Music Man Joe Dart Signature Bass First Look
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- Опубліковано 13 вер 2024
- We're taking a first look at the Joe Dart Signature Bass from Music Man. This went on sale in March of 2019 and 5 months later the first ones have started to ship. I must have done something right, because I was given one of these by my wife as a gift.
I know this video doesn't have any tips on saving money on your gear, but in a future video I'll be comparing this bass with other Music Man Sterling basses from other price ranges to see if we can get some of that Joe Dart tone on a smaller budget.
1:53 Close up details
3:01 How does it sound?
If you have any specific basslines you'd like to hear on the Joe Dart bass let me know in the comments!
*but what does the volume knob do*
It's for when you're living so loud, you can turn it down.
A lot of people don't know this, but the original design for the Joe Dart Signature bass featured two knobs. Jack Stratton is said to have perfected a knob that could increase or decrease funkiness using as-yet unknown properties of nanoparticles, quarks, and paradiddles. Shortly after inventing this control, it was discovered that there was only one setting worth using, and that was all the way up, or "Funky" in the common vernacular.
The only requirement left was to allow the creation of said funk in a low volume manner. As we all know from Professor Stratton's groundbreaking paper "On the Musical Dynamics of Funky Basses", the volume of a given funk is not constant, but is in fact relative and some speculate may even be attuned to the grooves that turn you off.
The remaining "volume control", still present on the bass to this day, is the perfect compliment to an instrument with the funk set on full. Rotating the knob produces a linear attenuation to the electrical signal produced by the pickups, thereby reducing this output in a pleasing way.
It's like an anti compression knob at 10 and a poor man's compression at 1-2
Sometimes you might be playing a show and find that - your bass is too loud or too quiet - we put a unmistakeable - can't miss it - volume knob.
@@LukasParzinger That'll never catch on. Real men use the volume knob on their amp! Why would you need anything else?
Flush the toilet
Did you know that the bass is shipped with those exact strings on it?
That's impossible!
Almost Free Bass that’s true.
@@skraegorn7317 yeah
That's true!
this bass really goes
It really is a funk bass
You think it's not versatile, YOUR NOT VERSATILE...
it really does go
The longer I watch this video, it gets funkier
literally Theodore Roosevelt #NoMireGovernmentSubsidiesForBass
#VlanceArmstrength
You think Vlance Armstrength is shifting to the active bass boost granny gear in the French Alps?
derek reed no, your eating 4 pounds of white flour pasta.
4 pounds of white flour pasta A NIGHT, just putting in the work!
@@boiboi7717 stop whining!
AttakaiMusic NO MORE government subsidies for active basses
yeah! talk to em
Pretty versatile
You'd be surprised how many "one trick pony" comments there have been. I'm making a new video to .. address those concerns.
@@almostfreebass9105 oh yeah haha. Cant wait.
Almost Free Bass those people aren’t versatile
@@CouchEconomyTX you think vlance armstrength is shifting into the active bass granny gear in the French alps
You think this isn't versatile? YOU'RE NOT VERSATILE
"You think Vlance Armstrength is shifting into the active bass-boost granny-gear in the French Alps? No, this is a 1982 single-speed Bridgestone; you're eating 4 pounds of white flour pasta a night, just put it in the work, cut from a tree, okay? Stop whining! No more government subsidies for active basses!"
It really does go.
WAIT A MINUTE JOE DART BOBBLEHEADS EXIST?
Of course
This bass really does sound unique, but I feel like nobody in the world except Joe dart can do it justice
Welcome to Almost Free Bass. Today, I'll be reviewing this $2,000 bass....
Phillip Simmer Yeah, that's what Music Man basses cost new. And?
thats not very expensive for an instrument
Look at a wildly overpriced German Warwick or a new Les Paul or ES 335 if you want to be offended by price-quality ratio. Music Man makes some of the absolute best, most consistently excellent (seriously- they're always GREAT) mass-produced instruments currently extant. I think 2 grand is kinda too high, but looking around at other instruments' price tags shows me that it apparently isn't.
