I really appreciate when you compare to other basses in your collection Lobster. I am fairly new to bass playing and it helps me train my ear to the different tones that are possible. Thanks for your review as always :)

Makes me miss my ATK300. Definitely a sick bass with a character all its own.

Thank you for your efforts ATK rules!

Geez, I'm gonna have nightmares of my basses talking to me now lol. Great sound out of that bass though! It's very impressive how close it gets to a real Stingray in that comparison

Definitely sounds a lot more like a Stingray than any of the Sterling models, in my opinion. It also seems to automatically EQ out a lot of the fret clank that can sometimes be prevalent in a Stingray.

This was such a great demo of the tonal range of the ATK. I have a 300 and a 305. I feel like I understand the ATK better now more than I ever have. Wasn't gonna sell/trade them before and I certainly won't now!

You’ve got the hands my man. The bass sounds great but it’s the hands that make the magic!

Back before I got my Stingray I used to lust after those Ibanez ATK basses. Now that I have a Stingray I can honestly say... I still lust for one of those Ibanez ATK basses! I thought the ATK had more upper mids and the Stingray had more low mids and sounded a bit warmer, but they did sound similar, like they would be classified in the same category of tone yet still have their own individual distinctiveness. Thanks for that comparison, through the whole first half of the video I was hoping the Stingray would assert itself again and demand a comparison. 😁

I've always liked the look of these. Ibanez does have a wide variety of basses that few match.

got one of these because of your videos! goes on all my songs now

I want one of these. Sweet bass!!

This is one of my all-time favourite basses! Like you said: a sound machine. Be it in the studio or on the stage, there is almost no sound you cannot get out of this monster! Also, it is veeeerry close to the iconic STINGRAY sound in my opinion...at a FRACTION of the price...! Having always been a fan of the IBANEZ bass sound, as it is far enough away from the "generic" P or J bass sound everybody and their uncle has, this is something that drew me closer to this bass. Mine is all black, with a matching headstock in black and I had someone custom-cut me out a polished metal pickguard to go along with the overall black-and-silver look of it. Now she is a true beauty, in looks and sounds! Only down side to it: the WEIGHT! It is really heavy (the metal pickguard does NOT help, I know!)...so for someone with back problems, a rehearsal or gig going beyond 1,5 or 2 hours can be quite challenging....

Personally, I thought the Ibanez beat the Stingray - even on Stingray mode - and I love that crazy oversized bridge plate.

Great Basses! The ATK Ibanez I had an Indonesian made 300 that I loved and sold still have a 5 Strings Japanese and next week is arriving the ATK 815! Can't wait!

Such a funk bass. So sad it was discontinued

I think this may be the closest you've gotten to a."do everything" bass. You really got a lot of different tones out of this beast.

Didn't know this bass existed and find it intriguing from looks-to-sounds. Now on my list of, "If the opportunity presents itself, try it out!"

Liked before the pre-video commercial started! All of me loves the ATK except, perhaps, my back...

I don't know whether I just have poor impulse control, or if you should be a bass guitar salesman. Every time I watch one of your videos, I want to buy a new bass... That's a nice collection you've got there, Lobster.

The Ibanez stuff is killer, my go to for the past few years has been an SRFF805, which was also discontinued and replaced with the SRMS series

I had an ATK300 and selling it was one of the worst decisions I've ever made. Love those basses 😫

That wood bass looks niccccee.

This Bass has the looks and the tone👍👍

What a Monster .I want one . Will have to keep an eye out for one on the used market. Shame its no longer made.. seem some lower spec ones the 300 and 400 but not the same really . You have an amazing collection. Some awesome basses.

I have a Stingray classic in coral red with white scratchplate and pickup which sounds fantastic but this bass might have been a better option for the versatility! Nice.

Yes! I was dreaming of this review (and of this bass too haha) A great review as usual. 5 claws!

I have the same bass and got one brand new before they stopped making it. I love it. It is in my opinion a one stop do it all bass. P Bass, J Bass, MM Bass of different sounds. I have a flock of other basses and this is my best sounding one. When I first got it, I was playing it and then I flipped a switch and said whoa this thing sounds like a Music Man bass, it took a while for me to put it down. Great versatile bass!

Stingray fanboy reporting for duty :D I was very curious about this bass, but until now, there was no review that really explored all the tones of this bass and I always thought that it wasn't mything. But I was surprised how close it is to the real thing. For me the 'Ray killer must sound like the 'Ray with all picking styles but must also have at least one thing from these: lower price/better range of tonality/better quality/more features. And frankly speaking, this ATK is almost there - I need a comparison with a pick. I know that some basses can sound really close to real 'Ray with fingers but with a pick is far from being close. Thanks for the review, I really appreciate yor work :)

I love the bass and I have an Ibenez The only thing that drove me crazy was the fret buzz your bass has going.

