Hartke LH1000

The LH series was designed to be an ideal partner for HyDrive speakers, but it also works well with other models. However, they derive several of their characteristics from HyDrive - perfect sound even at the highest volumes, packed into a relatively small package, high reliability and, most importantly, great versatility. For the modern bassist, they are the right choice because they allow you to create exactly the sound the musician requires.

The amplifier is based on a hybrid design, that is, its preamp is tube, here it contains a 12AX7 tube, the final amplifier is transistor. Into a 4 ohm load it is able to deliver 1000 watts in Bridge mode, when the load is increased to 8 ohms the power is reduced to 500 watts. The LH can either be used as a conventional amplifier or it can be built into a rack, whereby it then takes up 2U of space.

The whole apparatus is designed very minimalistically. On the far left there are two inputs, one for passive, the other for active instruments. Behind them is the Volume potentiometer that determines the volume. Right next to it is the Brite switch, which adds treble before the tone equalization section. The EQ then consists of the traditional controls, namely Bass, Middle and Treble. The last controls are the Limiter switch and the Balance potentiometer, which changes the ratio between the clean and the distorted signal from the effects loop. There is also an XLR DI output on the front panel, which is great when connected to, for example, mixing consoles or PA sets.

The rear panel is designed in a similarly spare way, with only the effect loop input and output and, of course, outputs for connecting to speakers. There are four of these in the 6.3 version and one Speakon, as the LH 1000 can operate in stereo mode, dividing its output into two parts. Both channel A and channel B then have outputs for connecting two speakers. Of course, you can switch the unit to Bridge mode, where the entire LH output goes to one output, and this is where the Speakon connector is needed.

The Hartke LH1000 will certainly appeal to more modern bassists, but it is a truly versatile instrument. The undeniable advantages are really simple operation, perfect sound and tremendous power.