Hartke Kickback 12

Comments about Hartke Kickback 12 1x12" Bass Combo Amplifier:

Whether I am playing upright or electric bass, I love my Hartke Kickback 12!
For years I lugged around monster bass amps, but those days are over.
The Hartke by itself is loud enough to fill most small to medium sized venues.
However, I mostly use it as my monitor and connect through the P.A. via the handy XLR out to give me more oomph if I need it. The kickback feature (often imitated these days) allows me to park the amp off to one side of me and aim the sound at my head, so I can hear what I am playing.
The bass port or vent out the back is as big around as a soup can and fires low frequencies right at the ground when kicked back.
In my Jump Blues band (which can get pretty loud and lively), I like to go through the p.a. anyway because then my sound is coming out of two main speakers and two nice big floor monitors, each of which has a 15" speaker. I don't know of a bass amp that can compete with the sound I get from four 15" P.A. speakers, and the Hartke Kickback 12 is a perfect stage monitor.
My bigger bass amps have become homes to spiders in the garage since I bought this amp two years ago.
That having been said, It sounds big and great on its own until I turn it up past the noon position, at which point it starts to get kind of farty in its tone.
If this amp got lost or stolen, I would replace it with one just like it.
I have been gigging for more than 20 years, and my days of lugging a cumbersome 4x10 or 1x15 combo are over. Gimme my Hartke and get the hell out of my way!

Comments about Hartke Kickback 12 1x12" Bass Combo Amplifier:

WOW! When i first tried this amp at my local Sam Ash i was blown away by how loud it was. I ended up buying it the following week after i got my paycheck. i was shocked to find out that it fits in when playing in a heavy metal band. I had my band come and we played a few covers from Iron Maiden and Slayer to Dream Theater and Sonata Arctica. I would recommend this amp to any bassist trying to find a heavy metal bass amp.

Comments about Hartke Kickback 12 1x12" Bass Combo Amplifier:

Amazing sound from such a small package. I was a little concerned that there wouldn't be enough bottom end... there is plenty and it is nice and clean. Recently recoreded with it and the engineer loved it. Haven't played through my 450w stack since I bought this... it does everything I need it to and doesn't break my back... now that I am in my 50's that's a very important factor as well. I should have bought one of these years ago...

Comments about Hartke Kickback 12 1x12" Bass Combo Amplifier:

Fine rugged,little combo that's not a beast to lug around and has tremendous sound.

Comments about Hartke Kickback 12 1x12" Bass Combo Amplifier:

First and foremost - this amp has amazing presence! You know how the sound from an acoustic bass seems to come from everywhere? It's like that. It fills the space around it with rich, full sound - whether you're backing up an acoustic guitar at a wedding, or rocking out at the reception afterward.Second - I just love the tone controls. You can really tell that this was designed BY a bass-player, FOR bass-players. So many people have flipped over the sound of the front end of this amp that [...] sells it separately. That should tell you something.VERY portable! If you play a variety of gigs, and sometimes two or three different venues in one day, you'll really appreciate the "Sound For Pound" ratio. This is now my main amp. I sold the smaller amp that I used for acoustic gigs, and the bigger amp that I used for dances. The Kickback covers everything but the loudest gigs.By the way - this is probably obvious to most people, but I should mention it just in case - no single 12 combo is going to keep up with a Marshall stack. (But you could run four of them through a splitter . . . )

Comments about Hartke Kickback 12 1x12" Bass Combo Amplifier:

I used this combo for a 3 piece classic rock band. The guitar player was way too loud, but this combo did not get drowned out. I also had a Peavey rig with a huge 2 X 15" cabinet and an 800 watt head, which was more than I needed. I ended up selling that rig because the Hartke was much smaller, and actually sounded better. This combo is perfect for small to mid size rooms.

Comments about Hartke Kickback 12 1x12" Bass Combo Amplifier:

"This is the original ""working bassist's"" amp, and still the best! The Kickback 12 is all I need for 98% of what I do, which is theater stuff and casuals. The more gigs I take it on, the more I love it. One thing I like is that it's not super-directional. It puts out a really nice, space-filling field around it - on both sides, and even in back. And it even does that at lower volumes. So you, the drummer, and everybody else can play more in the pocket, even when you're having to turn way down. I love the tone controls - dead simple, but I barely moved any of the knobs more than a number or two off dead center. The Shape circuit is fantastic! You have to hear it in action to understand how well this amp was thought out. Maybe it's the aluminum speaker, but this is also about the most full-spectrum single-12 amp I've ever used. It has the highs you expect from a pair of 10s with a tweeter, but the presence of a 15. The soundman will love it for having a pre-EQ XLR direct out, and you'll love it for sounding so VERY good and only weighing 42 pounds! Drive to the gig with it in the front seat of your car, carry it up two flights, plug in, and GO! "

Comments about Hartke Kickback 12 1x12" Bass Combo Amplifier:

This is the best Combo I've ever had. It's light and small but it cuts through with awesome tone and presence. I use it for practice and small gigs and it is much better than hauling my stack. My keyboardist used it for practice once and went out and bought one for himself the next week. now it's all he uses.

Comments about Hartke Kickback 12 1x12" Bass Combo Amplifier:

I use the kickback 12 for bass and keyboards and it sounds great and cuts through playing with a very loud band.