ATK info please, Jeroen

[pjmuck]

I've come across a few posts on the web indicating that Ibanez made ATK basses in the US for a brief time. if so, when did they cease and did they ever make lefties in the US?

[danomite64]

The USATK4 and USATK5 only shows up on the July 1995 and January 1996 price lists, and there's no lefty version mentioned. They were made by the guy who makes Bunker guitars (David Bunker?), so he'd know if he made any lefties.

[andrew]

The USATK4 and USATK5 only shows up on the July 1995 and January 1996 price lists, and there's no lefty version mentioned. They were made by the guy who makes Bunker guitars (David Bunker?), so he'd know if he made any lefties.

Good answer! Thanks Dan.

[Jeroen]

Yep, what Dan said, and there has indeed never been a lefty version.

They feature a very interesting 'tension-free neck' which is based around a steel rod where the nut and headstock are attached too, and a wooden outer shell that is not prone to the tension of the strings because the steel rod takes up all of it. It is ugly as hell though, as the headstocks on all USATK's I've seen don't fit very well.

The only lefthanded ATK's out there are the ATK300 (both Korean (trans amber and trans black) and Japanese (trans black only) made versions), ATK305 (Japanese made only, trans black only) and the PGB1 (Paul Gray signature, a fourstring tuned to B).

This is a USATK5. Note that all hardware and electronics are 100% identical to that of the Asian-made ATK's, and how the headstock is separated from the rest of the neck:

[AzWhoFan]

Methinks Jeroen sleeps on a bed made of ATK cases.

[pjmuck]

Thanks for the explanation, Jeroen. I agree, that headstock is weird as hell.

[AustinLeftyBass]

I played a Bunker bass back in the early 80s, it was quite strange.