382:
397:, particularly in holding down or bending the stiff .028" third ("G") string. At the time, it was common for a set of strings to have a third string that was "wound". He approached the Fender company with the problem, suggesting a lighter gauge, but was rebuffed. Ball convinced a string manufacturer to make him custom sets with a 24-gauge third string which he sold in his store. It was the beginning of the Ernie Ball brand. Located not far from
425:"Slinky" strings traveled the country with the pro musicians who used them and before long, Ball was receiving mail orders from individuals and stores. Still not a string company, he ordered separate strings in various sizes and displayed them in a makeshift case allowing musicians to experiment in creating their own sets. It took off, and in 1967 he sold the store and moved his string business to Newport Beach, California.
416:
Ball also began to notice the practice of "slack stringing" among players who discarded the bottom sixth string and added a banjo first string on top. This resulted in an overall lighter gauge set with a plain third string. Again, he contacted Fender with a suggestion for a lighter set and was turned
238:
on the side. Although Ball began to play steel guitar at age nine to please his father, he lost interest for several years. In his early teens he took a renewed interest in the instrument, practicing as many as three hours a day. Within a year he was a member of the
470:
Ball remained active in his company until his death 42 years after its founding. He died from an ongoing, undisclosed illness on
September 9, 2004, leaving the business to his sons and other family members. He was buried near his home at San Luis Cemetery in
326:. Eventually, the products spawned from his company would sell in more than 5,500 stores and be exported to more than 70 countries of the world. In the early eighties the company bought the
315:
and other musical equipment, Ball replied, "I just want to sell guitars." Within the next couple years he opened 2 other shops, one in Canoga Park, CA, the other in
Thousand Oaks, CA.
455:. He also authored a series of books and manuals on guitar playing. He was married to Nova Gail (Conley), and had four children: Sherwood Ball, the ex-husband of actress
207:-related products. Ball began as a club and local television musician and entrepreneur, building an international business in guitars and accessories.
799:
794:
789:
784:
307:
Sometime in 1957 or 1958, Ball opened what he claimed was the first music store in the United States to sell guitars exclusively, in
389:
With the guitar-based rock revival of the 1960s, Ball noticed that beginner students were having difficulty playing the bestselling
779:
764:
390:
665:
223:, and grew up in a musical family, the son of Frances (née Shankland) and Roland Adelbert Ball. His paternal grandfather,
318:
In the 1960s, Ball began manufacturing custom guitar strings. By the early 1970s, Ball established brand distributors in
365:
and remained there with all of it operations until early 2003, when the company relocated its string manufacturing to
769:
381:
269:
240:
774:
711:
655:
288:
and continued playing in barrooms and lounges, until landing a job on the 1950s "Western
Varieties" program at
593:
560:
472:
228:
71:
273:
418:
257:
421:, who also turned him down. So, once again he ordered from the manufacturer naming the product the
347:
220:
52:
281:
626:
544:
398:
346:
making the instruments and Tom Walker building amps. Ball, along with former Fender employee,
366:
759:
754:
508:
351:
8:
327:
308:
265:
661:
540:
312:
401:, the store began to attract a large patronage of professional musicians, including
484:
433:
370:
394:
362:
208:
17:
358:
brand in 1972. Although unsuccessful, surviving models are highly collectable.
402:
232:
748:
460:
456:
114:
464:
410:
406:
261:
235:
196:
141:
83:
429:
373:. Under Ball's leadership, it grossed more than $ 40 million per annum.
335:
296:
285:
224:
173:
136:
712:"Hannah Marks, who grew up in SLO, lands role in new 'Spider-Man' movie"
211:
is the eponymous corporation Ball started to market guitar accessories.
343:
311:. When music sales representatives criticized him for refusing to sell
292:
284:
Band, playing guitar and bass drum. After the military, he returned to
277:
159:
428:
The characteristic packaging of Ball's guitar strings was designed by
452:
355:
339:
256:
While still in his early teens, Ball began playing professionally in
597:
449:
200:
445:
331:
319:
204:
169:
561:"Ernie Ball, 74; Pioneer Maker of Strings for Rock Guitarists"
739:
323:
289:
350:, was instrumental in the development of the first modern
487:, an American musician, luthier, and acquaintance of Ball
295:. The position soon gained him wider recognition in the
195:; August 30, 1930 – September 9, 2004) was an American
16:
This article is about the person. For the company, see
444:
Ball had diverse interests including collecting cars,
299:
music scene and led to studio work and teaching jobs.
