Ernie Ball

Ernie Ball opened a music shop in Tarzana, California in 1958 and started making his own guitar strings after guitarists complained that existing sets were too heavy. The Slinky strings that followed in 1962 were marketed as the first strings made specifically for rock players, and the brand's Super Slinky and Regular Slinky sets remain among the most widely used.

In 1967 Ernie Ball sold the retail store and focused on strings. In 1984 the company bought the Music Man trademarks and inventory, and began producing guitars and basses in the 1980s, which led to the Ernie Ball Music Man brand.

Ernie Ball is also known for the volume pedal, a staple of pedalboards, and for the Earthwood acoustic range. The company is based in California; sources are inconsistent on the details of its plant locations. Guitar Radar follows Ernie Ball's strings, pedals and accessories alongside its Music Man instruments.