I actually really enjoy wooden pick guard, and overall natural finish. It’s a distinct look.

Hey lobster look what I found on reverb Fender Urge bass Stu hamm signature made in Mexico

I just decided to finally sell my ATK-310, because I always had problems with setting it to sound good in a rock band. My Jazz Bass sounds great in every setting in every context, and with the ATK I'm turning the knobs more than playing. I'm so tired of it, and wanted to let it go. And then you shared your favorite eq setting (that is rather counter intuitive for me). I must say, that in the headphones this setting sounds very pleasant. I guess I'll give it one last chance at the next rehearsal.

Imagine a conversation between LEL and Mitch from SweetWater. So soothing.

ATK is my favorite bass, if I ever get big with my band, I would definitely get a signature ATK. I have a 300 and I’d like to get one of these at some point too

Lobster, you're the best!...and you just sold me on the Ibanez!

Have always loved the ATKs , since day one (first time I heard was a 300 MIJ), Had one (300), and then bought a 1200 Prestige (Nr 0001!), and this last one does have a Quadruple bobine+ a Jazz bass in neck position, so you can have a 5 bobine massive sound! It would be nice if those could be kept under he radar for a while, they have been (specially the 5 string model) the Hip-Hop/Rap secret weapon for decades! Just got mine back from set-up+cleaning and new strings, will never need another Bass, and I've played 'top of the line' Music Man too! ps in my avatar's photo you can see a Sting Ray,lol!

I like the pickguard. It's different. Shame it's discontinued. I never owned one but there is really not much not to like about it. And the price was down to Earth as well. I believe towards the end of the run they gave it a more "Jazzy" and less "Rock" look. This is the bass that in the very first models made offered the "Bunker tension free neck". Now I bet those command a lot of money.

I learned how to play on a cheap jazz bass and eventually upgraded to an ATK. I have 0 interest in even getting another bass. I would like a model T or maybe a Reverend but I just cant justify it. This bass is so versatile, it really is all I need. Such a nice bass

I love the look of these. I'd love a 5-string version, but I've already put two basses together myself, and the ATK wouldn't unseat any of them in the pecking order. Great basses though.

Love the ATK basses; I had a five string model years ago and regret ever selling it. If you ever get the chance check out the discontinued Ibanez RD 500 ; very similar to the ATK series generally but very different tone wise. One of the most interesting preamps that I have heard in a mid range priced bass

Nice. Thanks for this video.

Every body should watch some live Kyuss and hear what Scott Reeder does with one of these, great player!

I had one of the special editions I think it was the ATK300. Was black with an engraved pickguard with an eagle on it. I loved that thing. Had it strung BEAD. Loved the neck. Had to let it go to pay a bill or two. Would love to get another.

I don’t know if I’d call it a “Stingray Killer”, unless you kept the preamp boosted over 50% (especially the mids and treble) at all times. It definitely bridges a cool gap between a P-bass and Stingray in that it has more of the low-end warmth of the former and the tonal shaping/flexibility of the latter. Really wish Ibanez still made these.

I ordered a used ATK805. The versatility is unreal! I had considered getting a Stingray HH model but the neck pickup being so close to the neck interferes with extended techniques. I also prefer a single coil or split coil in the Fender P position versus a giant Humbucker in a Rickenbacker neck position. I think having the neck pickup so close to the neck makes the tone way too polite.

And that Top of the line ATK may be very nice....but they quality and playability went down a GOOD bit as you went down in models!!!

Take the neck pickup and Everything on the pre amp turned down but 100% treble and you got every sound engineer's nightmare. Save your bass they might smash it on your head Although, I am loving those neck pickup tones all of them sound so great although like you said it sounds kinda like a Ricky sometimes You did a phenomenal job (as always) with this review man :)

I would also like to request a review of the ATK200. I also own an 810, but the 200 with one pickup sounds more energetic. I'm curious how you feel.

it needs to make a return

Ay, caramba, no! You should have used a neutral starting point with all tone knobs in the *middle* (that's what the center detent is for) and not at -12db. From the neutral starting point you can cut OR boost bass, mid and treble. Other than that, and not tuning the P bass, thanks a lot for taking the time to demo this still pretty good sounding bass.

Well, this is surely a very versatile bass - and although not exactly a "Stingray killer", I'd call it a worthy competitor. Very worthy. But I look at that monstrosity of a headstock and think to myself, "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!?!?" ;-) Especially the tuner layout - I mean, wait, what :D What's interesting, it doesn't look so drastically bad in the 5-string version - it's still not exactly a looker but at least there's no weird gap between the tuning machines like in the 4 string.

I wish I could find one of those atk 810 basses

wow those 2 sounded really close. it's a shame they discontinued it.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeah, I assumed that pickguard was clear plastic. I like the look overall, but a clear plastic (or whatever material) pickguard would prevent the two different grain patterns. It's like a record scratch in my brain. Overall, minor. I really dig this one.

Great sounding, especially the stingray mode, but is it me or do the older and less prestige models do the jazz bass sound better? (Different pick ups maybe?)

Tune that P-Bass properly ahahahah! About the ATK, in the moment you grab the real StingRay for the comparison at @16:00, I've closed my eyes and...then, I've discovered that the StingRay has just a bit more of "body" into its tone, but I've had several difficulty to discover any real difference. When you put these both in the different parts of a song, simply you won't know in any where you played the ATK and when you've played the StingRay. By the way, the mode 1 (the closest to the neck) of the humbucker is...a 2 humbuckers mode! At Ibanez said that this thing has the ability to transform his phantom coil into a real coil...boh, it seems like at Ibanez are using some kind of black magic for doing that! The 3rd mode is the single coil mode of the humbucker: technically, if you use both pickups at the same time, you got a Jazz Bass! So you had to compare it in this configuration with a real active Jazz Bass ahahahahah! I was just kidding, but the tone of this is tremendous (in a good way), along with his huge variety of tones: you can get a like-P-Bass tone, a Jazz neck tone, a (weird) double Humbucker mode, a StingRay tone and a full Jazz Bass tone. Cheers, Jöe

It is....CLAWRIFFIC!!!!

They are so HEAVY though!!!

When your basses talk to you and the audience hears it as well...🛸?

I just got an ATK300. The volume is definitely lower than my Stingray. Cool bass, though.

Those tiny EQ knobs, tho. I get a kick out of the Stingray talking deep.

Cool bass .maybe better string set or setup

It does really nice but I still like the Stingray bass a bit better than the Ibanez ATK bass.

Your P is passive, right? I love the ATK for its versatility, but you can't get that passive Precision pop note articulation out of the ATK. Maybe with a lot of engineering, like clever usage of multiple compressors or something. Damn, the P sounds good! The ATK was my first active bass. I was so psyched, like this is the future, I'm finally gonna have powerful tone. But now in my old age, I've finally matured, and think the passive sound is WAY better over active. Like I love all the high end inharmonic noise bases make, fretting sounds, finger slides, it's like the spice, the salt, on the food. But, I don't like that stuff on an active bass. They're all too forward, too bright, too chingy. Passives have just the right amount and tone of chingy clack, inharmonic kind of noises. They're in better balance with the actual harmonic note content of the bass. In production and mixing, I've struggled trying to take that high end clank down, and into balance. All my attempts at eq, and tonal compression, they just mess too much with the character of the bass sound overall. The bass sound starts to sound artificial. Basically, I've always tried to process active basses back down into passive sounding. Lol. Maybe the actives are better with overdrive, with more clanky high end to push into hairy, harmonic distortion? I don't have enough experience, really. I'm just getting back into guitar music. We'll see. But I'm sure I'm into passive pickups now. There is no going back to active!

should get an atk200 or 300 (they're somewhat the same) and compare that to a stingray or to the 810 too, it would be interesting :D

I LOL every time the Stingray shows up and gets offended about being compared.

They should have returned to the old 80's style headstock for this model. The headstock is like someone forgot to carve one and only paid attention to it before they put it in the box.

I like your review, but I feel like therre is too much compression on the sound in all your videos. Might be in part due to youtube

If Ernie Ball is so litigious then why haven’t they gone after G&L for the Kiloton? Looks a lot like a Music Man to me.

They sound super-close when pickup/preamp is set similarly, but the Stingray sounds a bit more round and full. Are the strings on both the same or same age? And, perhaps I missed it in the comparison, but are neck profiles similar?

3:06 you said it.

What about the neck shape ? More Musicman or closer to Fender ? I've had a MM Stingray and a MM Sterling and couldn't get used to the neck ! Too flat for my liking !

I’ve been looking to replace the tuners on my ATK305 with hip shot tubers, any suggestions on what the correct model would be of the hip shots as replacements?

The ATK definitely doesn't have the bite of the Stingray

Btw I thing the ATK have there own flavour

@Low End Lobster where did you order this Ibanez ATK810 from new old stock?

