Guest MoJo Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 I remember before the introduction of the reissue ATK series that many basschatters rated the original ATK's as Musicman beaters. Original examples were few and far between. "If only they still made them", went out the cries. Ibanez must have listened and did just that and now we have a range of ATK's to choose from again. Thinking they would be snapped up in their droves and clung onto for dear life, I am surprised how many 'nearly new' ones appear on eBay. Were those that decried the demise of the original ATK's remembering them a lot better than they were or are the new one's just pants? I know they're fugly, that's for sure. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Nimrod Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 [quote name='bassman2790' post='90239' date='Nov 18 2007, 01:24 PM']I remember before the introduction of the reissue ATK series that many basschatters rated the original ATK's as Musicman beaters. Original examples were few and far between. "If only they still made them", went out the cries. Ibanez must have listened and did just that and now we have a range of ATK's to choose from again. Thinking they would be snapped up in their droves and clung onto for dear life, I am surprised how many 'nearly new' ones appear on eBay. Were those that decried the demise of the original ATK's remembering them a lot better than they were or are the new one's just pants? I know they're fugly, that's for sure. Mark[/quote] I picked up an ATK Series (4 string) factory Fretless which is excellent... Not sure that the 3 way switch works though, it'll have to be investigated. I think it's made in Korea, although there's no "made in..." anywhere on it. The active EQ is great, it plays lovely and the finish is just about perfect. Not sure about it being a 'Musicman beater' - I've never had one of those! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Burpster Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 ATKs the 1st time 'round had fragile trussrods, which is a shame because they were crackin basses aparently....Check out the Ibanez collectors forums..... Not sure the new ones are as radical now as they once were, as everything else has caught up.... ESP make some that'd blow teh Ibanez away.... As for being MM beaters...... I think the values of MMs speak for themselves ......! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Nimrod Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 [attachment=3645:ATK.jpg]Here's mine:- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markytbass Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Not sure about it being a 'Musicman beater' - I've never had one of those! [/quote] I tried both a Stingray and the new ATK through the same combo at Sound Control and ended up buying a Stingray. Not to say the ATK was crap or owt, it just didn't feel the same. The body felt big, and the neck fatter than the Stingray. The 3 way switch didn't really give much variation IMO. I have another bass with a MM pickup and a series/paralell switch and there is a distinct difference when switched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Nimrod Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 [quote name='The Burpster' post='90309' date='Nov 18 2007, 03:51 PM']As for being MM beaters...... I think the values of MMs speak for themselves ......! [/quote] New ATK300 - £318 New Sterling - £1100 That's why they cost more new *and* secondhand ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJA Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 in a review of the original ATK in Guitar magazine, they said that the 3-way switch positions were parallel, single coil + dummy coil, single coil + dummy coil but with treble roll-off. the treble roll-off setting seems a bit pointless when you have a treble pot. they should have put a series setting in instead, as on MM sterlings and ray5's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 One of my students has one of these and it's one powerful bass !! His ATK is built like tank with a big, deep neck and has some abalone inlays. It's really great bass and I can see why so many people go for them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Burpster Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 [quote name='David Nimrod' post='90320' date='Nov 18 2007, 04:05 PM']New ATK300 - £318 New Sterling - £1100 That's why they cost more new *and* secondhand ;-)[/quote] Thats my point exactly, you get what you pay for. Is it fair to compare, a Nissan Micra with a BMW 330? sure they both have 4 seats but thats where the similarity ends. The Ibanez was and is a great bass, but its not a MM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Nimrod Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 [quote name='The Burpster' post='90358' date='Nov 18 2007, 05:24 PM']Thats my point exactly, you get what you pay for. Is it fair to compare, a Nissan Micra with a BMW 330? sure they both have 4 seats but thats where the similarity ends. The Ibanez was and is a great bass, but its not a MM.[/quote] I don't want to get into economics - mostly 'cos I know very little about it ;-) But those two cars are both made in Europe, the guitars are built continents apart. I just don't think that 'you get what you pay for' is the full story... Musicman's brand value is higher than Ibanez (to some), & that's some of the cost. Btw, I don't doubt that the Musicman is a 'better' bass... