Ernie Ball Super Slinky Nickel Wound Electric Guitar Strings - 9-42 Gauge

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We don’t have contracts with our artists,” Sterling says. “I never wanted a piece of paper to determine whether someone played our guitars or not. I wanted to make sure we always earned that privilege. Most of our artists have been with us a very long time. It’s all about family.” The Stingray bass is perhaps Music Man's most iconic and successful design. Stingray guitars pay homageto the original music man models. Generally, Music Man guitars are slightly retro in style but have a high level of originality in their designs. A diverse range of players from St Vincent to John Petrucci use Music Man guitars exclusively. Ernie Ball/Music Man remains one of the few long-lived, successful, true family businesses not only in the music industry but in the entire U.S. In addition to Brian, Sterling’s son Scott is the company’s vice president and oversees factory operations. Around this time he met Leo Fender, and the two became good friends, with Ball becoming an early Fender endorsee and product beta tester in 1953. Seeking a more reliable means of making a living, Ball opened a guitar teaching studio in 1954 and his first music retail store in 1957 in Tarzana, California, located in the San Fernando Valley northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Our famous Earthwood acoustic guitar guitar strings are just one of the many choices that musicians have. With over 100 options of the best acoustic strings to choose from, every kind of musician will find the right fit for their playing style. Ernie Ball acoustic guitar strings come in a number of different high quality materials including aluminum, bronze, nylon, phosphor, and stainless steel. Generally, bronze strings translate to a bright tone, while phosphor bronze strings lead to a warmer tone. Stainless steel typically produces a softer tone and nylon guitar strings bring a clear and rich tone.

Guitarists knew my dad’s store was the place to go,” Sterling says. “My dad would set up all of the guitars that he sold. Players would come in from all over Southern California to buy Teles and Strats from us because of that. That’s something we still insist on doing today. We spend at least 45 minutes meticulously setting up every Music Man guitar and bass so it performs at its best before we ship them out, which is a lot more effort than most other companies make.”Around the same time, Music Man also introduced its first artist signature guitar, the Steve Morse model. An eye-catching solidbody featuring a modernistic compact angular design called the Axis was often seen in the hands of Albert Lee during this time as well, although that guitar wasn’t officially released until 1993 as the Albert Lee model. Ernie Ball started making their slinky strings with the now simple concept to offer musicians a set that you could bend easily! Since then they have built a wide variety of string choices to suit different tonal choices and playing styles; from the classic regular slinky sets, to titanium coated, ultra high output M-Steel, and Cobalt.

Demand for the Edward Van Halen signature model was so overwhelming that the company could have easily sold tens of thousands of units every year if the factory were able to produce that many. Under Brian Ball’s direction, Ernie Ball continues to be a leader in developing innovations in string technology. His contributions have included the high-output Cobalt and M-Steel electric strings, ultra-high-strength Paradigm acoustic and electric strings, revolutionary Aluminum Bronze acoustic strings and half-gauge sets featuring E strings measuring .0085, .0095 and .0105 that further expand players’ options. Since then, the company has been under the leadership of 3 generations of the ball family, with Brian Ball being appointed in 2015. Series Ernie Ball introduced its acoustic Earthwood brand in a literally big way in 1972. In addition to rolling out the new line of Earthwood acoustic guitar strings, the company also produced its very first instrument: the Earthwood acoustic-electric bass guitar. Although Music Man’s relationship with Van Halen was relatively short-lived, its “sterling” reputation, particularly with artists, continues to this day.However, the company’s emphasis on maintaining its highest standards throughout the production process – from the selection of quality materials through the finest details of fit and finish – kept output somewhat limited, and as a result Van Halen eventually jumped ship in 1995 to Peavey, who was more willing to deliver the higher sales numbers the superstar guitarist started to demand. The Ernie Ball brand has earned international acclaim throughout the last century and this continues through to the present day. When you choose Ernie Ball, you’re guaranteed the satisfaction and greatly improved musical experience of a brand with heritage and integrity.