HARTKE LH500

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. Up to a load of 4 ohms it is capable of delivering 500 W of power, when the load is increased to 8 ohms the power is reduced to 350 W. The LH can be used either as a conventional amplifier or it can be built into a rack, whereby it then occupies a 2U 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 control is the Limiter switch. 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, as you'll find only an effects loop input and output and, of course, two outputs for connecting to speakers. The load of the connected speakers must be at least 4 ohms.

The Hartke LH500 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.