Sorry, did you blink when Ernie Ball Music Man announced Joe Dart III? Well that sucks, because that’s exactly when all 50 of the units got sold. Yes, Ernie Ball Music Man just introduced the final installment of their collaborations with Vulfpeck bassist Joe Dart and it came and went very, very quickly.
On the trilogy itself, Dart offered: “We always sought to build a trilogy of basses that represent the Vulfpeck recorded catalog. The Joe Dart I and Joe Dart II were in the StingRay and Jazz Bass styles of the vintage disco records I love, but whenever Jack Stratton would ask me for a raw, unmuted P-Bass sound, we would always reach for a Fender P-Bass Junior. We knew that instrument needed to be perfected, which became the perfect way to round out the Joe Dart stable of instruments.”
The Joe Dart III is a 30″ short-scale bass with a lightweight Ash body, a Flame Maple neck, and a passive split-coil pickup for a classic punchy tone that you will likely never get to enjoy. The Joe Dart III has a Velvet Natural finish and features a flame maple fretboard with 22 stainless steel frets that looks great online, which is probably the only place you’ll ever see it.
“We’re really proud to offer a limited run of the Joe Dart III,” said Dart. “Each bass is a testament to our philosophy of simplicity, and leaving the tone in the hands of the player.”
Unless… maybe Ernie Ball Music Man is plotting a production run of these? Maybe as a Sterling? Who knows.
