EBMM Joe Dart 2 is here

[fretmeister]

25 minutes ago, ManchesterWill said:

The body's offset somewhat like a jazz. Looks like they're using the body shape of the Caprice bass they had out for a while

I was just going to say that.

[fretmeister]

3 hours ago, drTStingray said:

He hasn’t generally for some time - watch the Vulfpeck at Madison Square Gardens concerts on You Tube - he uses the single H Joe Dart bass - sounds much fatter than the Jazz did on older videos. 
 

In fact that’s exactly the sound I aim for live now (using various Musicman basses and Markbass) (thinking of getting a compressor as well). 

Don’t forget the EB Group flatwounds too.

 

Brilliant strings.

[drTStingray]

1 hour ago, fretmeister said:

Don’t forget the EB Group flatwounds too.

 

Brilliant strings.

I thought the first Joe Dart shipped with Cobalt slinky flats - but yeah both those and the Group flats are great. Flats sound on the Joe Dart bass via Markbass and compressor is the core sound on this. It’s a fat sound - love it!! 😎
 

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by drTStingray

[fretmeister]

Nah, it’s the Group flats (I emailed to ask).

 

Far less treble than the cobalts, but a thick and chewy sound.

[Lfalex v1.1]

6 hours ago, bartelby said:

 

But they're the wrong people getting signature basses... 😉
 

 

It's not like Flea or Tony Levin got one (other than TL's OLP)

Surely they're two of EBMM's more prominent long- term users?

[fretmeister]

44 minutes ago, Lfalex v1.1 said:

 

It's not like Flea or Tony Levin got one (other than TL's OLP)

Surely they're two of EBMM's more prominent long- term users?

you are right, but has anyone under 30 heard of them now? 
 

 

[ezbass]

EBMM’s roster of signature bass models is very small. Their guitar line, however…

[Duarte]

7 hours ago, FDC484950 said:

I wonder why it has the older style tuners and not the lighter weight models that have been on most US MM basses in the last 4 years or so (Sterling USA excepted)?

 

It's essentially a Sterling isn't it, at least the body looks like the Sterling to me. Interesting that it has the new MM bridge and old style tuners, whilst the Timmy C bass has new style tuners and old mute-style bridge. I guess it's all down to the artist.

[FinnDave]

Is Joe Dart an actual person or is it rhyming slang for flatulence?

[Misdee]

So essentially I am being encouraged to pay close to three grand for a half-finished Jazz Bass made by EBMM?

 

It's a gear endorsement by someone who is irreverent about gear and the fetishisation of equipment in general. Buying one of these basses only really makes sense if you get Joe Dart and his mates along with it to keep you entertained, because the  novelty of the bass will wear off fairly quickly, I expect.

 

The only thing this bass offers me that I haven't got already is satire.

[Eldon Tyrell]

Just now, Misdee said:

So essentially I am being encouraged to pay close to three grand for a half-finished Jazz Bass made by EBMM?

 

It's a gear endorsement by someone who is irreverent about gear and the fetishisation of equipment in general. Buying one of these basses only really makes sense if you get Joe Dart and his mates along with it to keep you entertained, because the  novelty of the bass will wear off fairly quickly, I expect.

 

The only thing this bass offers me that I haven't got already is satire.

 

Don't worry. It has sold out already 😎

 

[fretmeister]

44 minutes ago, Misdee said:

So essentially I am being encouraged to pay close to three grand for a half-finished Jazz Bass made by EBMM?

 

It's a gear endorsement by someone who is irreverent about gear and the fetishisation of equipment in general. Buying one of these basses only really makes sense if you get Joe Dart and his mates along with it to keep you entertained, because the  novelty of the bass will wear off fairly quickly, I expect.

 

The only thing this bass offers me that I haven't got already is satire.

 

 

I'm not sure that's right. JD isn't a gear fetishist at all. Half of his recordings were done with a Mex jazz, or a £100 ray copy into a Roland Bass cube. He still uses the Bass Cube on occasion.

