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

Product Information

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. Their acoustic range is also comprehensive, from light bronze, to Aluminium bronze for clarity, or their Everlast coated series for a balanced tone and longer life. Ernie Ball’s latest innovation is their premium Paradigm series that offer highly break resistant and ultra-durable strings that can handle a punishing set or a particularly sweaty pair of hands! 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. Shortly after the Van Halen model made its debut, Steve Lukather collaborated with Music Man on his first of many Luke signature models, introduced in 1993, the same year the Albert Lee model finally made its debut (with the Axis name later resurrected for the continuation of the Edward Van Halen model after Van Halen left), and both are still designing Music Man models today.

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.Sterling Ball on stage. Ball would road test the StingRay prototypes and offer Leo Fender a player's perspective. (Image credit: Ernie Ball Music Man) 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. Leo wasn’t a musician, so I brought the player’s perspective to the StingRay’s design Sterling Ball 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. Don’t know where to get started? Wondering how to play guitar? Visit the Forum to connect with other guitar players and learn more about how to string a guitar, tuning your guitar, perfecting your tone, how to play guitar chords and more. Players of all skill levels can find resources to help take their sound to the next level. No matter your question, you’re sure to find an answer in the forums.

With players like Lee, Morse and Richards enthusiastically supporting the brand, interest in Music Man guitars began to grow. However, the next artist to join the Music Man guitar roster – Eddie Van Halen – instantly transformed the response to the company from interested raised eyebrows to dropped-jaw, eyes-wide-open amazement. Many iconic guitarists throughout multiple genres of music play Ernie Ball Music Man electric guitars, including John Petrucci, Steve Morse, Albert Lee, Steve Lukather, St Vincent, James Valentine, Jason Richardson, Hunter Hayes, Dustin Kensrue, and many more. Instruments for Guitar Players who Demand Perfection. 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 The company responded to its growing competition by focusing on diversification and innovation, expanding its selection of custom gauge electric guitar string sets and making strings for a wider range of instruments, including bass and acoustic guitar.The sole remedy for breach of the Guarantee and Limited Warranty shall be this express Guarantee and Limited Warranty. This Guarantee and Limited Warranty shall be governed by the laws of the State of California, U.S.A., without regard to principles of conflicts of laws. Any warranty that the Product is compatible with any product or instrument is expressly disclaimed. With this Guarantee and Limited Warranty, Ernie Ball grants the customer specific legal rights which do not restrict any statutory consumer rights. 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.”

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.” Since 1984 the Ernie Ball Music Man family has been committed to achieving unequaled playability, beauty and consistency by finding the ideal balance between man and machine. Using the delicate touch of hand-craftsmanship and the digital accuracy of robotic technology at different stages in the manufacturing process, we’ve focused on mastering the formula for crafting some of the best playing and sounding guitars in the world. During this period the company enjoyed an impressive spike in sales, thanks to the efforts of Ernie Ball’s son Sterling, who was still a teenager. “I had worked for my dad on and off since I was 9, when I first ran the store’s cash register,” Sterling says. “I started working for the company as a road rep in 1973. My dad had this car in the factory parking lot that no one was using. Since then, the company has been under the leadership of 3 generations of the ball family, with Brian Ball being appointed in 2015. Series 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.Soon the company outgrew the production capabilities of its facilities in Newport Beach. In 1979, Ernie Ball relocated to San Luis Obispo about 200 miles up the coast in central California, where its main headquarters are still located today. This collaboration would eventually lead to a major game-changing development for Ernie Ball during the next decade. Ernie Ball handed over the full-time responsibility of running the company to Sterling in 1975, and its sales and success continued to grow at a rapid pace.

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. Our acoustic guitar strings line includes Aluminum Bronze, Earthwood 80/20 Bronze, Paradigm 80/20 Bronze, Everlast Coated Phosphor Bronze, Paradigm Phosphor Bronze, Earthwood Phosphor Bronze and Everlast Coated 80/20 Bronze. I realized the company was probably going to end up in the hands of their Japanese distributor, so I went to my dad and suggested we buy the company Sterling Ball 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. All Music Man branded guitars are built in California. Ernie Ball Music Man also have a range of lower priced imported guitars with the brand name Sterling by Music Man. These guitars are similar in design to the brand's USA models including the Axis and the JP models.

Frequently Asked Questions about Music Man Guitars

Ernie Ball are a family run company that have been providing strings for the world’s greatest guitar players since 1962 with the introduction of the Super Slinky series. When finding the right fit for your acoustic guitar string needs, consider the body style of the guitar, your own playing style, the desired tone, and finally, the age and condition of your instrument. These will determine which material and gauge is best for you and your guitar. Experiment with what feels best to you and what sounds best for the kind of music that you want to produce. Also remember that lighter gauges are generally best for beginning musicians, while heavier gauges are used by more experienced musicians. When Leo Fender sold Fender to CBS in 1965, he signed a non-compete clause refraining from any guitar design work for a period of 10 years. 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. 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.