Ernie Ball
Ernie Ball | |
---|---|
Born | Roland Sherwood Ball August 30, 1930 Sterling Ball Nova Ball |
Parent(s) | Roland Adelbert Ball Frances Shankland |
Relatives | Ernest Ball (grandfather) Hannah Marks (granddaughter) |
Musical career | |
Genres | Rock |
Instruments | Guitar, bass guitar |
Ernie Ball (born Roland Sherwood Ball; August 30, 1930 – September 9, 2004)
Early life
Ball was born Roland Sherwood Ball in
Career
Professional musician
While still in his early teens, Ball began playing professionally in
Entrepreneurship
Sometime in 1957 or 1958, Ball opened what he claimed was the first music store in the United States to sell guitars exclusively, in
In the 1960s, Ball began manufacturing custom guitar strings.
In 1985, the company was moved to a new facility in
Guitar string innovations
With the guitar-based rock revival of the 1960s, Ball noticed that beginner students were having difficulty playing the bestselling
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 down. He then approached
The characteristic packaging of Ball's guitar strings was designed by
Personal life and death
Ball had diverse interests including collecting cars,
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 San Luis Obispo, California.[2]
See also
- Michael DeTemple, an American musician, luthier, and acquaintance of Ball
References
- ^ a b "Person Page 2667". The New England Ball Project. 1993-10-08. Retrieved 2014-03-24.
- ^ ISSN 0027-4488: Ernie Ball; Deaths; October 1, 2004
- ^ a b "Ernie Ball, 74; Pioneer Maker of Strings for Rock Guitarists". Los Angeles Times. 11 September 2004. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d "History". Ernie Ball. Archived from the original on February 6, 2007. Retrieved 2014-03-24.
- ^ a b c d Huff, Ryan (11 June 2014). "SLO man made name in guitar strings". San Luis Obispo Tribune. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7864-8295-5. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ 1966 Fender String Catalog, Page 2
- ^ Tim Forster, "Carte Blanche", Record Collector, #440, May 2015, p.136
- ^ Pemberton, Patrick S. (1 August 2012). "Hannah Marks, who grew up in SLO, lands role in new 'Spider-Man' movie". San Luis Obispo Tribune. Retrieved 6 August 2023.