@@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney $2000 is relatively cheap for a quality instrument. It is not hard to spend $4k+ on high end instruments
C.J Armstrong Yeah, but specifically Music Man's prices have ballooned a little disproportionately lately. I love Music Man instruments (I own 5) and really don't care what they cost within reason, if the tone is up your alley, I truly don't believe you can buy a higher quality, more dependable mass-produced instrument. Yeah, I know all about high-dollar boutique-ish stuff. I've had US Lakland, German Warwick, Modulus, and Taylor basses over the years. They all got sold, and it would take a HELL of a lot to make me come off of any of my Music Man instruments, of which I intend to buy more.
@2:02 I thought he was going to say "the unmistakable.... Can't miss it, volume knob".
*WHAT IS THAT CONTROLLING?*
E v e r y
S i n g l e
T h I n g
Cool bass, but 2 grand is a bit much.
Well, you could argue that it is limited to only 50, so...
Pretty much Music Man in a nutshell
@@eduardopuccini I guess, but it's nothing special other than having the artist name on it. I've seen signature basses from Fender and Ibanez for a lot less.
@@HumansFreshlyBorn They're midrange priced basses. They're well made, and their prices haven't gone up much at all for at least 20 years At least for the basic models. I got my Stingray 5 back in 1998. They weren't producing a lot of basses per year back then. I was told 80 per year at the time. Their quality is great! It has been my go-to bass since then, and the one I get asked to play.
It really is for Christ sake,you could go to your local luthier and get a bass with the same specs and I bet it wouldn't cost more than half the price.
Like what are you paying for,the fact it's a one piece body,with yeah a rather beautiful finish,and that's it?
Great quality video, I didn't know Jack, but now I do!
:: insert "the more you know" meme here ::
The secret is it’s a great pick bass
If u use a picc, you are not epicc 😉
Great video with lots of good info and overview of the tones of this bass. I didn’t know Jack was involved with the development of this bass with EBMM or that his cheap Stingray copy has passive electronics with the preamp bypassed. Cool!
That's a fine groove you dropped on us, good sir!
Man, I want one of these SO bad. I really hope they make some more eventually, I would've TOTALLY preordered if I'd only realized they'd be instantly unobtainium. Like, if I were to specifically design exactly the bass I wanted to play, it'd be this one. With a push-push series/parallel and a concentric tone, which would totally fit in the one hole configuration.
mate, sounds like you could just make one yourself
Voice from above I could, and am planning and amassing parts to convert one of my Sterlings to essentially the same setup, but it won't be the cool, special model with that BEAUTIFUL flamed neck. We Music Man freaks are into weirdo stuff that came from their factory, and there are a LOT of factory made Music Man instruments that they made less than 50 of. I want the Dart model because of that nerdiness, plus the aforementioned gorgeous neck.
@@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney Well, someone over in San Luis Obispo must have heard you, because they appear to be on sale once more: www.music-man.com/instruments/basses/joe-dart "Buy Now" and "Financing Available" options appear to be present and functional.
Almost Free Bass Hell, yeah! Now I have to sell something and buy one of these beauties! I can totally get a couple grand out of my LS-swapped Astro van, and my truck has made it kinda obsolete...
Y’all sure make it sound easy to just put together a parts bass and get this bass...you can’t..can you get close..? Probably, but you won’t have the same pickup or craftsmanship that MM has, and I’m not a MM fanboy...I think it’s worth it if you dig the sound and construction...$2k isn’t that bad for a quality passive bass that’s gonna kill everytime you play it.. I mean, it’s essentially a Sterling without the preamp and controls...if you’d pay $2k a new Sterling, why wouldn’t you pay $2k for an all passive one if that’s your thing..?
Now just make sure that you never change the strings and you’re good
The only real Joe Dart signature bass is the fender jazz bass
Not anymore . . . ;-P
I mean he played all of Madison Square Garden with this...
@@lukas_copy_1 Reject modernity, embrace tradition
JOE
DART
ON
THE
JOE
DART
Eduardo Bernheim who in their right mind would prefer a boring, generic Fender over a Musicman? Lol
Thank you for this video! I actually love the look and sound of this bass.
Would this bass be shipped with the very strings that are on that bass?