HIGHLY Customized USA Made Ibanez ATK. There is no other bass like it on the planet! Lot's of pics and detail below... The History on this particular bass: This is a fairly-rare, USA made, Ibanez ATK. Ibanez partnered with Dave Bunker (Trekker and Bunker Guitars) for the builds. Very few were made. This is a hand-made, boutique bass. If you search here on TB and the web, there is info on the USA ATK Custom history. This has the Trekker/Bunker patented, tensionless neck system. The steel bar holds all of the tension (the wood of the neck doesn't) and the amount of relief can also be adjusted (like a truss-rod). The monstrosity mods were initially conceived by Benjamin Strange, owner of Strange Guitar Works in NOLA (very reputable shop!). Benjamin started with a USA made Ibanez ATK (yes, truly made in the US)! He refretted the neck (with SS frets) and got everything completely level (with very low, buzz-free action, etc). The re-fret with stainless-steel frets (not many luthiers do this as it's more difficult I'm told). But they last forever and don't corrode. Benjamin gutted the stock electronics and added 3 additional pickup routes and 2 ceramic Seymour Duncan MM pups (on the outer sides) and 2 alnico SD MM pups (in the middle). Originally Benjamin had the 4 S.D. MM pups (2 inner are Alnico and 2 putter are Ceramic) were wired to 4 individual switches (3-way with off, series, parallel) and one master volume knob. It was all passive. I bought it this way from Benjamin Strange. Enter v 2.0.... I wanted to put this thing in BEAST-MODE so I contacted my good buddy and electronics guru, John Dahlman and we came up with this game-plan to take this bass to the next (and insane) level!!! I ordered an Audere Pro 4-band preamp with a stacked volume and balance control. The 4 knobs underneath are (going from the neck to the bridge) treble, high-mid, low-mid and bass. John rewired the switches and now each pickup's own individual switch is (from the bottom) off, single-coil and humbucking (in series). When in single-coil mode, only the coil towards the center of the body is activated. The balance control is wired to pan between the two neck pickups and the two bridge pickups. There is an Audere Z-mode switch next to the volume/balance stack. Finally, John installed the Audere battery strength L.E.D. on the input jack plate (which only comes in for a second when the cord is first plugged in). The result....it's even better than I could have imagined!!! Soooooooo many tonal options. I can get a Stingray sound, P sound, J sound, Rick sound, etc. It's crazy!!!!! It's far less complex to use than it may appear at a glance. It's a pretty intuitive setup the way it's laid-out. The bass has it's share of dings, etc, but functionally....it's 1,000%! There is no other bass like it on the planet. Questions....feel free to PM me! Lots of blood, sweat, tears and $$$$$ went into this beast!

Why does the Lakland 55-02 not sound this good?

Wow, knee deep in tone...

What’s a good 5 string semi hollow?

Serpently sounds like a stingray.....what's the used price of one of these?

Holy crap. This bass is ridiculous. It'll blow you away with the bass. Cut your head off with the treble. I think I'm gonna have to get one.

i don’t know maan .. like it is cool but not Stingray cool.. I love Ibanez and MusicMan, but the better “StingRay Bass” is indeed the StingRay by MusicMan. sowwy Ibanez u great too

The ATK beats the Stingray, imo. Beats it at the Stingray sound, and just beats it all around with all of its tonal range. But... It's a boat anchor.

Your ATK, has a pretty bad buzz in the pre, I think. Both of my ATK's haven't made that sound. Don't know if it's just a low battery? Yeah, hate that wooden pick guard. I had an original Japanese ATK, think 400 at the moment, it was orange, not bursted, and it looked amazing, and had a plastic pickguard. It was stolen. F'ers. But bought a second re-issue, from Korea, blue curly maple top, with no pickguard. Yuk. The blue faded, so the yellow maple, kinda comes through the pale blue, not a good look. And without the pickguard... it looks like a dinner table. Maybe I can get a first version ATK pickgard... gonna google that right now!

Ehmmm.... that treble at 100% was _very_ unpleasant and was similar to someone scratching his nails on a chalkboard...😳 Other than that, it's a quality instrumen with a wide range of usable sounds. Great for a studio musician I bet.

We all know your stingray isn't really sentient. We know it can't talk and we definitely know it can't teleport. Nice try though. Hope your hand gets better.

My introduction to ATK's was this video from 2010; kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mMxyaJmGq83XeWQ.html

Sounds good, but not like their own bass. Just trying to copy the far superior stingray,🤙

Treble... 100%... Nope the F out of that setting!

Honestly I think that bass is very unappealing to me in sound. Stingray still wins. And when played the p bass there was a sigh of relief. As much as i love ibanez this one just doesn't do it. Just my opinion. Im also a stingray freak loloo

Worlds ugliest bridge. A headstock that looks like a total afterthought.

Hi Lobster🦞, Hope you are well. Thought would drop you a note. to say I've bagged one of these off eBay today for £425 , Cannot wait to try it out. Still love all what you do. I am also working on my own Fender Jazz but White, not the beautiful orange like yours. , Just finding it hard to find the Delano Pickups, only 1 seller in UK and been out of stock. I have Darkglass 2 band Spector Pre Amp to go in it :) Stay safe my friend. Stu 🦞🎸🤘💥🐈‍⬛