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ATK users...school me, please!

flyingfinbar

flyingfinbar

Oct 3, 2010
870
889
Long Island, New York
#1
Hello everyone:)

I know Ibanez ATK's get a lot of love around here, so I'm sure they're great basses.

An opportunity just popped up for me to grab one for around 200 dollars.

Tonally, what should I expect? My main bass is a bubinga Warwick Corvette STD five string played through an SVT-IIpro.

I've been fiending for some vintage sounds...could I expect this from the ATK? My fretless Ric is good to me, but I need some more metal under my strings sometimes.

Is the neck closer to a P or a J in feel?

Should I look for anything wrong that these basses are prone to?

Overall impressions?

The pictures look nice, and the one thing I can tell is that there is no truss rod adjustment at the headstock....looks like it's at the body end of the neck.

Please, any and all information is greatly appreciated! Thanks everyone:hyper:
 
#5
The ATK is basically as close as you can come to a stingray without getting either a sterling or a real ray in terms of tone.

$200 is a good price, I payed $300 brand new on a clearance MF had a few weeks ago.

Truss rod is indeed at the bottom, i found it odd but whatever.

Through an SVT the ATK will sound orgasmic :p

I've noticed no problems so far, sounds great,plays great, looks good, built like a tank. It's not a warwick, but definitely get it, you wont be disappointed!!
 
#7
more like... YAY!-TK... amirite?

Seriously, love this bass.

The neck is awesome. About as wide as a P, but shallower... so in playing, it has a feel like a cross between a jazz and P. Wide string spacing like the P, but fast like a Jazz.

Sound-wise... that's a REALLY hard thing to describe. The 3-way pickup and active EQ lend it to a LOT of sounds... i have gotten close to P, really close to J, and really close to a 'Ray. However, it still retains it's own thing (a plus in my book).

Problem-wise... the only thing i have had to replace is the nut (but i used really heavy strings for a while, playing aggressively in C standard). The pick gueard has a tendancy to warp, so check that. Also, on mine (and others i've seen), it can crack where the neck is bolted on. Mine seems to be superficial, and only in the paint... but still enough for my heart to sink when i first noticed it!

Overall, i LOVE it. Mine is a 95 which i got for $100 in 2000 from a friend that didn't like the color (truth). It's a TANK and has the weight to live up to the name. Because of that, i rarely take it to practice now... haha... i take featherweights like my T20 or moded T45 ( :rollno: ) haha! But serioulsly, this bass is awesome and i can't say enough nice things about it. Truly underappriciated in the bass world.
 
#8
The OP hasn't said WHICH of the ATK models he's looking at, and that changes -- or should -- some of the answers.

If it has the MM-style trussrod adjustment, it's a fairly recent one. For some of the old passives, $200 is actually too high.

ATKs of recent vintage are typically HEAVY, if this is a concern, weight sometimes topping eleven pounds. :eek:

Mine aren't that heavy, but they're too heavy for me.

The newer SMT electronics are often flaky (or DOA), but if this one has been around for a while and has no problems, it'll probably be fine as they usually go bad early if they're going to go.
 
#10
Guess I'm just repeating what these wise fellers above have already said, but here goes:
The neck is more similar to a P than a J, but the wood has a different finish, closer to an almost bare, sanded wood feel than a highly oiled and polished Fender neck, it feels drier and less glossy. It's certianly not abrasive or slow, just nicely different. Tonally, with the triple coil set to neck and the treble cranked it, there's nothing like it. It's not a P,J or MM, it's its own beast. If you listen to any of Offspring's last few albums, Greg Kriesel is using an ATK on a lot of it and you'll here the really aggressive, trebly attack it's capable of, try out the intro to "Come out Swinging." But, of my 8 basses, whilst the ATK is not my favourite I think it is the most versatile. It's well capable of a vintage tone, but its main strength is in that modern, alternative rock treble fuelled attack. It really is a wonderful bass.
 
#11
It's a good sounding and good quality bass for the price. I only paid 100 for mine, but had to replace the pickup for another 50.

If you want a stingray style sound for less than $300, it's definitely the way to go.
 
#13
Bongolation said:
I believe there are over a thousand posts about ATKs here so you might wish to do a search.
Click to expand...

Oh, I did a search, trust me. Just wanted some more first hand info about what to look for. Did you have anything to say about an ATK?

Thanks for all the input everyone! I'm not sure what year we're talking about. It is finished in transparent, with a maple fretboard. The only discerning factor I can see is that the truss adjustment is at the body end of the neck. The headstock just says Ibanez ATK series, and it looks like it has a flamed veneer (the headstock). It has 4 knobs and what looks like a switch, if that means anything. The person who owns it now doesn't seem to be too knowledgeable about the bass, FWIW.
 
#15
If the truss rod adjusts at the body, then it's a newer (2006-present) one. Someone said that's odd, but Musicman basses adjust there too, as well as a lot of Fenders. The neck is more like a Stingray than either a Precision or a Jazz. The natural finish and maple neck makes me think it's an ATK300. I don't think the newer ones are heavier than the older ones' my '94 is 11.8 lbs. I'll always wish I could have kept my '80 Stingray, but my ATK is a nice replacement.
 
#16
Bongolation said:
You didn't read my prior message? :rollno:
Click to expand...

My bad, Bongo:)

I always get miffed at the ubiquitous "why don't you search" forum reply. I didn't realize that you had given actual input in the thread! Thanks for your input, though.

I do wish there was a way to figure out the year before I make the trip to check her out/buy her. Is there any way to know if it's a model I should shy away from just by typical lo-fi body/neck shots?
 
#17
danomite64 said:
If the truss rod adjusts at the body, then it's a newer (2006-present) one. Someone said that's odd, but Musicman basses adjust there too, as well as a lot of Fenders. The neck is more like a Stingray than either a Precision or a Jazz. The natural finish and maple neck makes me think it's an ATK300. I don't think the newer ones are heavier than the older ones' my '94 is 11.8 lbs. I'll always wish I could have kept my '80 Stingray, but my ATK is a nice replacement.
Click to expand...

Great information, thanks! So I can assume it's a 06-present ATK 300. Weight isn't really a problem for me, I actually prefer an instrument with some heft.
 
#18
The serial number has the year and month it was made in it. If the seller will tell you it, you can figure out how old it is Link Removed. I can tell you for sure it's not an ATK100, which is the passive one that Bongo was warning you about. Those basses have only 2 knobs, and as they were made in the '90's, all of them had the trussrod adjustment at the neck. Also, there was no natural finish back then.
 
#19
since I am the club founder and all, and have 2 of them with a third on the way, I guess I should chime in ;) Get it man. for that price, and assuming its in good condition. the least you could do is easily flip it around for the same price if you arent happy. Chances are though you'll like it :)
 

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