No, that's impossible.
I never ever got that quote. I don’t think I’m supposed to.
@@kevinhobbs125 It's from Vulfpeck's video of this bass where Joe Dart himself said it while showcasing it. It also has an unmistakble, cant miss it volume knob by the way
@@epeli4585 okay, but what is it controlling?
@@QaysSyed This bass was shipped with the very strings that are on this bass right now
Sounds like his old cheap bass. Actually sounded like a cheap bass. And I love it. That´s the magic of the MM pickup. Alone is very strange. But in the mix... Oh, boy.
Yes, exactly! And those are frequently two different things. The same is true of guitar tone. The tone that sounds best on its own when you're practicing usually doesn't fit in a band or studio setting. And then any time I've listened to an isolated guitar or bass track from a song I love I'm always surprised how different it is from what I would have dialed in.
Beastly is a good example: ua-cam.com/video/T9xRuViPdkI/v-deo.html
@@almostfreebass9105 Exatcly, my friend. I came from drums (still a drummer), but nowadays I play bass and guittar too. In drums I´ve learned that a good tone listened from behind the drumset is usually is poor for the audience. To dry and lifeless. The overtones makes the magic. May sound strange for the player, but perfect for the audience. All instruments need this. Guitars usually need more mids and many players like a scooped sound. That´s the fun of music. Learn and never know everything.
you need more subscribers lol, great editing and even better review.
Thanks for the love! Working on some more content right now :)
"What is that controlling?"
We may never know
Every signature bass that could interest me enough to buy it weren't available for Left-Handed :D
Oooooo that toneeeeee
Im in loveee!!
I believe the strings on Jacks bass are actually Thomastik flats. Quite a different sound.
Would have loved to see that through an SVT andor BETA BASS...SMOOTH AND BOOM. That thing is buttery sounding for being so rawly conceived and made.
Man. No Vlance Armstrength here, shifting into active bass in the French Alps to be found.
Sounds Great !!
the big ol vintage stove top knob looks like this bass wants to cook breakfast
Well, it's buttery and warm, and is at least partly made from maple. This bass has to be at least next door neighbors with pancakes.
@@almostfreebass9105 it's a great looking bass
It wants some fried eggs.
Almost Free Bass it’s next door neighbors with the pancake midi controller Jack Stratton uses in the Birds of a Feather video.
I love this sound!!!! Amazing review!!!
Do you use La Bella flat strings? 45/65/85/105?
The strings on this bass are the ones that shipped on them. Just going by the color of the thread wrap, which is unique for each string set Ernie Ball makes, they are unique to this instrument, and are "brighter" than the regular Ernie Ball flats.
Hey mate, what strings did it come with, was it labellas or was it ernieball flats?
Labellas
It came with a completely new custom flatwound set from Ernie Ball. They're the brightest flats I've ever heard. I'm still not sure how to get a replacement set but I imagine La Bella Deep Talk in wouldn't be too far off.
@@fearless_ambassador_ambo I haven't played the Slinky Cobalts so I can't compare how they feel or sound, but the thread wrap on these is definitely a lighter shade of blue, indicating it's a different formulation from EB.
Damn that bass sound hits the spot
1:14 Joe discussed the Vulfpeck basses in his 2015 Reddit AMA: the cheap MM-style bass has Thomastik flatwounds and SD ceramic pickups.
Tabs for the funk Cajun Moon?
Yes, absolutely! That track will be on Reckless Deriver's new album that's not quite out yet. Once it's released I'd love to do tabs and maybe even some playalong videos. Thanks for the idea!
Did you put roundwounds on this or are you using the flatwounds that came with it?
Still using the very same strings it shipped with - they're flats they just sound that bright. They probably won't need replacing any time this century, but I have to admit I'm curious as to how some rounds would sound on it.
@@almostfreebass9105 wow they are quite bright! If you do put rounds on it, you should upload a follow up video. I'd be quite curious
Wish they made a lefty version.. :(
Cant wait Till i get mine, sadly i wasnt fast eaughf to have one of the first 50
Anders Behring Boss how do you get it?
