YOU'RE NOT VERSATILE! 12 Different Tones on the Joe Dart Bass without using EQ

[@nancythursby2973]

no more subsidies!

[@matthewashley2924]

Awesome vid! I have a Joe Dart Bass myself. The body grain on your is really wide and cool. Mine is a tighter and has a lot of knots in it.

[@almostfreebass9105]

Thanks! I love that they all have a different look -- "Cut from a tree!" When I see someone else's it's enough to where it doesn't just look like "mine".

[@maurofernandez2578]

Is the body smaller than a standard sting ray? How could you afford it?

[@shuruff904]

@@maurofernandez2578 selling drugs. Or he's lying unfortunately

[@EmptyDomoKanti99]

people probably want as many tone controls for two reasons i can think of: 1) the immediacy of just changing things up 2) the most specific, esoteric of tones

[@almostfreebass9105]

There's an EQ on the amp, EQ pedals, EQ on the channel strip, every VST in existence... meanwhile people insist on having the cheapest, battery powered preamp physically attached to them with a couple of knobs.

[@EmptyDomoKanti99]

Almost Free Bass batteries make me too anxious

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

I love my US Sterling single H preamps, but I just as often love passive tones. I don't like a lot of controls on an instrument, too hard to get what you want (for me). In most EQs, be it on a bass, an amp, an effect, whatever, each control affects the response of the rest of the controls to at least some degree. Well-designed, simple layouts are infinitely easier and more intuitive (for me) to get what I want from.

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

c.a.t.wallace They used to make me feel that way, but now I use lithium 9-volts. I don't think I've ever had one last less than six months (I change them once a year whether they need it or not, but have had to change early a couple times in my #1 US Music Man Sterling), and I keep a new, unused one in all of my cases. You'll start to hear very slight distortion WAY before they go all the way dead, so it's not really an issue in my opinion.

[@almostfreebass9105]

@@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney That's good info! I've actually always heard the opposite: use Alkaline batteries because they start to drop off a bit before they completely fail, whereas Lithium batteries just die one day. I'll have to try it out for myself.. maybe the subject of a new video.

[@TheSprunkZero]

I recently modded my Jazz Bass in a "Joe Dart II" style of wiring and it was for the best, as it made me play different to get different sounds from the bass all with my hands or pick that I would normally wouldn't try if I had the tone knob, I took the influence of Chi Cheng (late bassist of Deftones) as he surprisingly removed the tone knob of all of his basses and he still had a very deep bass tone so I guess it is completely true that the tone is in the hands

[@kushking420]

I'm a newbie, Really loved this, sounded so good and cool info. Lmfao "drummer warning, counting higher than 4" As a drummer myself that was too funny

[@joaoguimaraes31]

I believe the real gamechanger of this bass is the strings. Really particular tone.

[@Empyrean55]

Aren't they just normal Ernie balls?

[@57precision]

They are just ernie ball group iv flatwounds. I agree flatwounds with an MM-style humbucker sound awesome though.

[@toast1612]

they do in fact come with the strings that are on the bass

[@jacobpullen6949]

You can still do all of this on literally any bass that isn’t $2k. I do agree you don’t need all the fancy stuff though.

[@timcrenshaw5920]

He even literally says that in the video.

[@timcrenshaw5920]

@@fknWorldSeries no yuo!

[@tmntdoom]

hey, cool video! love the channel so far. cant wait to see more of your content!

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

Just like a P-bass with v/t wide open, you can get a LOT of different tones just by varying technique. I would personally want (not need) a tone control, but that could be accomplished with a stacked/concentric v/t pot. I'd also LOVE to have the series/parallel/single capability that a regular Sterling has, which is why I'm going to strip and refinish my almost unused Sterling HS to satin natural and put a single Nordstrand MM4.4 pickup in it with a 3-way switch and 1 volume, 1 tone control. It won't have that gorgeous figured neck/fingerboard, but my rosewood is especially beautiful (looks like cocobolo) and my maple is quartersawn, I think I can live with it.

