“Three Eras of Bass” — Joe Dart Unveils New Signature Trilogy with Sterling by Music Man
Last year, Sterling by Music Man introduced a more affordable version of Vulfpeck bassist Joe Dart’s signature bass. The offering was a “timed edition” release, meaning they were only open to pre-order. SBMM is now offering the bass again for 2025 while expanding the lineup to include the Joe Dart II and the Joe Dart III basses.
“The original Dart I features the Sterling-shaped body with a single humbucker and volume knob,” the company explains. “The Dart II, featuring the beloved Ernie Ball Music Man Caprice body, swaps the humbucker for two single-coil pickups, each with its own volume knob for precise, hum-free control. Completing the trilogy, the Dart III is a short-scale StingRay bass with a split single-coil pickup and single volume knob.”
Dart himself weighed in on the new instruments. “Jack Stratton and I are thrilled to team up once again with Sterling by Music Man to build affordable versions of the three best basses I’ve ever held in my hands. The Joe Dart I, II, and III represent three different sounds and feels, three different eras of bass, and three different shades of my own work as a bassist,” he said. “The feel of these instruments is incredible, and the quality would be remarkable at any price point.”
Each bass is crafted with soft maple bodies that come in either natural or black finishes. They all carry a price tag of $499 and are only open to order between 4/1 and 5/31. Each bass is made to order and will then ship in September.
Sterling by Music Man Joe Dart Bass Specs:
| Body Wood: | Soft Maple |
| Body Color: | Natural (NT), Black (SBK) |
| Bridge: | Fixed Bridge |
| Pickguard: | N/A |
| Scale Length: | 34″ (86.4cm) |
| Neck Radius: | 9.5″ (24cm) |
| Frets: | 22 Frets |
| Neck Width: | 1.5″ (38mm) at Nut, 2.44″ (62mm) at Last Fret |
| Neck Wood: | Hard Maple |
| Fingerboard: | Hard Maple |
| Fret Markers: | Black Dot Markers |
| Tuning Machines: | Open Gear |
| Truss Rod: | Dual Action |
| Neck Attachment: | 5 Bolt Pattern |
| Controls: | 1 Volume |
| Switching: | N/A |
| Pickups: | H - 1 Ceramic Humbucker |
| Strings: | Ernie Ball 2805 Flatwound Strings |
| Gig Bag: | Deluxe Sterling by Music Man Bag |
Sterling by Music Man Joe Dart II Bass Specs:
| Body Wood: | Soft Maple |
| Body Color: | Natural (NT), Black (SBK) |
| Bridge: | Fixed Bridge |
| Pickguard: | N/A |
| Scale Length: | 34″ (86.4cm) |
| Neck Radius: | 9.5″ (24cm) |
| Frets: | 21 Frets |
| Neck Width: | 1.5″ (38mm) at Nut, 2.54″ (64.5mm) at Last Fret |
| Neck Wood: | Hard Maple |
| Fingerboard: | Hard Maple |
| Fret Markers: | Black Dot Markers |
| Tuning Machines: | Open Gear |
| Truss Rod: | Dual Action |
| Neck Attachment: | 5 Bolt Pattern |
| Controls: | 2 Volumes |
| Switching: | N/A |
| Pickups: | SS - 2 Ceramic Single Coils |
| Strings: | Ernie Ball 2805 Flatwound Strings |
| Gig Bag: | Soft Maple |
Sterling by Music Man Joe Dart III Bass Specs:
| Body Wood: | Soft Maple |
| Body Color: | Natural (NT), Black (SBK) |
| Bridge: | Fixed Bridge |
| Pickguard: | N/A |
| Scale Length: | 30″ (86.4cm) |
| Neck Radius: | 9.5″ (24cm) |
| Frets: | 22 Frets |
| Neck Width: | 1.5″ (38mm) at Nut, 2.37″ (60.2mm) at Last Fret |
| Neck Wood: | Hard Maple |
| Fingerboard: | Hard Maple |
| Fret Markers: | Black Dot Markers |
| Tuning Machines: | Open Gear |
| Truss Rod: | Dual Action |
| Neck Attachment: | 5 Bolt Pattern |
| Controls: | 1 Volume |
| Switching: | N/A |
| Pickups: | S - 1 Ceramic Split Single Coil |
| Strings: | Ernie Ball 2801 Short Scale Flatwound Strings |
| Gig Bag: | Deluxe Sterling by Music Man Bag |
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
A lot of people who were fotunate enough to get one of the first crop if these went on to sell them at double what they cost, same thing will happen with the new crop no doubt. Great basses but my chances if getti g one here in the U.K are slim.