I wasn't fast enough to get one at all, and it really bums me out.
Great vid
I might get one and put round wounds on it
I need It !!!
5:16 Yeah! I came for this
This may be heresy, but have you tried round wounds on the Dart? If so, how’d you like it?
Great question! I don't know about heresy, but I wouldn't change the strings mainly just for the sake of not having to put the slightly-used flats back on. Plus I already have a 1994 Sterling with Rotosound '66s on it. That's in a followup video I made comparing 3 different Sterling basses.
With all that maple the flats are already really bright, I can't imagine how bright rounds would be.
In your back in right is that bass sterling sub sb4, made indo, but in Indonesia this bass so rare 😭
Is this bass versatile?
Did you use flat Strings?
Yep, I used the very strings it came with, which were a the brightest set of flats I've ever experienced.
wait so did it have the very strings?
@Teadat “that’s impossible”
i would route it and add qdd an envelope filter and active lecki plusee 3 more pickups at least
Where did you bought it?
They were on sale for about 45 minutes directly from EBMM.
wow, that is a funk bass huh
What pickup do I see in his actual bass? Not this one. Anybody know?
It's the same pickup, but you're probably seeing the black electrical tape over the poles. That just keeps the strings from making contact with the poles and popping.
@@almostfreebass9105 Hey, thanks! Mystery solved!
@@almostfreebass9105 wait, thats a thing?!
@@testtest6169 It sure is, I think it was in one of the AMAs
I'm trying to like the tone but it sounds a bit too dull to me
You’re not versatile
Does it come with a neck brace?
this bass is too complex. what does the volume knob do?
"It's a high and recreation of a cheap pawn shop bass" Go figure. You might wanna visit the near by you pawn shops more often and find your gem , rather than spending tons of money on something like this. Or if no lucky, then buy this.
Aren't basses supposed to have low end?
basses are the low end. What do you mean?
So only 50 basses were produced?
I'm not sure of the exact number, but just over 100 were produced. It was only the first 50 given the "First 50" designation and numbered, signed plate on the neck.
Update: as of January 2020 they are once again for sale directly from Music Man www.music-man.com/instruments/basses/joe-dart
The bass is nice, I like it because it is just passive it doesn't need a active preamp the sound has a good tone.
What song are you playing at the beginning of the video?
This is my butchering of the ambiguously named "Allegretto" by Mozart as arranged and performed by Michael Manring on the album "The Mozart Variations".
Eh I don't know... Seems like it's not versatile enough
Today: How to overprice a cheap bass.
i guarantee that if they are limited and not made again for a while that they will skyrocket in price.
And they’re selling them again, and I don’t think it’s gonna be limited run cause I contacted MM
hope they'll release a 5 string variant for this.
Then it wouldn’t really be a joe dart signature, would it?
Great sounding bass, but you never really got that properly thick tone, likely because you never played right over the poles on the pickup, where the sound would be loudest. Shame.
Somewhere between flatwound and roundwound...
But there’s no active EQ, no pickup this, it’s not versatile.
You're not versatile!
"Let's make the most basic MusicMan to date, but it's a signature bass so it can't be too cheap, how do we justify the price?"
"Make 50 of them?"
"this is why we hired you!"
Did you happen to look at the other US made Music Man basses? $1999 is the cheapest model. If you don't want a nice bass that's fine but other people do.
@@almostfreebass9105 dude chill out..
I mean I get the idea of it being a simplistic bass, however, I can get the same feeling out of a G&L Kiloton (another single H passive bass) for about $500 cheaper. There are better simplistic Basses on the market. However, I love Joe Dart. This bass is nice, no doubt. But the price is... yeah a bit much.
@@TheGeekFactor exactly, I'm not saying it's not a nice bass, but I'd much rather spend 2 grand on a bass that gives me tonal variation, or at least idk a tone control?
Kraz3e987 well it’s a preference thing. It is neat that it’s super simplistic, but it’s really nothing more than a gimmick. More options is only a good thing
What’s. your EQ at?
There is no EQ, this is just direct in with no modification.
Can you make more vids with this bass Please
@@copium480 You'll get your wish soon enough, I'm going into the studio tomorrow to record some tracks, so stay tuned!