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MoJo Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 [quote name='The Burpster' post='90358' date='Nov 18 2007, 05:24 PM']Thats my point exactly, you get what you pay for.[/quote] To a degree I would agree. However, as discussed in these forums before, the monetary value of a bass is affected by many factors, only one of which is the quality of the instrument and it's component parts. If the ATK had MusicMan on the headstock it would cost you an awful lot more than it does with Ibanez up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Nimrod Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 [quote name='bassman2790' post='90385' date='Nov 18 2007, 06:30 PM']To a degree I would agree. However, as discussed in these forums before, the monetary value of a bass is affected by many factors, only one of which is the quality of the instrument and it's component parts. If the ATK had MusicMan on the headstock it would cost you an awful lot more than it does with Ibanez up there.[/quote] Couldn't have put it better myself ;-) Another issue for me:- Playing a Musicman would in no way make me a better bass player. When I think it would - I'll buy one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy67 Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 mm play like pigs man! cant stand them! and that honky tone!! £1100 for one of them - feck £11 more like! had an original Ibanez ATK sunburst with maple neck and fretboard, triple humbacker and added jazz pup - it was superb another great regret of mine!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theosd Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 [quote name='David Nimrod' post='90386' date='Nov 18 2007, 06:32 PM']Couldn't have put it better myself ;-) Another issue for me:- Playing a Musicman would in no way make me a better bass player. When I think it would - I'll buy one![/quote] Some have said that MusicMan does make you a better player because of the accuracy you need in your fretting at 'honkier' settings =] I love mine, so easy to play and everything cuts through so well. It's a bass for life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markytbass Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Ive yet to find a MM that plays like a pig, the one in the rawhide string probably feels like a goat but I doubt it plays like one. I tried lots of basses whilst looking for my last purchase one being the ATK. As I already had a Cort GB34 (which I have modified) I felt that the ATK was a similar bass. The quality is the same but the Cort was half the price so I felt that I would be just taking a sideways step. As for putting a Musicman badge on an Ibanez yea the price might go up but I think people would notice the difference in quality and they would not sell at the inflated price. Look what happened to Rover when they started selling cheap poor quality re-badged cars, they didn't sell and the company went down the pan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy67 Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 sorry they dont all play like pigs! some like cows and moo like them too.....MM's for me are way over priced for what they are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MoJo Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 I don't think, from my experience anyway, that the quality on a Music Man is that outstanding. Had a good look at them at Music Live this year and played a couple and they're ok but quality is no better than most Yamahas I'd say and the gap between them and the licenced OLP's isn't that wide. I think the expression, "I tried one in a shop recently and ......" carries little weight as most guitars on display in shops these days are poorly set up and playing one in that environment does them little justice. One can get an idea of the weight, the balance, the overall finish and how they sound but I haven't bought one bass from a shop that didn't need some tweaking to get it to play at it's best. I had two OLP's a while ago and took one to my local luthier for a good set up. This guy works on all sort of vintage Fenders, Gibsons etc and was blown away when I told him that the OLP was less than two hundred pounds new. When it came back it played like an absolute dream. I've never had a bass before or since that felt as nice to play. Unfortunately even with a Seymour Duncan replacement pick-up and SD 3-band active EQ installed, I couldn't get on with it's tone live. It would have been great for a RATM tribute but not what I was looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Burpster Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 It appears something has been lost in this thread and its developing into a 'one camp or the other ' thread..... [size=4]The original post was about the ATK being an MM beater.... [/size] It is an unquantifiable comment. It will never be worth the same as an MM, it will not be as desirable as an MM, it MAY produce a different sound and tone, and it will always be a cheaper bass making it better value for money..... Does that mean its an MM beater? no, I'm sorry it doesn't, it just means its different. I refer back to my post above. The 2 cannot be compared, ( I admit my BMW-Nissan analogy wasnt thebest, it was however s'posed to illustrate a point). i.e. Its not fair to, or even ethical to compare two basses from completely different genres...... and to say one 'beats' the other is how journalists describe something when they wish to empahsise their beliefs on others. Could we get back to debating the merits of the ATK as an instrument and indeed where they all are now please.... FYI- I DO own an Ibanez, I do not own an MM (despite trying several, I like how they play but do not like the looks or electrics.) Is the MM out of my budget league? no it isnt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Nimrod Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 [quote name='The Burpster' post='90667' date='Nov 19 2007, 09:15 AM']It appears something has been lost in this thread and its developing into a 'one camp or the other ' thread.....