 

The person that pushes these collaborations is Jack Stratton - and he has previously paid to cover the overhead on the JD basses to lower the risk to EBMM and get them out there. Stratton is the brains and the money behind Vulfpeck and it's spin offs and he appears to be very good at that. JD is far from that in interview. He's happy to admit he's a sideman and doesn't even write his own bass parts for Vulfpeck. But so what - that could be said of a great many famous sidemen, even the legendary Herbie Flowers.

 

I don't get the "novelty" argument at all. It's just a bass. It either appeals or it doesn't. 99% of the public won't know what it is - they'll just see a natural wood bass being played. It's far less obvious than something covered in graphics. When I gigged with an Ibanez Jem Floral nobody recognised it as a Vai signature. Non players just don't see gear that way.

 

I can't see you being "encouraged" to buy it anymore than any other advert for any other product. You either like the idea or you don't. It's not "half-finished" at all, it's just another finish option. I find it hilarious that this clearly new, carefully finished bass gets as much slagging as relics do.

 

Obviously no product appeals to everyone, but to actively complain that a product exists is bonkers. It will either sell or it won't.

 

 

[fretmeister]

13 hours ago, ezbass said:

EBMM’s roster of signature bass models is very small. Their guitar line, however…

 

5 bassists I think

 

Commerford

Myung

Dart (2 models at the moment)

Herrera

Williams

 

 

And 8 guitarists - although several of them have more than 1 model. Some have 2, and JP has 5 at the moment!

 

 

[Misdee]

32 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

 

 

I'm not sure that's right. JD isn't a gear fetishist at all. Half of his recordings were done with a Mex jazz, or a £100 ray copy into a Roland Bass cube. He still uses the Bass Cube on occasion.

 

The person that pushes these collaborations is Jack Stratton - and he has previously paid to cover the overhead on the JD basses to lower the risk to EBMM and get them out there. Stratton is the brains and the money behind Vulfpeck and it's spin offs and he appears to be very good at that. JD is far from that in interview. He's happy to admit he's a sideman and doesn't even write his own bass parts for Vulfpeck. But so what - that could be said of a great many famous sidemen, even the legendary Herbie Flowers.

 

I don't get the "novelty" argument at all. It's just a bass. It either appeals or it doesn't. 99% of the public won't know what it is - they'll just see a natural wood bass being played. It's far less obvious than something covered in graphics. When I gigged with an Ibanez Jem Floral nobody recognised it as a Vai signature. Non players just don't see gear that way.

 

I can't see you being "encouraged" to buy it anymore than any other advert for any other product. You either like the idea or you don't. It's not "half-finished" at all, it's just another finish option. I find it hilarious that this clearly new, carefully finished bass gets as much slagging as relics do.

 

Obviously no product appeals to everyone, but to actively complain that a product exists is bonkers. It will either sell or it won't.

 

 

I think you need to reread my post, my friend. That is the whole point of what I wrote. Joe Dart couldn't care less about gear. That's why I said he is irreverent ( i.e showing lack of respect for something that is generally taken seriously) about equipment.

 

I know exactly who Jack Stratton is and what he does. He is a great talent. As is Joe Dart.

 

On the novelty issue, the general public may not care less, but that is irrelevant. The general public will not be buying it,  bass players will. If they didn't want people to buy them they wouldn't make them available for sale and then publicize that fact. 

 

 And I'm not complaining this product exists, just pointing out what it actually is.

[Misdee]

1 hour ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

 

Don't worry. It has sold out already 😎

 

Advertising works 

[Misdee]

1 minute ago, Misdee said:

 

 

Edited April 28, 2022 by Misdee

[fretmeister]

10 minutes ago, Misdee said:

I think you need to reread my post, my friend. That is the whole point of what I wrote. Joe Dart couldn't care less about gear. That's why I said he is irreverent ( i.e showing lack of respect for something that is generally taken seriously) about equipment.

 

I know exactly who Jack Stratton is and what he does. He is a great talent. As is Joe Dart.

 

On the novelty issue, the general public may not care less, but that is irrelevant. The general public will not be buying it,  bass players will. If they didn't want people to buy them they wouldn't make them available for sale and then publicize that fact. 

 

 And I'm not complaining this product exists, just pointing out what it actually is.

 

 

Apologies!

