LeftyJ

That does indeed look like an early 1980s Precision Bass Special. The routing channel to the battery box on the back checks out, even if (strangely!) it is not being used and the battery for the EMG's is in the control cavity! Edit: Most likely a refinish, the Special never came in Antigua - although custom finishes have been known. John Deacon of Queen had one in Sahara Taupe (which was used on Under Pressure, among others), but the standard colours were only Lake Placid Blue, Candy Apple Red and Arctic White, according to Google. I must add the finish does look convincingly like some aged Antigua basses from around 1980 that I've found online.

These are a Chicago Music Exchange / Andertons exclusive, and indeed somewhat limited. And thank god! That Lavender Haze sure isn't pretty.

That shouldn't be how it's wired. I've had three of these, and they were volume, tone, preamp gain and 3-band EQ, so you could boost or cut the EQ curve without having to change 3 knobs, and so you could match the output to the passive level. There is no pickup balance, only the 3-way switch. The gain knob only works in active mode, obviously.

Love that oldschool Kahler 1026-BD Heavy Resonator bridge! Looks a lot like the bridges on the 1980 Precision Bass Special, Fender's first active offering, but the saddles are different. I'm a bit thrown by the hole below the bridge. I've seen those on 1980s US Fender bodies, and on few else. Do you have pics of what it looks like underneath the pickguard? I'm wondering if this actually could have been a Precision Bass Special. That would be routed like this, with an extra channel to a battery box on the back (but minus the bridge pickup route, which was added later), but I don't think it came in Antigua:

Wonderful! I also wish i still had my first TRB5II in Amber. It was my first proper bass, after starting out on an old Japanese Condor Jazz Bass. I bought it new around 2003 and loved it. I sold it after getting a used luthier-made 5-string with a 34" scale, which suited me better than the TRB's 35" scale, but I did end up missing it somewhat. I later had a used trans blue one for a while, but sold that when I got a Stingray 5. I have fond memories of both TRB's though, they were incredibly solid and sounded fabulous.

I see! I was confused because they've still put them in a casing that mimics the look of the 3 blades on the original triple coil.

Interesting! On the old ATK's it was parallel - north - north with a treble cut (and the center coil activated in both single coil settings as a phantom coil).

Can you believe this is actually a smaller-bodied model compared to the original ATK shape? Those can be even heavier! The 200 (and several other more recent models) have a slightly slimmed-down body shape, it's not as wide as the original ones. Helps when looking for a case that fits. And the headstock is just slightly narrower as well. I've had three MIJ ATK's from the 1990's and all of them were boat anchors - especially my 5-string ATK305. They were wonderful basses, and I somewhat regret selling my first one. I've had them alongside a Stingray 5 for a few years, and as far as comparison goes I think they were very similar - both in weight, tone and feel. The neck shape of the ATK305 was a really close match to the SR5. The main difference in feel was the satin lacquer finish on the ATK (but polished to a gloss by years of playing) versus the oil finish on the Ray. Tonewise, the Ray had more clank and less mid scoop with all set to neutral, and was overall the more agressive sounding of the two. The ATK had a trimpot on the preamp board to adjust the output level, but even when matching it to the Ray it was still the more polite sounding of the two. Both had that distinct brightness but on the Ray this started at a lower frequency, it seemed, which helped it punch through a mix just a bit better. Both were fantastic basses though, and the ATK punched well above its price point. Enjoy!

Höfner posted an update on their socials today to clarify one or two things: Dear musicians, Höfner fans & friends, some of you may have already heard: our company has been going through a difficult period - especially since the introduction of the US tariffs - and filed for insolvency on Thursday, 11 December 2025. We would like to clarify a few things: We are not discontinuing production, distribution or our media channels. In Germany, there is a three-month period before the actual insolvency procedure is opened. This period offers the opportunity to consolidate the company and restructure it for a better future. Within this period, we will continue to build and sell our instruments and the Höfner team is doing its best to provide you with the support, service and warranties you expect. We would like to express our appreciation to all of you who continue to support us even in these difficult times! Thank You! The team at Karl Höfner GmbH & Co. KG

FTFY. It is very much still the same company. To be fair though, Gary Levinson operated from Switzerland but no guitars or basses were actually built there. The manufacturing was done in Japan at first, and later in Korea. The one @Brian18242 posted is the Blade Austin Classic, and is made in China.

That's sad, such an iconic brand. I'd love to own a Club Bass one day, but they're too expensive to justify how little I would play it (as there were never any lefty Icon, Ignition or Contemporary Club basses, only Violin basses - but I really don't care for those even if it is arguably THE most iconic lefty bass out there).

That's certainly an acquired taste! Somewhat reminds me of the Jackson Anti Gravity too, which was designed by the late Harry Fleishman. This was the original prototype, which borrows heavily from Kubicki. The production instrument by the Jackson Custom Shop kept the overall shape, but without the fanned frets, with regular magnetic pickups and with a pointy headstock:

And this one, about that same awful song:

And this classic:

At first glance I thought they only changed the saddle design, but I see they went with intonation screws instead of the free sliding saddle that locked in place. Interesting choice.