Joe Dart and Sterling By Music Man have teamed up for a very special signature bass guitar that shares all the look and vibe of the Vulpeck bassist’s Ernie Ball Music Man high-end four-strings and yet arrives with a ridiculously affordable $399 price tag.
Just look the Sterling By Music Man Joe Dart Artist Series model, resplendent in its natural finish, revealing all the patterned grain of its lightweight soft maple body. It couldn’t look cleaner. This minimalist funk machine is a chip off the old EBMM block. At this price, it seems to good to be true, and yet it isn’t. It’s here.
But there is a catch. A fun catch, but a catch nonetheless; this is what Sterling By Music Man calls a “Timed Edition” release, which means players have a limited time to grab one. It is available until the end of the month, so set calendar alerts to 31 May 2024, because thereafter it’s gone.
It is not a limited edition. Sterling By Music Man will make them to order, and ship ‘em all out in November 2024. But it is a one-time deal.
Each bass comes stamped with “Crop 2024” to mark the release. So it’s not only a very nice option for beginner and intermediate players, or anyone looking for a budget bass, it’s collectible too. Dart describes it “as a dream come true,”with the model some time in coming.
I’m so proud of this collaboration. It really is a dream come true
Joe Dart
“Building a signature bass with Sterling by Music Man is the culmination of the original dream that Jack Stratton and I had years ago,” he says. “Namely, to build a funk bass stripped down to its essence – beautiful, minimal, well-crafted – and available to the world in a way that’s true to Vulfpeck's ethos: affordable, direct-to-fan, and simple in every way possible. I’m so proud of this collaboration. It really is a dream come true.”
Besides the soft maple body, this Joe Dart model has a bolt-on hard maple neck with a 9.5” radius maple fingerboard. That neck profile is described as “slightly smaller” so it sounds like it could be a good fit for younger players, and anyone who likes a slinkier feel. Other vital statistics include a 34” scale and the a 38mm nut width. There are 22 medium-gauge frets and black dot markers.
The drive is totally straightforward. Entirely passive, with just one toaster-style volume knob controlling a single ceramic humbucker, mounted by the bridge. Both pickup and dial are white. Another cool signature detail is that this ships from the factory in a set of flatwound Ernie Ball bass strings.
At the time of publishing, Sterling By Music Man has sold 1358 of these (five of which were sold in the time it took to write this article). To grab yours, head over to Sterling By Music Man. Don't delay. The clock is ticking. You have until 31 May 2024. It is priced £325 / $399.
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