[@almostfreebass9105]

Wow that sounds like quite a project. I'm still looking into modifying my Sterling SUB to some form of passive. I figure I should at least try wiring the pickup directly to the output (as in the Stratton-modified Carlo Robelli that Joe played originally) just to see what it sounds like. But a lot of folks say a volume pot is necessary for resistance, not just controlling volume. What do you think?

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

Almost Free Bass I'm not an electronics whiz, but I'm almost certain there have been several commercially instruments in which the pickup was wired directly to the jack, I was thinking it was done to yield a higher output. If I were doing it, I'd buy a volume pot in case I needed it, wire it direct, and add the pot should it not behave properly while wired direct.

[@joshjones]

I mean it’s mostly like 3 different tones. Everything else is a very slight difference, but still I agree, you don’t NEED active eq and such.

[@almostfreebass9105]

Thanks Josh! You're right on. I'm not pretending like the differences are massive, but most people just don't realize how much control you have over the bass and treble just by leaning into the compression a bit.

[@joshjones]

Almost Free Bass yeah. I also feel that your left hand can make difference in your tone, but not to as much of a degree as with your right. At least that’s my experience.

[@NotDingse]

So I was just wondering... would anyone be able to tell me if, say I had a standard stingray bass with normal preamp and what else, what would be the knob positions for the “neutral tone” setting that the EQ-less Joe Dart Bass has? It should be the same pickup, so the EQ would be the only factor to archive the authentic Dart-tone (except for being beastly on a bass of course)

[@MrWuggles]

I would actually throw on some flatwound strings, since this bass comes exclusively with "a flatwound string that offers a brightness and grit that is somewhere between the feeling of a flatwound and a roundwound string."

[@MrWuggles]

Well see here's the thing: the Joe Dart Signature Musicman bass is not a cheap instrument($2500 for the current model, probably only a bit less for the original natural finish). If you have $2500 to spend on a bass, you can not only probably find a bass that can replicate the sound, as well as have other pickups so you can't play by the neck and not ruin the tone, active eq, et al. If you gonna procure a Joe Dart bass, just play it like a Joe Dart bass.

[@JDarkooJDarkoo]

Good demonstration of tone being in the fingers. I think what you're stepping over though, is that an active EQ can be a lifesaver for improving your place in the mix (as opposed to changing your tone). That's something you don't need when you play at home or have access to good sound guys. But for bands playing small to medium gigs without sound guy, having powerful eq options directly accessible is very useful. And onboard EQ's aren't necessarily worse than EQ pedals. So basically: fingers for general tone and attack, on board EQ to adjust the mix. You do need an amp and signal chain with enough headroom. If you EQ hard into your limiter or compressor, then yeah, it will influence tone and attack as well.

[@almostfreebass9105]

Active EQ certainly has its uses, I just think many people use it as a crutch and I don't want my tax dollars going to support someone's timbral addictions. Kidding aside, my other basses both have active EQ but the knobs are essentially static. I adjust for the bass response for the room, or to cut through the mix with the EQ on my preamp. I'm also not quite certain that the onboard EQ -- easily replaced for $150 -- is any better than the EQ section of a good bass amp costing several times that.

[@Six3rdy]

I'mma say this........ya didz a guud job. My hat's off to ya. And you is correct that you don't need all the fancy gear in the world to mix up your tone. This is factual. But I think imma stick to my tone knob(s). (I haven't gotten an active bass yet, but I might get one for the one time. Lol. And fingerstyle in the middle of the body (near the pickups) just feels so comfortable. 🥴

[@honestbrute9216]

Not for nothing, but this same approach can be said for any other bass and how you play it..this isn’t really news….having said that, I think the bass should still have a tone control for even more options but I do like the bass and this video..

