1998 Ibanez ATK300, Natural (MIJ)
Year: 1998
Finish/Color: Natural
Made in: Japan
Factory/Plant: Fujigen Gakki
While it earned the nickname “The poor man’s StingRay”, many players find the Ibanez ATK300 to be a much more versatile beast than its inspiration. The heart of this bass is the massive Triple-Coil pickup and the 3-band active EQ. Unlike the classic Ray, the ATK features a 3-way Character switch that allows you to toggle between traditional humbucking, a bright single-coil attack mode, and a unique traditional setting. It’s a Japanese-engineered powerhouse that offers all the punch of a boutique Californian bass, but with a rugged, no-nonsense attitude that has made it a cult favorite for decades.
Did you know? The ATK300 is one of the few Ibanez designs that feels more “Old School” than modern. To achieve that signature StingRay-on-steroids tone, Ibanez used a massive bridge plate and a substantial Light Ash body, giving it a physical resonance that you can feel in your chest. This Natural finish specimen is a purist’s dream, showing off the heavy grain of the Ash.
The tell: How to spot a Japanese ATK300
Ibanez launched the ATK in 1995, and the early ones came out of Fujigen – the same Nagano workshop that built the Fender Japan reissues I keep going on about elsewhere in the vault. Later production moved offshore. Mine is a 1998, serial F98xxxxx, and the country stamp sits on the back of the headstock. If you’re hunting one, check that before you check the finish. A Fujigen ATK and a later one are not the same instrument, whatever the model number says.
The heft: Is the ATK really that heavy?
Yes. Sort of. Mine weighs ~4,2 kg on the bathroom scale. The weight isn’t really the issue though – it’s the footprint. That big ash body sits differently against you than a Precision does, and if you’re used to a slim Ibanez Soundgear it will feel like someone handed you a piece of furniture. Give it a set and you stop noticing.
The endorsement: Why Paul Gray picked one
The ATK300 was always the affordable option in the line, which is exactly why it ended up on stages where gear gets destroyed. Paul Gray of Slipknot played ATKs, and you can hear why: the triple-coil cuts through a wall of down-tuned guitars in a way a passive P-Bass simply won’t. Nobody buys an ATK to be subtle. It’s called Attack for a reason.
Reported sighting: The 1998 Ibanez ATK300, Natural (MIJ) have been spotted.
All about that bass, no treble
You’ve come to the end of the page, but don’t worry! This bass collection is meant to be played and seen and there’s more low-end rumble from Fender bass, Gibson basses, Epiphone, Lakland and many more for you to discover in The Bass Vault.