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NEED HELP WITH PRICING ATK 305

Discussion in 'Basses [BG]' started by SRSiegel, Oct 1, 2001.

  1. Oct 1, 2001 #1
    SRSiegel

    SRSiegel Guest

    Sep 17, 2001
    Ann Arbor, Michigan
    Hey everyone. I was able to find someone with an ATK 305 for sale. He's asking $500 for it. As far as im aware, its in mint condition. Just some specs:

    22 Fret maple fingerboard
    triple coil active ATK humbucker
    Green swamp ash body
    Active 3 band eq+active volume control
    Custom Ibanez Bridge and tuners (nice and big)
    white pearloid pickguard

    (its basically Ibanez' version of the Stingray 5)

    please help me as I'm not too sure what the value of this bass really is. Thanks!

    ~Scott
     
  2. Oct 1, 2001 #2
    Wil Davis

    Wil Davis

    Apr 12, 2000
    Naushua, New Hampster, U S of
    Does it have a case? Is it beat-up? Offer him $300, and be prepared to go to $400 if it's really mint. I bought mine for around $350 about 3 years ago. I recently bought an ATK300 for around $230.

    Good Luck -

    - Wil
     
  3. Oct 1, 2001 #3
    SRSiegel

    SRSiegel Guest

    Sep 17, 2001
    Ann Arbor, Michigan
    the bass does not have a case. it is brand new, although it is a factory 2nd. The seller says he doest know why its a factory 2nd though, as he cant find anything wrong with it. Any more advice on pricing before I go and make an offer? or would you guys suggest staying away form factory seconds alltogether?

    thanks,
    ~Scott
     
  4. Oct 1, 2001 #4
    Luis Fabara

    Luis Fabara

    Aug 13, 2000
    Ecuador (South America)
    Audio Pro - Ecuador
    HEY!!
    That could be a USA ATK 5 String!!
    The Green Body and Perloid Pickguard is non-korean stuff.
    Does it have the dual dots instead of 1??
    If so.. it is a USA ATK
    It even has a tension free neck , it is way better than the normal ATK.

    I WOULD GO FOR IT.
    Those costed about $700 or more new.
     
  5. Oct 1, 2001 #5
    SRSiegel

    SRSiegel Guest

    Sep 17, 2001
    Ann Arbor, Michigan
    whats a tension free neck? i may sound stupid, but i honestly have no idea what it means for the neck to be tension free. thanks.
     
  6. Oct 1, 2001 #6
    T-birdfan

    T-birdfan

    Jan 29, 2001
    Ontario, Canada
    If it is american, 500 is excellent. I saw one the other day for 900, identical except it was blue. You won't be sorry. I have a 4 (not american) and I love it.
     
  7. Oct 1, 2001 #7
    Luis Fabara

    Luis Fabara

    Aug 13, 2000
    Ecuador (South America)
    Audio Pro - Ecuador
    They call it tension free, because it has 2 steel bars across the neck that hold the Headstock, that will absorb the tension from the strings making the neck almost free of deadspots and a lot less prone to warpage.
     
  8. Oct 1, 2001 #8
    Luis Fabara

    Luis Fabara

    Aug 13, 2000
    Ecuador (South America)
    Audio Pro - Ecuador
    Tension Free Neck - Explained by it's Inventor Dave Bunker:
    The Tension Free neck puts very little stress on the wood and instead of compressing the neck from one end to the other it just pushes the neck up to forward bow or back to back bow in a simple fulcrum method with the rod being pinned through the neck at the 17th fret and adjusted with a screw at the 22nd plus fret.

    My attitude has always been since that truss rod necks are old technology in that while they can put back bow on a neck they do it at considerable tone loss and stress which can cause everything from twisting to constantly being out of tune. This was very graphically shown to me by top Boeing engineers who assisted me in the design of the Tension free neck. All wood is very unstable which makes it very unpredictable when stress is applied to it. - Dave Bunker, Pres. Bunker Guitars

    --------------
    I hope that helps.
    :)

    Also: Ibanez at first was worried about the Tension Free but after Mr. Hoshino inspected and tested it they went with it. The ATK bass [also made by PBC for Ibanez] won bass of the year in 1994 in the retail/wholesale magazine partly because of the [Tension Free] neck design
     
  9. Oct 1, 2001 #9
    shirojiro

    shirojiro

    Jan 24, 2001
    San Francisco
    Scott,

    Have you played the bass? The string spacing on the 5string ATK was way too close for me. You may like it, but I would try one before buying.

    For reference, the ATK 5 string at the basspalace.com was priced around $425. It was black with a maple fingerboard. It was a Korean model with a standard neck. I don't think it's there anymore.

    FWIW, I love my new 4 string ATK. I got it for $300 at a Guitar Center. It has become my main rock bass.

    -Shin