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Official ATK Club
- Thread starter Justin Tuskey
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And you've been running our club all this time?! Munity!!!!!
Hahaha sorry guys. Hey as a musician I am learning every day!
....its always a good excuse
what i love about ATKs is that they're so cheap and yet theyre so good!
I'd kill for that ATK pepa, its beautiful.
I'd kill for that ATK pepa, its beautiful.
Eutgard, it's the best looking ATK I've ever seen!
Such a pity that white version is available only in Asia.
Such a pity that white version is available only in Asia.
Great basses and very under-rated. Here's my '95 lefty that I just grabbed off ebay. Haven't had time to shoot better pix, so this is the auction photo:
Question for you ATK owners: The tonal differences when I switch the 3 position pickup switch are virtually indistinguishable from one another. I do hear very subtle differences when the treble is dialed all the way on, but I was expecting greater tonal variations. Does this sound right, or could there be something wrong? When the switch is in the back position and I tap on the PUP, only the 1st coil (coil closest to bridge) is on, but when I switch to the middle and front positions both back and front coils are on and sound almost exactly the same (I think the middle position is giving me slightly more treble). But in none of the positions do I hear the middle coil on full. ???
Question for you ATK owners: The tonal differences when I switch the 3 position pickup switch are virtually indistinguishable from one another. I do hear very subtle differences when the treble is dialed all the way on, but I was expecting greater tonal variations. Does this sound right, or could there be something wrong? When the switch is in the back position and I tap on the PUP, only the 1st coil (coil closest to bridge) is on, but when I switch to the middle and front positions both back and front coils are on and sound almost exactly the same (I think the middle position is giving me slightly more treble). But in none of the positions do I hear the middle coil on full. ???
I can understand people not being able to distinguish the neck and middle positions. since the only difference is that the neck position has a high-pass filter. the bridge position sounds nothing like the other position. Bridge position turns the pup into an MM humbucker.
Yeah I don't understand how people have a hard time telling the humbucker apart from the single coil ones. I didn't really hear the difference between the 2 single coils for a long time but started hearing them a couple of years ago.
Doesn't really matter cos I'm in the heathen Bassculture.de pickup using camp
Doesn't really matter cos I'm in the heathen Bassculture.de pickup using camp
I was meaning to ask about that - what other pickup options do I have if I want something a little different? Or is it even worth it to change out the Pickups in one of these? I've got a basically new ATK305 ..
I think the charm of ATKs is the combination of the body, the fretboard, the huge bridge, string-through possibility and the pickups. The combination of all this makes it a very solid ringing but punchy bass. Changing parts in it whole just changes the tone and style of an ATK. Some might do it, but then it's no longer an ATK and maybe it is better/cheaper/more practical to get another bass guitar.
You're probably right.. I just didn't know if there was an aftermarket ATK pickup that might be better than the stock one but do the same basic thing. But then again maybe I'll just pick up an inexpensive P-Bass ..
Still, try out an ATK -- you might be surprised and impressed of the sound, unless you checked one out already and know how it sounds, of course.
I reversed (360 degrees) the pickup in my atk and I hear a very noticeable difference when changing switch positions. I felt the atk always sounded in attack mode. Now it sounds maybe like is suppose to. 
lol funny i said 360, I left it for lol purposes, i meant 180
lol funny i said 360, I left it for lol purposes, i meant 180
I REALLY don't think this is the case, my Bassculture pickup hasn't changed alot of the intrinsic ATK qualities, it's just got rid of the one I had begun to dislike quite a bit. I can still hear all the ATKs unplugged acoustic qualities, they're just picked up a little differently and renewed my love for the bass.
I wouldn't call it expensive either, my Bassculture.de ATK pickup cost me about £80 - (about $170 or 130 euros), and considering the things are about £400 new, I don't see it as that much money.
Mines an old '90s Japanese one and I value it alot more then any of the new ones too, so I personally think it was more then worth it, I've never played a bass I've been so happy with the feel of, I much prefer it to a Stingray which would have cost me more then twice as much overall. Alot of other people seem to prefer a Bassculture.de loaded ATK over a Stingray too.
A pickup can only amplify what unplugged sound you already have, and while it can do this in alot of different ways, it won't remove what unplugged characteristics are there.
If your looking for something with a bit more depth, then perhaps try out an ATK loaded with a neck Jazz pickup. I love the sound of Jazzes, but I'm not a big fan of the bridge pickup, but I love the sound of bridge humbuckers, so I'm getting some routing done to get a Jazz in the neck of mine. Once I get that done and get a pre I like THEN I'll have probably spent a bit too much money, but I love the feel of my ATK and the unplugged sound more then any bass I've ever played, so I reckon it's worth it, the next steps probably to take it to a luither and spend about a grand getting a boutique copy made, but that's a looong way off.
I reversed (360 degrees) the pickup in my atk and I hear a very noticeable difference when changing switch positions. I felt the atk always sounded in attack mode. Now it sounds maybe like is suppose to.
lol funny i said 360, I left it for lol purposes, i meant 180
Interesting. I might give that a try. I would imagine it changes the tone substantially, however, since your humbucker tone would be closer to the neck now, right? Perhaps a beefier (though less signature) tone? I wouldn't be surprised if Ibanez installed my PUP in wrong anyway, given their propensity for oddball gaffs when trying to make lefties.
(on mine, the EQ knobs turn clockwise while the volume knob turns counter-clockwise; they installed a righty nut on my lefty; came with a righty case, etc.
)
No worries - my current axe is an ATK305
I'm always just looking for ways to make everything better if possible, though. This year's gear money was all about buying a bass (the ATK) after my other one was taken away from me, and also about getting my "sound" together (i.e. pedals, etc) .. the next big thing is going to be an extension cab for my amp .. after that I'll probably look at collecting a few different basses.. I'm REALLY jonesing for a T-Bird, but I wish they made a less expensive 5-string, which they don't.
ok those who have been waiting for a number patiently, I apologize. its one of those things that will only take a second, but you still get lazy sometimes 
q1014 - 75
soul rebel - 76
SubXero - 77
Rogatywka - 78
Lowbrow - 79
BoskiDominik - 80
roro92 - 81
pepa - 82
eutgard - 83
Joseph.Magnum - 84
pjmuck - 85
Wow, getting up there in numbers
That white ATK is clean, and pepa if you added another string to your blue ATK, I would come find you
q1014 - 75
soul rebel - 76
SubXero - 77
Rogatywka - 78
Lowbrow - 79
BoskiDominik - 80
roro92 - 81
pepa - 82
eutgard - 83
Joseph.Magnum - 84
pjmuck - 85
Wow, getting up there in numbers
That white ATK is clean, and pepa if you added another string to your blue ATK, I would come find you
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