[/quote] All the above are fair points... But to me the most interesting parts of this thread are these (and I know I'm going off at a bit of a tangent):- 1). What really makes for a good Bass guitar and why do we buy what we buy? 2). How much of the above is down to the image & the name on the headstock? Because I for one am not a good enough player to be actually held back by a £300 bass. So if I buy an expensive instrument (and I do) then it's for reasons of self indulgence ;-) Nothing wrong with that at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy67 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Burpster - stop shouting and calm down man! it comes down to the same thing for all basses - horses for courses! we are ripped of big time on the prices we pay for basses - there is a markup of at least 40% on all manufactured instruments as well as that an MM is in no way worth more than say an American standard pbass at £699 and I feel exactly the same about the Yamaha attitude at £1050 thank goodness that has been dropped to £700.....teh point I would like to think was being made is that occasionally some basses are made to the same standards as the 'standard' setter, only less cash to buy therfore making folk think long and hard about their purchase. Asian manufacturing processes, particularly yamaha Japan, are far more refined and much faster, producing large quantities, than ours and america's making the standard more achievable at far less the cost! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El_JimBob Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 What's wrong with a 40% markup? Or even a bit more? You think there aren't people out there who rely on that to make their living? Or who think it's worth it for the effort they put into setting it up and selling it? Thanks, you've made my day - just when i thought Asda selling guitar packs couldn't make me feel any worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy67 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 (edited) [quote name='El_JimBob' post='91030' date='Nov 19 2007, 07:21 PM']What's wrong with a 40% markup? Or even a bit more? You think there aren't people out there who rely on that to make their living? Or who think it's worth it for the effort they put into setting it up and selling it? Thanks, you've made my day - just when i thought Asda selling guitar packs couldn't make me feel any worse. [/quote] lots wrong with a 40% mark-up and thats generous!!!! people would make more of a living if things were more affordable!!!!! also...why pay £1100 for a music man when you can import them in new for hundreds less??? time shops woke up! when did asda start selling guitar packages???? Edited November 19, 2007 by andy67 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Nimrod Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 [quote name='El_JimBob' post='91030' date='Nov 19 2007, 07:21 PM']What's wrong with a 40% markup? Or even a bit more? You think there aren't people out there who rely on that to make their living? Or who think it's worth it for the effort they put into setting it up and selling it?[/quote] I don't really have much of an issue with a 40% markup for a shop (although it *is* pretty high). I just don't see why (for example) a MM Stingray actually costs that much to buy in the firstplace. And more importantly, whether it's high price is reflected in a proportionaly higher playing quality. Feel free to tell me if I'm a). repeating myself or . getting tedious. It's been a very long day ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 People,I have nothing to add,but..cant we calm down? a little....bit..maybe.....just.. (40% mark up is bloody criminal....Damn....shut up man) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El_JimBob Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Hey, sorry, didn't mean to hassle - i just find these days people are a little to quick to say if they think they're paying too much for something. Hey, i'm guilty of shopping around too, huh (even if i can buy everything at trade ) Asda have just started selling them this xmas - it's in their current ad campaign. Guitar and amp for £50. The lack of regulations in the music industry is criminal, but hey ho. Just got my work cut out for me this xmas trying to persuade punters to hand over 3x that amount for one of our packages.... Still, we've weathered the no overheads/no staff/low markup/zero profit storm for quite a while now. Hey, this is so totally the wrong place to be posting this. Sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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