Ibanez has announced the return of the big-bodied, big-necked ATK bass to the Ibanez line. Two main versions will be offered.

The upper-end version, the ATK700, features a light ash body, quilted maple top and a 5pc maple/walnut neck and will be available in two finishes, Blue Moon and Natural. The list price will be $933.32.

The basic version, the ATK300, features a light ash body and a 3pc maple neck with maple fretboard. The four-string version of the ATK300 will be available in three finishes: Black, Natural and Tri-Fade Burst. The list price will be $666,65. The five-string version, the ATK305 will be available in Tri-Fade Burst finish and will list for $706.65

The ATK’s signature feature is a 3-coil pickup, which is accessed by a special character switch that allows rapid changes of tone, all in humbucking mode. The most noticeable feature is the bridge, which has been placed, as are the pickups, to facilitate slapping and popping techniques. The ATK bridge also allows through-body stringing for more low-end and sustain, or through-bridge stringing for more high-end and attack.

Remarked Paul Specht of Ibanez Communications: “The ATK was released in 1995, when grunge was still in force, to be our ‘anti-Soundgear’ bass. Where our Soundgear is sleek, sexy, and narrow necked, the more aggressive ATK was designed for players who wanted a big-bodied, big-necked bass with the resulting huge tones you can only get from the combination.”

Various ATK’s were made in Japan, Korea and the United States from 1995 to 1999, when the bass was discontinued due to changing music trends and rising interest in other Ibanez models like the Soundgear and the BTB.

For more information, visit their web site at www.ibanez.com.

Source: Harmony Central

Ernie Ball proudly heads into the 2007 year with an array of new instruments fit for the Ernie Ball Music Man family including the Ball Family Reserve Series of Instruments, the 2007 addition to the Limited Edition Series, and the 20th Anniversary edition of the Music Man Sting Ray 5. Blending original features with modern improvements, these new models will debut at the Ernie Ball booth at the 2007 Winter NAMM show (January 18th-21^st).

Ball Family Reserve Series
The last of a dying breed, the Ball family makes guitars and basses exclusively in the United States and is proud to offer the Ball Family Reserve line of instruments – an exceptionally finished and figured selection of instruments that celebrate the company’s heritage in instrument construction and craftsmanship. The rare pieces in this collection will be limited runs and include a distinct collection of instruments that, until now, were reserved exclusively for members of the Ball family and loyal Ernie Ball-endorsed artists.

Limited Edition 2007 – The Return of Blue dawn
Back by popular demand, the latest installment of the highly anticipated limited edition series features none other than the return of Blue Dawn. Blue Dawn’s rare color combination features an opaque Blueburst finish beautifully accented by vibrant sparkles. A limited edition Mother of Pearl inlay will adorn the 12th fret, enhancing the overall appeal and allure. A plush-lined, custom Royal Blue case (included), keeps the instrument well padded and secure. Available for a limited time only, the 2007 Limited Edition enhancements will be available on all Music Man instruments, with the exception of the Steve Morse SMY2D.

20th Anniversary Sting Ray 5
The perfect sibling to its four-string counterpart, Ernie Ball Music Man is proud to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Music Man Sting Ray 5. Exclusive to this anniversary instrument, a new pre-amp was specially designed to accentuate the low-end frequencies while gaining additional clarity, sustain and response. Paying tribute to the earliest Sting Ray 5 models, the instrument’s pickups come equipped with the ever-popular Alnico magnets. Further improvements include an inlayed mahogany Tone Block centered underneath the sweet spot of the pickups and a five-bolt neck attachment providing smoother access to higher frets. This anniversary edition instrument features an Ash body with a maple top in an exclusive custom California Sunset finish.

Lakland Music Company, a Chicago-based bass guitar manufacturer, has added another line of custom wound pickups to its offerings. The new line, to be unveiled Jan. 17 at the winter National Association of Music Manufacturer (NAMM) trade show, features a wide tonal range and frequency response and superb output that aims to deliver a “well-produced” sound. The new line, which will be named by Lakland enthusiasts through an upcoming contest, is expected to be in full production by Apr. 1. It will be manufactured at the Lakland factory in addition to the recently released LH3 pickup and preamp system.

Basses fitted with five of the new configurations will be available at the NAMM show (Lakland booth) for evaluation. They include a passive single coil Alnico magnetic pickup (SC-AL4), influenced by the Hagstrom Bi-Sonic and available for four-string only, and a passive, high-output dual single coil Neodymium magnetic pickup (SC-ND4 and SC-ND5). In addition, Lakland will show its new active dual Neodymium humbuckers (HB-ND4 and HB-ND5) paired with the recently released LH3 preamp system. The new active configuration also will feature an additional tone control “mini-knob,” which will allow the player to roll off treble like a normal tone control in both active and passive modes. All Neodymium pickups will be available in both four- and five-string configurations.

“Initially, the plan was to develop a product with Alnico magnets that would produce a warm classic sound, reminiscent of Hagstrom Bi-Sonics,” says Lakland founder, Dan Lakin. “But when we got to the five-string version, the Alnicos weren’t giving us the output we wanted. Once we went to the Neodymium magnets, a whole world of other possibilities suddenly opened up. Now we have passive pickups that can deliver the clarity and output of many active systems, and active humbuckers that offer unparalleled frequency response and output quality. The result is an incredible variety of choices in terms of bass tone, including tone similar to that heard on a fully mixed recording.”

The pickups, designed and manufactured in a joint venture between Lakland and Chicago-based Hanson Electronics, will initially be available in a MM-style shell only, but future plans call for a retro-style chrome and black shell in three different configurations. Lakin also reports that the availability of the passive dual single-coil pickup in five-string configuration will spur the development of a five-string version of the Decade model. Skyline versions are expected to be available by the end of the year.

Once in production, pickups from the new series will be installed as standard on all Lakland Decade and Hollowbody basses and will be offered as an option on most other models.