it's probably not a good idea to perch a Drink on it !
Regarding Point " b " good common sense dictates one doesn't " Shove " or " Boot " the Amp whilst it is in the Kickback Position...yes, it will go over !
Overall, this a great little Amp for the Money. It is Portable, Powerful, and Toneful. It looks great and is very affordable.
My only regret is that I didn't get one earlier !

Bought new three years ago, this amp is the smallest driver of their kickbacks. The sound shaping is great, the XLR out is nice. not a lot of EQ control, but lots of sound shaping ability. The kickback design is poor though, it rolls back far too easily.

I've mainly played my 1999 active Musicman Stingray through it. Sounds great. My amp seems to be a lemon though. Even after having babied it, the voice coil has had to be replaced twice. The rating here is low because when it's working it sounds great, but for much of it's life it has been unable to make any sound at all.

This thing has never been run particularly hard, and certainly not for very long periods. It has been extremely unreliable. The voice coil dies over a period of a few weeks and is useless until replaced.

This is the most disappointing factor. I'm not sure if it's because the amp was a small purchase in their eyes or what, but I asked many questions and got very useless responses to my concerns. I would tell them I was worried about what I would be stuck with once the warrantee is up, they would tell me where to send it for repair (after I had just told them that it had been sent to that place for repair). Canadians beware, they are more than happy to pass the buck to the Canadian distributor. They don't take much pride in their service.

Like I said, this was a small purchase as far as Hartke is concerned. But it was also something of a test drive. The company failed at least as much as the amp. I bought a 1000 watt Carvin stack and have been smiling hard ever since. Sure the amp sounds great (when it works) but I've bought Peavey's that are on their fourth owners and haven't needed any maintenance. My advice, sell your Hartke before the warrantee is up.

Made in 2000. It's a 120 WATT bass amp. That rocks! It has an aluminum cone driver(10in.), volume.Low, Mid, High,(3-bandEQ). And a nifty feature, SHAPE. Hard to explain. It just gives you more tonal abilities. The SHAPE is activated by a button and has a control knob. Standard input jacks, Headphone jack, & XLR output. I was suprised and VERY glad that the volume on this amp CAN get low enough for late night bedroom playing. And don't let that fool you!! The volume gets up there!
This has plenty of power for small venues- bars, clubs, ect.
10 because it does what it should!

I play METAL & PUNK.Mostly METALLICA and mess around with various punk stuff. This amp is great, It can be very deep and dark and get very high for my solos and Cliff Burton stuff!!(THE GREATEST BASS PLAYER WHO HAS EVER GRACED THIS EARTH!) I give it a nine though because, when you crank the volume up all the way and have the SHAPE feature activated, the sound isn't great at all. But when it is deactivated, it's just fine.. So don't DEPEND on using the SHAPE on everything you play if you are going to keep it loud.
Sounds GREAT otherwise!

LIKE A ROCK!!
The weight should be a dead give away, 32 lbs.(about, give or take a lb.)considering the size.
There's two things I worry about, on the top of the amp, theres a "vent?" so the wires and such can breathe. I KNOW it won't ever happen to me, but what if something spilt in there! Or rain!!
And second, When it's in the "KICKBACK" position, it takes very little
effort to push it backwards. i'm sure it wouldn't do any harm by falling backwards 6-10 in.'s, but still.
Nine because of those two things.

Never dealt, but I've heard that they're very friendly and cooperative!

I've been playing for about a year. I have an Ibanez SR-405 and a Ibanez GSR-190. I got a Ibanez 10WATT bass amp and the kickback!
For effects, Electro~Harmonix BIG MUFF and BASSBALLZ which both ROCK!! A ZOOM 506MK2 effects module and a Morley Wah pedal.
If it was stolen, I'd be extremeley FURIOUS!!!!!!!! Because I'm 15 and don't have a job, and I've bought EVERYTHING I HAVE, well, parents bought the BASSBALLZ & the KICKBACK!!(-:
This is a great amp with plenty power for small venues!!
What more do you want from me?!?