Ernie Ball Music Man expands Joe Dart’s signature bass collection with a new finish and limited-edition ‘Jr’ short scale bass

Ernie Ball Music Man has introduced a new limited-edition short scale version of Vulfpeck bassist Joe Dart’s signature instrument, as well as a new Black Velvet finish for Dart’s main model.

Joe Dart Junior

The Joe Dart Jr bears a shorter 30-inch scale length, alongside a Vintage Music Man top-loading bridge. Construction consists of an Ash body, with a five-bolt sculpted neck join connecting a select maple neck and 22 fret fingerboard.

Electronics are as simple as could be, as there’s not even a volume knob in between the single neodymium Music Man humbucker and the output jack.

The bass is finished in Olympic White with a gold-finished three-ply pickguard. It comes shipped with 45-105 flatwound strings.

Ships with a Mono gig bag. Find out more here.

Joe Dart

The Joe Dart signature bass bears an ash Sterling-shaped body with a sculpted five-bolt heel joining a select figured maple neck. Its 22-fret fingerboard, also of select figured maple, is dressed with wide stainless steel frets with dot inlays. The neck is finished in gunstock oil and hand-rubbed with a special wax blend.

Ernie Ball Music Man claims the bass delivers “distinguished funky low-end punch and attack” through the use of a single passive humbucker at the bridge: a Music Man Custom wound Sterling Bass pickup with ceramic magnets, parallel coils and no phantom coils. This is managed by the bass’ solitary control: a rather uniquely shaped volume knob.

New for the 2021 edition (the bass first arrived as a very limited edition in 2019) is the new Black Velvet finish, which joins the Velvet Natural finish already offered.

Lists for $2,399. Find out more here.