[@gregpantelides1355]

I really like your left hand technique. your thumb is actually above your left index finder instead of in the center of the neck. I've been experimenting with something similar to this myself. If we just hold our hand out straight that is the natural position. Do you have a technique specific video? I think it would be very helpful :-)

[@almostfreebass9105]

Placing your thumb on the back of the next is more "correct" in terms of what a bass teacher would say to you. I started playing on orchestral instruments and so that's how I started. For me, this produced a lot of discomfort even thought I could feel how it might be a better position for speed. I settled on the "lazy" technique you see here because that's what I found to work best for my own comfort. If that feels comfortable for you then go for it. By comfort I mean make sure you can easily fret the instrument when and how you want to (slides, hammer-ons, etc.) and that playing for hours doesn't induce any pain in your arm or wrist. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIPOhKaXpb6MqaM This ridiculously early video from Adam Neely explains a lot about what you're looking to achieve. His solution actually involves moving your thumb the other way as you go up the neck (down instead of up). I didn't find this to be comfortable at all, instead, the "find the neutral position" advice took me in the opposite direction.

[@gregpantelides1355]

@@almostfreebass9105 Thank you so much for your reply :-) May you continue to stay healthy and safe and provide us with awesome bass videos! BTW, I just ordered a Joe Dart myself and it should be here within 3 weeks! I'm so stoked! :-)

[@american-professor]

oh, I def need a tone control. Take slapping and fingerstyle, for example. When I play tight funky groves, my tone is rolled off to ~20%. When I play slap - the tone is all the way open. There's no way I can get that openness without the tone knob. Same thing with the muffled tight fingerstyle. Yeah, I can pu on some flatwounds and get that tone without the use of the toneknob. But then I'll lose the ability to slap with the same bright and aggressive tone. I understand this whole "the tone is in your fingers" cliche, but please. It works only to a certain extent.

[@devoue277]

lake street dive on the background!!

[@almostfreebass9105]

Good eye! Lake Street Dive's bassist Bridget Kearney is who inspired me to begin the long road of building up my chops on the upright. I love the way she brings a sensibility from the electric bass to her upright playing. She's also got a killer tone and sustain that I've just not heard from other acoustic basses.

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

Almost Free Bass They're an amazing band, and she's an amazing bass player. I accidentally play and sound quite a bit like her on upright, because I don't know any better, haha! I had played electric bass for 10-12 years and aside from impromptu 'jam lessons' from friends had never had any music education before I ever played upright (or after). When I started getting into upright for old-time, jamgrass, and Americana type stuff I played it with kinda like an electric right hand technique (albeit SUPER HARD) and with steel flatwound strings, that's what made me sound that way. Not sure about her, I'm sure she knows what she's doing and just knows she needs a barky, lively tone for that application.

[@hanshansen9759]

As a drummer I feel attacked I can only list 4 reasons why; no more.

[@RavnHood]

This video looks and sounds like it is from the year 2000

[@akap]

No.

[@srbagacinho4421]

No

[@RavnHood]

Well, yes.

[@rockyrucker2789]

Woah, is that a Bargain Bin Heroes shirt?! Love those guys!!!

[@almostfreebass9105]

Yeah! I got to play a couple of shows alongside Bargain Bin and instantly became a fan.

[@RastaSaiyaman]

May I point out that people who have been playing acoustic guitars can pull out many different tones from that instrument by plucking, strumming and picking and dampening the strings at different spots of the instrument. And they have been doing so for millennia.

[@Phyoomz]

Quality demo!

[@bensoohoo659]

What kind of strings??

[@absoluteunit8628]

Thanks a lot for the info.

[@Dandyboy84]

Great video!

[@almostfreebass9105]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@paulm3186]

The action on Stingray type basses is not suppose to be that close because the fret buzz is loud af. Slapping on it sounds terrible. Raise the action so you can hear the full tone of the strings. Bassist like James Jamerson and Louis Johnson had the strings off the frets

[@juanmendoza2993]

What are you talking about? Stingray have the best tone for slap But, i agree with the action topic

[@AidanXavier1]

@@juanmendoza2993 he was saying that this specific one doesn't sound good for slap because it's not set up well, the action is too low. The one Joe himself plays slaps great though, because it's set up right

[@Rooger_modular]

You should mention these are Flatwounds

[@tameromari2102]

Over-rated. I can think of at least 5 better basses I'd get before this one with 2k$!

[@studiopierrot4745]

Shame, it just misses the sound of joe. No amp = no eq = no versatile. For a good bass tone you need a good amp as much as good fingering . This is not a guitar tone. Bass tone is way more difficult to manage and to mix.