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Official ATK Club (Part 3)

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#442
steve_rolfeca said:
I'm also not that thrilled with the shape of the lower bout.

Mind you, if it sounds and feels better than my Indonesian 305, I'd forgive it just about anything. At the end of the day, it's all about how a bass plays...
Click to expand...

Very true. But if one of those ever fell into my lap, the first thing I'd have to do is refinish the body and change the pickguard. I can only criticize this particular model's coloration choice, I'm sure it plays and sounds like a dream.

I'd love to have an opportunity to A-B test the Ibanez factory lines against their Prestige lines. Considering I can't find a single manufacturing flaw on my ATK750, I'm not sure where the value is added. I guess fretwork would be more precise, but otherwise I have no idea.
 
#445
I had some time to fool around with this and I came up with a few stain/tinting suggestions that IMHO makes the new ATK1200 look much nicer. Let me know what you think.

Click [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] for a bigger image.
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#446
woo10 said:
I had some time to fool around with this and I came up with a few stain/tinting suggestions that IMHO makes the new ATK1200 look much nicer. Let me know what you think.

Click [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] for a bigger image.
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Click to expand...

Pics 2-3-4 are awesome....a tinted clear guard in that color gives the impression of an actual wood guard...pretty cool
 
#447
Toastfuzz said:
I'd love to have an opportunity to A-B test the Ibanez factory lines against their Prestige lines. Considering I can't find a single manufacturing flaw on my ATK750, I'm not sure where the value is added. I guess fretwork would be more precise, but otherwise I have no idea.
Click to expand...

I have a 750Koa, and a 700blue moon (I'll leave the red sparkle out of this since it is Indonesian built).

My 750 and 700 are both wonderfully built at ANY price point and from ANY country of origins standards.

Both had very minor fret sprout when I first got them, which can also happen at any price point.

But...my koa top is AAAA Koa, but the matching headstock piece is not AAAA...more like AA. That's nit picking, but an area that could be improved.

My blue Moon 700 has a totally different shade of blue on the headstock than the body. The headstock looks like an old pair of jeans, and the body looks like the deep blue sea...either would be fine if the were matched properly. Nobody else really notices it, but it bugs the hell out of me.

The necks on all of my ATK's are slightly different feeling. Somedays I prefer one over the other, but that's another difference.

So, with a Prestige model, I would expect a better(no perfect) matching of the headstock to body woods (the body matching on all of mine is amazing, so I know they can do this).

I would expect a neck that felt like a person set out to make it comfy...a little personal time away from the CNC machine to rub in some mojo.

I would also like to see a high-end pre-amp....like Funk Factor's Glockenklang. For the higher price tag, they should have some higher dollar components. They already put better tuners on the 750 and 700, so why not carry this thinking through to the electronics?

I would also want a Prestige that had the pup like the 750, and not the humbucker....I haven't tried the bucker, but I really like the Trad mode on the old pups.

In the wishful thinking department, I would also like to see this built in the USA with a Bunker neck with the flame board, ......and I am really hooked on the double dots, so those need to stay, as well.

They could also offer chambered bodies for all those folks who get the heavy ATK's....I would have done this instead of changing the shape and pups for a Prestige.
 
#449
After the initial shock and awe of hearing about the Prestige ATK I have to say that I'm underwhelmed.
Granted, I haven't had one in my hands, but the money I've invested into mine comes up way short of 1500.00 clams.
I'd expect a "highly" figured fretboard with abalone double dots.
A book matched "cap" on the body...not a veneer ... and I agree...the logo is hatin' it...at least do it in abalone/pearl or something, ya know.
I'd also much rather have the 5 piece neck that the 700 series had.
I'd rather have had a concentric bass/treble pot than the extra knob....looks cluttered.
Not any info on this new "N-3" preamp, either.

On another note I'll be getting my Bunker necked EX1 put together this week....got my neck back with a right proper gloss black finish on my headstock :)
Droppin' it off at my luthiers shop tomorrow

Nah....I don't need a Prestige ...already got a couple (IMO)
 
#450
ATK1200P
Looks fantastic, but prefer my 750KA. Wouldn't mind the 'top of the line' electronics and p'ups though-if they're better. Like the blend knob idea on the 1200. Clear pickguard is useless IMHO.

If a pickguard isn't covering an electronics cavity, I don't know why people have big hunks of useless plastic covering beautiful wood or finishes on their bass.
 
#451
BackToTheGroove said:
ATK1200P
Looks fantastic, but prefer my 750KA. Wouldn't mind the 'top of the line' electronics and p'ups though-if they're better. Like the blend knob idea on the 1200. Clear pickguard is useless IMHO.

If a pickguard isn't covering an electronics cavity, I don't know why people have big hunks of useless plastic covering beautiful wood or finishes on their bass.
Click to expand...

I have no guards on my 700 or 750 koa, but the red sparkle came with a white mofo guard that just isn't working for me right now. I like it better with no guard, but Ibanez drilled the holes for a guard, so it's either: no guard with empty holes, put screws back in but have no guard, or make a clear guard.

But I'm with ya on not putting a guard on at all. That's one thing I never liked about Fender, and I still don't get the love some pickguards get.
 
#452
BackToTheGroove said:
ATK1200P
Looks fantastic, but prefer my 750KA. Wouldn't mind the 'top of the line' electronics and p'ups though-if they're better. Like the blend knob idea on the 1200. Clear pickguard is useless IMHO.

If a pickguard isn't covering an electronics cavity, I don't know why people have big hunks of useless plastic covering beautiful wood or finishes on their bass.
Click to expand...

well I guess its all in opinion because I USE the guards on my atks as thumb rests, and since they follow a line to the neck, I have many places to place my thumb for whatever sound I want. now I DO agree with the guards covering up beautiful wood, so the guard on my main one is clear, that way the wood shows through, but I can still use the edge for my thumb. in my situation, win win.
 
#454
In general, I like guards and I have this sweet piece of tort to fashion a new one for my Bunker EX :cool:
All I have to do is have the nut cut by my luthier and it's ready for a spankin'.
I installed the tuners and neck myself.
I agree that you shouldn't cover up a nice grain....but a clear guards cool too as I'd scratch the hell out of the body slappin'.
Really no right or wrong...just personal preference
 

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#456
So I picked up one of those red sparkle music123 blowouts back in December, but the flashy color and pearly-girly guard kept me from spending any time with it. I recently picked up a 3EX1 from GC on the dirty cheap, and it really set my soul on fire. Someone paid to have it set up, there's no way it came from the factory this smooth lol.

I can't believe I played bass for 10 years and never picked up on the ATK goodness. Number please!
 
#457
lowendgenerator said:
So I picked up one of those red sparkle music123 blowouts back in December, but the flashy color and pearly-girly guard kept me from spending any time with it. I recently picked up a 3EX1 from GC on the dirty cheap, and it really set my soul on fire. Someone paid to have it set up, there's no way it came from the factory this smooth lol.

I can't believe I played bass for 10 years and never picked up on the ATK goodness. Number please!
Click to expand...

Thanks for sayin' what I've been hinting at! :D
 
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