Ibanez ATK305 Black/Maple

EthanTheHeathen · #1 01-19-2010, 09:20 PM

Hey all, you most likely know the bass: budget Stingray, more or less. This one's from '95 and is in great shape. A few light scratches here and there. The neck has also been refinished with a super smooth satin finish. Feels amazing. That's my favorite thing about this bass. Unfortunately, I don't know what to do with a 5th string, and I've found that active electronics don't do it for me.

Includes a TKL case made for Ibanez (has white Ibanez logo on the outside).

I'll start out at $350 shipped, though I'd possibly be interested in a trade for a small cab, preferably an Epifani, Bergantino, Schroeder, or Aguilar, though I'm open to others as well.

More pics here:
http://s738.photobucket.com/albums/x...anez%20ATK305/

irishpride28 · #2 01-19-2010, 09:58 PM

What's the neck profile like on these? And what does the switch do?
Thanks!

EthanTheHeathen · #3 01-20-2010, 09:01 AM

The neck is relatively narrow for a 5 string (the string spacing is consequently on the small side at the nut). It's also relatively shallow from fretboard to the back of the neck. I don't really play 5 strings, and usually find the necks to feel chunky and uncomfortable, but this neck feels really nice to me.

I'm not sure exactly what the switch is doing technically, but it's called a "tone character" switch or something like that. The three positions are traditional/bright/attack (which seems even brighter than the "bright" setting).

Floridabwoy · #4 01-20-2010, 10:20 AM

This is a great bass. I had the 4 string. I regret selling it.

pharaohamps · #5 01-20-2010, 10:28 AM

The tone character changes the pickup from parallel (attack) to single coil (bright) to single-coil with a treble roll-off (trad.)

The ATK pickup is a triple-coil, where the two sensing coils are permanently wired in parallel, and the third coil is a dummy that is only used for hum-cancelling the single coil (bright / trad) settings. It can't be used in series mode, which is a bummer.

Attack sounds more like a Stingray, with some scooped mids.
Bright sounds vaguely Jazz-like, although not exactly.
Trad sounds very much like a Precision.

On a stock ATK, Attack is accessed with the switch farthest from the pickup, Bright is the center, and Trad is with the switch towards the pickups / strings.

I have a mid-90's ATK305, same color, and it's a fantastic bass. If I didn't have an SR5 on order, I would buy this without hesitation. It's very much an MM style bass, right down to the tighter string spacing.

Free bump from an ATK fan - that's mine in my avatar pic.

irishpride28 · #6 01-20-2010, 02:07 PM

Wow! Someone really knows their stuff. PM sent

Hawaii 5-0 · #7 01-20-2010, 02:13 PM

Beautiful ATK. Wish I had the money right now. I already bought two basses in the past year, and now find I have serious 5 string GAS!

superbassman2000 · #8 01-20-2010, 03:04 PM

hey nice bass

i can vouch for that bass being a good player--i am not a 5 string guy (yet) but i will say this was the best feeling fiver i have tried yet!

derekfrank · #9 01-20-2010, 03:48 PM

if you'll do $300 shipped, I'll buy it today. lemme know, thanks!
-Derek
derek@dfrank.net

EthanTheHeathen · #10 01-20-2010, 09:51 PM

Thanks for the info, pharaohamps. I'm about to respond to some PMs . . .

I really shouldn't play anything I have for sale. It always makes it so much harder!! This thing is the most versatile bass I've ever owned. Sure, it does the Stingray thing, but you can get so many sounds with it. Roll off the treble and mids and it sounds like an old Gibson, crank the mids and it sounds like a G&L, put it in Attack mode and it's all set to be slapped, and it can do everything in between. If this had 4 strings I might reconsider selling, but alas it has 5, so . . .

BUMP!

p.s.-some were wondering about frets, buzzing, etc. Frets are in great shape. Very little buzzing at med-low action. The B string I have on there (Sadowsky tapered nickel) is a little light for my tastes and leads to some buzzing when you dig in, but I think a tighter B would be fine.

narud · #11 01-20-2010, 10:13 PM

interested........pm sent

Jamie_Funk · #12 01-21-2010, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EthanTheHeathen

Thanks for the info, pharaohamps. I'm about to respond to some PMs . . .

I really shouldn't play anything I have for sale. It always makes it so much harder!! This thing is the most versatile bass I've ever owned. Sure, it does the Stingray thing, but you can get so many sounds with it. Roll off the treble and mids and it sounds like an old Gibson, crank the mids and it sounds like a G&L, put it in Attack mode and it's all set to be slapped, and it can do everything in between. If this had 4 strings I might reconsider selling, but alas it has 5, so . . .

BUMP!

p.s.-some were wondering about frets, buzzing, etc. Frets are in great shape. Very little buzzing at med-low action. The B string I have on there (Sadowsky tapered nickel) is a little light for my tastes and leads to some buzzing when you dig in, but I think a tighter B would be fine.

I have a D'Addario .135 taper wound B on my 305, and it kills - with no buzz, and even slaps great. Tight, punchy, fat - these basses have a great Low B and are very even sounding on all strings.

J

EthanTheHeathen · #13 01-21-2010, 06:44 AM

Hey Jamie,

Thanks for making it even harder for me to get rid of this! This was my assumption about how the bass would perform with a tighter B string. The one on there is fine, but you can tell it would benefit from a tighter B.

I'm going to be sad when this guy goes. May have to pick up another someday . . .

Jamie_Funk · #14 01-21-2010, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EthanTheHeathen

Hey Jamie,

Thanks for making it even hard for me to get rid of this! This was my assumption about how the bass would perform with a tighter B string. The one on there is fine, but you can tell it would benefit from a tighter B.

I'm going to be sad when this guy goes. May have to pick up another someday . . .

I'm here to help

FWIW - your bass is IDENTICAL to the one I had in the mid 90s - learned to play a 5 and did my first year of gigging on it in a 9 piece funk/R&B/soul band. Tried others for several years, but have been back on a new ATK305 since 2007.

I use .135-.45 D'addario nickels on it, and it is equal or better than any Stingray5 I have played B string wise - I prefer it over a Stingray.

Good luck with the sale - great bass, great price.

J

FunkMetalBass · #15 01-21-2010, 09:08 AM

Ugh! So sexy. If only it had a 6th string...

Pickebass · #16 01-21-2010, 01:36 PM

Great bass @ a great price!! I have one identical to this one and have a Stingray 5. This bass still gets alot of use. Someone should jump on this quickly!!

EthanTheHeathen · #17 01-21-2010, 02:27 PM

And SOLD to dylanjohnson. Thanks for the offers, everyone else.