Your hands look like you're holding a lot of tension in them when you play. I think you'd improve a lot of you relaxed and ironed out your hand technique, especially in your right hand.
So its a less versitile stingray. A bit different in sound but not much.
You're not versatile
@@Lovebird_music well im not saying its not versatile, just a little less versitile than a stingray. As all basses can be can be very versitile with the right amp setting. I play a p bass, a very simple bass buy small tweaks on the amp and its very versitile and i imagine this does the same thing but with its own humbucker flavour. But it still is very similar to a stingray in sound and has less features(which can be a good thing). Overall i think its a good bass. Looks like a great funk machine.
How is it sounds with normal strings?
The high profile frets combine with the special strings that ship with the instrument to make all that brightness happen.
Subbing roundwound for flatwound -- which is what I'm interpreting as "normal" -- would likely have too much fret buzz. I'm not sure what fret size is on my '94 Sterling but it's definitely shorter than the Joe Dart bass. It's got a good amount of bite and snarl already, and definitely doesn't need taller frets to have more.
The thing sounds like every stingray on the planet. Maybe it will sound like a jazz bass in Joe's hands.
Duco Romme It sounds almost nothing like a Stingray, even less like the Sterling it's based on. Yeah, the pickup design and position is going to make it sound vaguely recognizable as a Music Man, but all the sauce that makes them unmistakeable is in the preamp. This sounds and responds worlds different from a typical Music Man.
Sounds nothing like a Stingray
Free bass? Freebase? He he he i kid drugs are wack
You're the first one to get the pun! Bass is my addiction.. I'd smoke it if I could .. It's almost freebase
It’s a cool bass but for $2000 I want more features.
If you think the bass is not versatile, YOU'RE NOT VERSATILE
My only issue with it is the price. 🙁
You think it’s not versatile? YOU’RE NOT VERSATLE!
Este vale se parece a emmanuel espinoza de rojo
It’s Not Joe Dart on the JOE DART BASS
Almost free lol.
If i get this bass, do I NEED to eat four pounds of white flour pasta a night?
I think you already know that the answer is yes.
хороший рассказ про гитару, техника отличная.
Pensé que era Daniel Espizona jajaja
I can't play that
Nothing about the damn price???
1:25 Hmmm, well I do believe that's not the bass you're reviewing...
that's the cheap musicman copy that the Joe Dart bass was modeled after
@@superandrd Looks like a Yamaha BBN to me, look at the headstock
So now high end guitar company's are making copy's of cheap instruments? Has the musical instrument world come full circle?
I love Vulfpeck. I love Dart. I love the memes that spawned from this bass’ reveal video. I do not love this bass. Simple as that.
Sounds like a stingray
Idk nothing is worse than a bass with no eq settings
Yeah, I mean no pickup this, its not versatile!
Maybe bass isn't for you. Nice tone but sloppy playing and you seem quite uncomfortable and tense
It's just a Stringray, with no tone options. One trick pony. You can get the sound for 150 usd these days. Old story.
Oh wait! Don't let the talking head mutilate. Play Joe Dart...
For 2k no thanks. The volume knob is just ugly ruins the bass. Also i have a ray34 ash black. Looks fantastic. And can do way more for less than half the price.
It's a great big no for me.
creating the sound of a cheap bass then selling it for $2000?...no thanks suckers
Honestly it looks like shit and has a pretty boring tone. Very disappointing signature bass from such a great bass player
Sorry 2000 dollars no thanks . I can get that sound from a cheap jazz and eq . Rather get a stingray .
One trick pony.
You're not versatile!
That bass ain't worth as much as a cheaper Les Paul. $2000?! For a regular ash body and maple neck. ONE PICK UP?! Waste of money honestly. If you wanna buy a quality bass with more character for WAYYYY less get an Ibanez or even a newer model squier bass could do the trick.
You have wonderfully and comically missed the point of this instrument, this video, bass guitar, and quite possibly life itself. Thank you for your contribution and putting a smile on my face.
Almost Free Bass damn that was cold
Great bass poor playing
Thanks!