Ibanez ATK300L

Made in 1996(Ibanez declaires this was the only year they made em) japan or indonesia. I got mine brand new through a family friend who had ties with Ibanez in December of 96. It features active electronics with a monster 3 coil pickup mounted in a very heavy brass bridge. The controls are great with boost/cuts for lows/mids/highs as well as a 3 way toggle switch for brighter tones.

This is the only lefty Ibanez I have seen with a wide neck, and now since I've grown so used to it i'm very picky about having a wide neck.

I use this bass for everything, I have used it for 10 years and it is my tone. I compare every instrument that I touch to it. I play everything from rock/metal to blues/country to punk/rockabilly to slap. Everytime I do anything in the studio I run this bass straight into an Avalon 737, tweak a few knobs and I've got what I want.
When I'm playing live I can punch through in even the worst situations(over zealous drummers, or deaf guitarists with their half stacks cranked) but that also has a lot to do with my cabs and heads.

When I flip the 3 way toggle to it's brightest setting I do get a very bright hum when I'm not playing, which can be fixed with a gate or when needed some minor eqing.

The sounds can be punchy and bright to what I call froggy and dull, but can always punch through on a mix when needed. When slapping I drop my mids on the bass completely and take the lows up all the way and leave the highs at the center detent, and then flip the 3 way to the middle position and theres my tones(atleast from the bass)

I love this thing, and can't say it enough

When I got it, I could have gone bow hunting the action was so high. The tone was thinned out a bit because the pickup was so far down from the strings.
Mine came with one serious flaw, it came with a right handed nut. So none of the strings sat in the nut right and made for some crummy problems. Which was easily replaced but I still had to replace it non-the-less.
Another problem is that the frets had some clear laquor on them that started peeling off in the higher registers and until I really cleaned them up gave me some nasty tone problems.
Again all of these were fixable but cost me money(now I can do it on my own though)

This bass has been dropped on a concrete floor(now I have strap locks) and it just made a minor nick to the finish. The laquor has worn down a bit but thats because its been constantly played for 10 years. The tuning stays and hardly ever has to be adjusted. I've only adjusted the truss rod a few times since I've had it. Primarily when I try new string gauges. It is extremely dependable. Just recently I had a new output jack installed because the stock one went bad about a year ago(early 2006) and started shorting. Simple fix just thing of it like changing the oil in your car. Minor things need to be done to ensure a long and healthy life.

Ibanez never responded to my emails regarding the nut or the fret issues, but I'm a big boy and can take care of this stuff with out them. I would have atleast liked a response saying "our bad, sorry", but thats what you get when you buy from a huge company.

I have been playing for over 10 years. When i'm playing live or practicing I use either a fender Bassman 300 head through a 410 and sometimes 115 or either one of the cabs. Or when i'm at home I use a fender BXR60.
This bass sounds great through these fenders. I have tried it through SWRs and Ampegs but was never able to get them to sound like the fenders.
In the studio I run direct through an Avalon 737(enough said) or sometimes i'll run multiple tracks with mics on my 115 and 410 and DI and just play with tones from there.
I have a fender Jazz bass(mexican made) that I have installed emg actives with 18 volts. Sounds good but the neck is nothing like the ATK's wide which makes me feel uncomfortable when using it. I have also had a Dean5 string with EMGs but that sucked so I traded it off.

I just want an ATK 305 in a lefty version!!!!!
I was so proud that Ibanez only made these models(ATKs in general) for a limited number of years, and that I actually scored on brand new...then they had to go and start manufacturing them again...worse yet slipknots bassist has a signature model atk now.

Ibanez ATK300L (left handed), made in Japan around 96. Purchased second hand but in mint condition. Ash body covered with see through black laquer, maple neck and maple finger board. One triple humbucker pick up, master volume, bass, mids and treble cut/boost features coupled to a three way switch (attack, bright & trad). Active electronics

When I received this bass the strings were totally dead. I replaced these with D'Adarrio Pro steels and was extremely impressed by the clarity and versatility of the sound. This bass is perfect for contemporary jazz, funk and rock. The sound is the brigthest of my five basses. If you play funky bass, this bass is so versatile that you immediately feel more confident because it sounds real good even without a compressor.

I don't know if the action is as it was set up at the factory, but its faultless. Unlike their Korean counterparts I am aware that the Ibanez Japan factory has a really good reputation for taking care in this area. The pick ups are perfectly set too, and even though this bass is second hand it looks brand new. I allways play standing up, and noticed how well ballanced this instrument feels. The neck is a joy to play, somewhere between a Fender Jazz and Precision I would say. In short, flawless!

I am a fan of Ibanez basses (less of a fan that they periodically totally ignore the lefty bass segment), its not the first I have owned. I don't see any reason why this bass would not last a life time if well taken care of, it seems to be totally solid and I cant imagine it letting me down during a gig. The only faults (typical with Ibanez) is the access to the truss rod adjustment and the access to the battery compartment for which a Philipps screw driver is needed. I shall mark the bass down 1 for those minor issues.

No warranty as second hand....My opinions about Ibanez as a company would tarnish this great bass, so I prefer to leave that as no opinion!

I am a drummer in my late 30's who had his first bass at sixteen to eventually take it up as my main instrument 8 years ago. I currently own 5 basses, so in addition to this Ibanez, a US Fender Precision + (hot rodded), A Musicman StingRay 4 fretless, a Vester 5 String and a Hohner B2A (Steinberger copy). When I need a four string that can do it all this will be my choice of bass as my Fender Precision hurts my right hand during intensive play (the neck is too broad for me) and does not cover the Slap Funk register nearly as well as this Ibanez. Otherwise I would have a tendancy to turn to the Vester 5 which remains my favorite, all be it a bit of a pain to handle in the EQ area.

I waited for 2 years in my search to pick up a second hand lefty ATK, so if it were lost or stolen it would be difficult to replace as Ibanez do not make any of the ATK range at this time and left handed models are particularly hard to find. That said I would certianly try to. In terms of features it has almost all that it needs, its very versatile. My favorite feature is the 3 way switch. The most annoying thing for me is the access to the truss rod. All in all no regrets at this is a great and original bass, and for the price paid an exceptional deal.