361:
In 1985, the company was moved to a new facility in
746:
330:, expanding into the production of high quality
231:" and his father was a car salesman who taught
535:
533:
531:
529:
527:
525:
463:, and Nova Ball. His granddaughter is actress
649:
647:
376:
588:
586:
584:
582:
522:
644:
511:. The New England Ball Project. 1993-10-08
439:
709:
555:
553:
579:
539:Music Trades, No. 9, Vol. 152; Pg. 177;
385:Ernie Ball Slinky bass guitar string set
380:
251:
710:Pemberton, Patrick S. (1 August 2012).
747:
657:Country Boy: A Biography of Albert Lee
550:
503:
501:
268:. Duncan, the former lead singer with
219:Ball was born Roland Sherwood Ball in
653:
627:"SLO man made name in guitar strings"
620:
618:
616:
614:
547:: Ernie Ball; Deaths; October 1, 2004
800:20th-century American businesspeople
795:20th-century American male musicians
624:
272:, took the band on tour through the
498:
302:
260:beer bars. By age 19 he joined the
13:
687:1966 Fender String Catalog, Page 2
611:
14:
811:
733:
790:20th-century American guitarists
785:20th-century classical musicians
270:Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
280:, he did a tour of duty in the
780:Businesspeople from California
703:
696:Tim Forster, "Carte Blanche",
690:
681:
1:
765:American classical guitarists
654:Watts, Derek (27 July 2010).
491:
214:
740:Ernie Ball/Music Man Company
596:. Ernie Ball. Archived from
7:
625:Huff, Ryan (11 June 2014).
478:
473:San Luis Obispo, California
229:When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
72:San Luis Obispo, California
10:
816:
660:. McFarland. p. 189.
274:Southwestern United States
15:
417:down. He then approached
377:Guitar string innovations
369:in Southern California’s
258:South Central Los Angeles
246:
179:
165:
155:
148:
132:
122:
106:
98:
90:
79:
60:
34:
27:
770:American male guitarists
221:Santa Monica, California
53:Santa Monica, California
716:San Luis Obispo Tribune
700:, #440, May 2015, p.136
631:San Luis Obispo Tribune
440:Personal life and death
354:, introduced under the
282:United States Air Force
775:Pedal steel guitarists
386:
227:, wrote the standard "
384:
252:Professional musician
86:, musician, innovator
22:American entrepreneur
352:acoustic bass guitar
193:Roland Sherwood Ball
126:Roland Adelbert Ball
39:Roland Sherwood Ball
600:on February 6, 2007
567:. 11 September 2004
309:Tarzana, California
509:"Person Page 2667"
423:Ernie Ball Slinky.
387:
266:pedal steel guitar
667:978-0-7864-8295-5
565:Los Angeles Times
393:#10 medium gauge
328:Music Man Company
186:
185:
128:Frances Shankland
91:Years active
64:September 9, 2004
807:
727:
726:
724:
722:
707:
701:
698:Record Collector
694:
688:
685:
679:
678:
676:
674:
651:
642:
641:
639:
637:
622:
609:
608:
606:
605:
590:
577:
576:
574:
572:
557:
548:
537:
520:
519:
517:
516:
505:
485:Michael DeTemple
434:Disney Imagineer
371:Riverside County
348:George Fullerton
303:Entrepreneurship
102:Nova Gail Conley
67:
48:
46:
25:
24:
815:
814:
810:
809:
808:
806:
805:
804:
745:
744:
736:
731:
730:
720:
718:
708:
704:
695:
691:
686:
682:
672:
670:
668:
652:
645:
635:
633:
623:
612:
603:
601:
592:
591:
580:
570:
568:
559:
558:
551:
538:
523:
514:
512:
507:
506:
499:
494:
481:
442:
379:
363:San Luis Obispo
305:
254:
249:
241:Musicians Union
217:
209:Ernie Ball Inc.
182:
144:(granddaughter)
140:
127:
117:
113:
111:
75:
69:
65:
56:
50:
49:August 30, 1930
44:
42:
41:
40:
30:
23:
20:
18:Ernie Ball Inc.
