The Hartke Lightweight Bass Amplifier is a Hartke amplifier, currently around $399.99. Close alternatives include the Gallien-Krueger MB-210 II Bass combo 350 watts and the Gallien-Krueger GK Legacy 4x10 Bass Combo Amp. It pairs well with the Ashdown Geezer Butler Signature and the Colorsound Overdriver.
Hartke Lightweight Bass Amplifier
Hartke · amplifier
Hartke has built its bass amplifier reputation on aluminum-cone HyDrive speaker technology and compact, road-friendly Class D power sections, and this lightweight bass amplifier belongs to that portable-head tradition rather than the brand's older, heavier tube and solid-state combos. Modern Hartke heads in this class typically pack several hundred watts into a housing that weighs only a few pounds, aimed at gigging bassists who need full-size stage volume without hauling a full-size cabinet's worth of amp. The tone leans clean and punchy rather than overtly colored, built to pair with Hartke's own aluminum-cone cabinets or a player's existing rig.
What stands out
“Class D power sections keep the low end tight , and most models include a basic EQ section plus a mid-contour or shape control for quick tonal adjustment on a dark stage”
— from the reviews
“Reviewers of Hartke's lightweight amp line consistently point to how much usable headroom these heads deliver relative to their size, with clean tone that stays articulate under a hard-picking or slap-heavy right hand”
— from the reviews
“the tone leans clean and punchy”
— from the listing
“aimed at gigging bassists who need full-size stage volume”
— from the listing
“The primary use case is gigging bassists who want big wattage in carry-on-sized housing, especially those already running Hartke cabinets for the brand's signature aluminum-cone bite”
— from the community notes
Trade-offs
“On the downside, players chasing overtly warm or tube-like coloration usually look elsewhere, since these amps prioritize clean punch over vintage character, and , exact feature details like input op…”
— from the reviews
- stage
- headroom
- punchy
- gigging
- clean
- bass
- punch
- response
Good for
- Live
Price updated Oct 24, 2026
Genres the Hartke Lightweight Bass Amplifier is commonly used in
- Acoustic
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Jazz
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Hard Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Hartke Lightweight Bass Amplifier
Ashdown Geezer Butler Signature
Ashdown
23% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (transparent → low gain)
Into a transparent tone, Ashdown Geezer Butler Signature brings a pull toward low gain that's missing
Goes in front of the amp
Colorsound Overdriver
pedal
20% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → fuzzy)
The high headroom tone has headroom to spare — Colorsound Overdriver leans it toward fuzzy to fill it in
Goes in front of the amp
Boss ODB-3
Boss
20% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (transparent → low gain)
Into a transparent tone, Boss ODB-3 brings a pull toward low gain that's missing
Goes in front of the amp
Boss BF-2 Flanger
Boss
13% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put Boss BF-2 Flanger after Hartke Lightweight Bass Amplifier in the signal chain, clear of Hartke Lightweight Bass Amplifier's own gain stage
Goes in front of the amp
Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer
pedal
11% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer's own dynamic character is the real reason this is worth trying
Goes in front of the amp
Eventide Modulated Delay
Eventide
7% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put Eventide Modulated Delay in Hartke Lightweight Bass Amplifier's effects loop, clear of Hartke Lightweight Bass Amplifier's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy Analog Delay
Electro-Harmonix
7% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy Analog Delay in Hartke Lightweight Bass Amplifier's effects loop, clear of Hartke Lightweight Bass Amplifier's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes
Electro-Harmonix
tonal matchGoes in front of the amp
Hartke Lightweight Bass Amplifier leans into a clean amp's front end, precisely the platform Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes wants
Boutique & premium upgrades
Mesa Boogie Powerhouse 2x10" 600watt 8 ohm
Mesa Boogie
53% similarityShared character: punchy, headroom, stage
Blackstar Unity 500
Blackstar
46% similarityShared character: punch, solid state, presence
Fender ACB 50 Adam Clayton Bass Combo
Fender
46% similarityShared character: bass, gig
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 112
Gallien Krueger
45% similarityShared character: punch, gig, bass
EBS Magni 502 2x10 bass combo
Ebs
45% similarityShared character: punch, solid state, punchy
Blackstar Unity 250
Blackstar
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar character
Gallien-Krueger MB-210 II Bass combo 350 watts
Gallien Krueger
52% similarityShared character: punch, punchy, gig
Gallien-Krueger GK Legacy 4x10 Bass Combo Amp
Gallien Krueger
51% similarityShared character: punch, gig, full
Gallien-Krueger MB115MK2
Gallien Krueger
50% similarityShared character: punchy, brand, presence
Hiwatt HB210HN
Hiwatt
48% similarityShared character: punch, punchy, gig
Gallien-Krueger MB150S-112 Bass Combo
Gallien Krueger
48% similarityShared character: punchy, gig, headroom
Blackstar BASSU120 Unity 120-Watt Bass Amplifier
Blackstar
47% similarityShared character: punch, solid state, punchy
See all alternatives to the Hartke Lightweight Bass Amplifier (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Hartke Lightweight Bass Amplifier?+
The closest matches in character are the Gallien-Krueger MB-210 II Bass combo 350 watts, the Gallien-Krueger GK Legacy 4x10 Bass Combo Amp, the Gallien-Krueger MB115MK2. Boutique upgrades: Mesa Boogie Powerhouse 2x10" 600watt 8 ohm, Blackstar Unity 500, Fender ACB 50 Adam Clayton Bass Combo.
What pairs well with the Hartke Lightweight Bass Amplifier?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Ashdown Geezer Butler Signature, Colorsound Overdriver, Boss ODB-3 — Into a transparent tone, Ashdown Geezer Butler Signature brings a pull toward low gain that's missing.
How much does the Hartke Lightweight Bass Amplifier cost?+
Around $399.99 (live listing price, updated Oct 24, 2026).