 

I am operating on day 4 of Covid and my brain is a bit crap at the moment.

[three]

First, I'm not a great fan of the aesthetics of the JD 2, and I really don't care what JD plays or whether he writes his own parts.  That said, I do get a great deal of pleasure from hearing and watching JD play (alongside no small amount of envy).  Thanks @drTStingray for the link!

[Misdee]

1 minute ago, fretmeister said:

 

 

Apologies!

 

I am operating on day 4 of Covid and my brain is a bit crap at the moment.

No worries my friend. Be good to yourself and get 🙂well soon. 

[fretmeister]

7 minutes ago, three said:

First, I'm not a great fan of the aesthetics of the JD 2, and I really don't care what JD plays or whether he writes his own parts.  That said, I do get a great deal of pleasure from hearing and watching JD play (alongside no small amount of envy).  Thanks @drTStingray for the link!

 

I think he's great. I love his tone on the Live at MSG, his obvious enjoyment of playing, and that his style is a development of Rocco's staccato thing.

 

He's ace.

[Eldon Tyrell]

9 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

 

I think he's great. I love his tone on the Live at MSG, his obvious enjoyment of playing, and that his style is a development of Rocco's staccato thing.

 

He's ace.

I agree. I like JD a lot. I hope he will attract a lot of young people to playing bass. I also like the idea behind his signature basses too. Less is more. It is just that his sig basses do not appeal to me and that's why I am not going for them. So, I am somewhere in between the fanboys/girls and haters. It’s like fire and ice, and I feel my role is to be kind of the middle of that, kind of like lukewarm water 😉 

[drTStingray]

Me too - I thought about buying the earlier model but then the TC came along, which I preferred. 
 

Not so much here, but on Talkbass, I’m astonished so many people who don’t like it take the trouble to wade in and say so, many of whom haven’t even bothered to read the spec and thus make daft inaccurate comments and extend those comments to discussions on the suitability of Joe Dart to even have a signature bass. I suppose that’s the internet for you - but the fact they’ve sold out in a day and a half and apparently only a couple to forum contributors does sort of point to the level to which forums represent bass players as a whole (Mr Hall of Rickenbacker, another manufacturer who receives much hate on forums, quoted a fraction of one per cent at one point)! 
 

1 hour ago, fretmeister said:

 

I think he's great. I love his tone on the Live at MSG, his obvious enjoyment of playing, and that his style is a development of Rocco's staccato thing.

 

He's ace.

Yeah agreed - it’s also a fat sound like Bernard Edwards. PS hope you’re over Covid soon 👍

Edited April 28, 2022 by drTStingray

[Eldon Tyrell]

4 minutes ago, drTStingray said:

Not so much here, but on Talkbass, I’m astonished so many people who don’t like it take the trouble to wade in and say so, many of whom haven’t even bothered to read the spec and thus make daft inaccurate comments and extend those comments to discussions on the suitability of Joe Dart to even have a signature bass. I suppose that’s the internet for you - but the fact they’ve sold out in a day and a half and apparently only a couple to forum contributors does sort of point to the level to which forums represent bass players as a whole (Mr Hall of Rickenbacker, another manufacturer who receives much hate on forums, quoted a fraction of one per cent at one point)! 

Agree, bass forums are clearly not representative of the wider bass gear buying public. 

I said it here on BC once before:

" I remember Sterling Ball once saying in the EBMM forum that people have great new product ideas but EBMM has to be very careful and cannot make them all as otherwise this would guarantee him a new career in hospitality: "Do you want fries with that?" 😉"

[Eldon Tyrell]

and yes, in case people wonder about my previous "lukewarm" comment. I again managed to smuggle in a Spinal Tap reference today 😉 

[ead]

It can't be easy heading up say EBMM or Fender, maybe even RIC.

 

You have a tried and tested formula that folks hate and love in equal measure, then get loved/slated for introducing new variants.

 

You introduce something a bit more left-field, then get loved/slated for introducing new ideas and not sticking to the trusted formula.

 

Everyone loves/hates your brand ambassadors.  Looks like catering is a much safer option.  Anybody want chips with that?

Edited April 28, 2022 by ead