12:
11:
5:
813:
803:
802:
797:
792:
787:
782:
777:
772:
767:
762:
757:
743:
742:
735:
734:External links
732:
729:
728:
702:
689:
680:
666:
643:
610:
578:
549:
521:
496:
495:
493:
490:
489:
488:
480:
477:
459:, David Ball,
441:
438:
403:The Beach Boys
378:
375:
304:
301:
253:
250:
248:
245:
216:
213:
203:who developed
184:
183:
181:Musical artist
180:
177:
176:
167:
163:
162:
157:
153:
152:
150:Musical career
146:
145:
134:
130:
129:
124:
120:
119:
108:
104:
103:
100:
96:
95:
92:
88:
87:
81:
77:
76:
70:
68:(aged 74)
62:
58:
57:
51:
38:
36:
32:
31:
28:
21:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
812:
801:
798:
796:
793:
791:
788:
786:
783:
781:
778:
776:
773:
771:
768:
766:
763:
761:
758:
756:
753:
752:
750:
741:
738:
737:
717:
713:
706:
699:
693:
684:
669:
663:
659:
658:
650:
648:
632:
628:
621:
619:
617:
615:
599:
595:
589:
587:
585:
583:
566:
562:
556:
554:
546:
542:
536:
534:
532:
530:
528:
526:
510:
504:
502:
497:
486:
483:
482:
476:
474:
468:
466:
462:
461:Sterling Ball
458:
457:Susan Anspach
454:
451:
447:
437:
435:
431:
426:
424:
420:
414:
412:
408:
404:
400:
396:
392:
383:
374:
372:
368:
364:
359:
357:
353:
349:
345:
341:
337:
333:
329:
325:
321:
316:
314:
310:
300:
298:
294:
291:
287:
283:
279:
276:. During the
275:
271:
267:
264:Band playing
263:
259:
244:
242:
237:
234:
230:
226:
222:
212:
210:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
178:
175:
171:
168:
164:
161:
158:
154:
151:
147:
143:
139:(grandfather)
138:
135:
131:
125:
121:
116:
115:Sterling Ball
110:Sherwood Ball
109:
105:
101:
97:
93:
89:
85:
82:
80:Occupation(s)
78:
73:
63:
59:
54:
37:
33:
26:
19:
719:. Retrieved
715:
705:
697:
692:
683:
671:. Retrieved
656:
634:. Retrieved
630:
602:. Retrieved
598:the original
569:. Retrieved
564:
513:. Retrieved
469:
465:Hannah Marks
443:
427:
422:
415:
411:The Ventures
407:Merle Travis
388:
360:
317:
306:
262:Tommy Duncan
255:
236:steel guitar
218:
197:entrepreneur
192:
188:
187:
149:
142:Hannah Marks
84:Entrepreneur
66:(2004-09-09)
760:2004 deaths
755:1930 births
430:Rolly Crump
297:Los Angeles
286:Los Angeles
225:Ernest Ball
174:bass guitar
166:Instruments
137:Ernest Ball
749:Categories
604:2014-03-24
515:2014-03-24
492:References
344:Leo Fender
340:amplifiers
313:drumsticks
293:television
278:Korean War
215:Early life
189:Ernie Ball
112:David Ball
45:1930-08-30
29:Ernie Ball
594:"History"
545:0027-4488
453:airplanes
399:Hollywood
367:Coachella
356:Earthwood
133:Relatives
123:Parent(s)
118:Nova Ball
94:1957-2004
721:6 August
673:7 August
636:7 August
571:7 August
479:See also
233:Hawaiian
201:musician
107:Children
446:surfing
395:strings
332:guitars
664:
543:
450:flying
419:Gibson
409:, and
391:Fender
338:, and
336:basses
320:Europe
247:Career
205:guitar
191:(born
170:Guitar
156:Genres
99:Spouse
74:, U.S.
55:, U.S.
342:with
723:2023
675:2023
662:ISBN
638:2023
573:2023
541:ISSN
448:and
432:, a
324:Asia
322:and
290:KTLA
199:and
160:Rock
61:Died
35:Born
751::
714:.
646:^
629:.
613:^
581:^
563:.
552:^
524:^
500:^
475:.
467:.
436:.
413:.
405:,
334:,
243:.
172:,
725:.
677:.
640:.
607:.
575:.
518:.
47:)
43:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.