• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

ATK--old vs. new?

#21
tim1002 said:
the old ones were made to be abused. i have a '95 mij atk100 and the previous owner had it in a plane and when the hardcase broke. bass came out with a few paint chips but the neck was still perfect.

i've tried the new atk300s. it's lighter than the old ones and the feel is just cheaper compared to the old ones.
Click to expand...

I had a 95 5 ATK305 - sounded exactly like my 2007 ATK305.

Here's MY experience:

2007 one is LIGHTER - love that
2007 one has satin finished neck - prefer that to the old w/ glossy finish
2007 has truss wheel adjuster - much nicer that headstock-accessed nut
2007 has smaller circuit boards and separate battery compartment - old one has battery mounted to the single ciruit board - bad/scary design IMO
2007 - my first one has a neck issue - returned under warranty for another which is great - old one had similar neck issue, found out after warranty :(

So my experience has been that they sound the SAME and the new one is built as good /better. It doesn't feel quite as "substantial", mostly due to lighter weight, but that is not a negative for me. I can see why some feel the new ones feel "cheaper", but I believe they are just as tough/durable/solid.

Jamie
 
#22
Anyone know if there's much difference between the MIK and MIJ '90s ATKs. Mines a Japanese one, and I only paid £300 for it 2nd hand, seems like it was a bit of a steal at the time.

Is the weight issue due to a different ash that's used? I personally don't really care, if anything I like my basses to be a little heavier so when I'm dancing round like a $%^& it's not all over the place and I can still play it properly to some degree. I don't see the problem with the pre-amp design at all, the battery isn't in a place that's gonna be of any danger to the circuit when your changing it, that's what the separate backplates are for anyway aren't they?
 
#23
SwamiRob said:
Anyone know if there's much difference between the MIK and MIJ '90s ATKs. Mines a Japanese one, and I only paid £300 for it 2nd hand, seems like it was a bit of a steal at the time.

Is the weight issue due to a different ash that's used? I personally don't really care, if anything I like my basses to be a little heavier so when I'm dancing round like a $%^& it's not all over the place and I can still play it properly to some degree. I don't see the problem with the pre-amp design at all, the battery isn't in a place that's gonna be of any danger to the circuit when your changing it, that's what the separate backplates are for anyway aren't they?
Click to expand...

IME the Japanese and Korean ones sounded/felt the same. The US ones however were different, mostly due to the tension-free neck system.

The battery on the board issue for me is due to potential board "flex" when removing it - never had a problem, but it did concern me, as this is simply a bad design which COULD cause a problem and could easily be avoided, and is on the new re-issues. The separate cover on the old ones was nice but didn't alleviate the danger, however slight. The new ones also don't have the pots attached directly to the board, which is also better as an entire board doesn't need to be replaced if one pot dies.

As far as weight, while the new ones are a BIT lighter (my second 2007 lighter than my first 2007), they aren't THAT much different from the 90s ones weight-wise - both series are on the heavy size, which I like (as long as I use my wide Comfort Strap).

Jamie
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back