Atelier - Yay or Nay?

[binky_bass]

Evening all,

 

Has anyone got any experience with Atelier basses? I have the opportunity to pick up an Atelier Z Beta 6/32, from the little I've heard, these are decent beasts hand made in Japan.

 

Has anyone played one/own one? What's the verdict? 

 

Ta! Russ.

[BlueMoon]

Go for it!

 

Top draw quality instruments.

[LeftyJ]

I own an Atelier Z Baby Z-4J, a shortscale 4-string with the basic shape of a Fender Mustang but with modern features - JJ pickups, active 2-band boost-only pre, titanium reinforcement rods (KTS Support) in the neck, quality hardware (Gotoh GB1 tuners and custom Hipshot B-style bridge with 16.5 mm spacing) and their trademark natural finish with plexi pickguard. It's a fantastic beast that plays and sounds fantastic and takes a ridiculously low action, even compared to my longscale basses. It sounds a lot tighter than you'd expect with the 30" scale, it's snappy, punchy, clear and defined. I love it, and there's only one other bass I would trade it for - the same model in reverse PJ! 

I believe the Baby Z model isn't handmade by Atelier Z themselves though, but rather a limited run built by Fujigen - as are all Atelier Z models with titanium reinforced necks. 

 

Atelier Z has two different ranges of Beta instruments: the Beta (high-end, handbuilt in their own workshop) and the Beta DLX (with KTS Support titanium reinforced necks, and quite a bit more affordable). You can tell them apart by looking for the KTS description in the neck specs. I don't know which series the 6/32 belongs to, and can't find it. I did a quick search and don't see this mentioned with the Beta 6/32, so I recon these are actually handbuilt by Atelier Z. Looks like a ton of fun at 32" scale! 

 

Edit: needed pics.

 

Edited April 13, 2023 by LeftyJ

[pierreganseman]

can't go wrong with a Z 

[Paulhauser]

Hey Russ, this one effectively put an end to my quest of a 5 string superjazz. I got this 5 years ago, still have it and still regard it as one of the finest crafted instruments I ever laid my hands upon

Atelier Z M-265

 

 

 

[Paulhauser]

@binky_bass come to think of it I've written a NBD post here so it'll give you a better idea....

[BlueMoon]

I liked my first M245 Custom so much, I’ve some how accumulated a few more Atelier Z’s.

 

Gratuitous pic time: