Ernie Ball buys Source Audio, its first move into effects pedals
The string and accessories company is acquiring the Massachusetts pedal maker, which will keep operating under its own name.
Jul 8, 2026 · 1 min read
Guitar Radar Editorial · Reviewed by Peter Luha · Published Aug 27, 2026
Credit: Ernie Ball (official)
Ernie Ball has agreed to acquire Source Audio, marking the string maker's first expansion into effects pedals after decades focused on strings, straps, and picks. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, and Source Audio — known for pedals like the Hot Hand Motion-Sensing Ring it launched in 2006 — will keep operating under its own brand and existing product line.
Source Audio was founded in Woburn, Massachusetts, by engineers who'd previously worked at Analog Devices and Kurzweil. Ernie Ball CEO Brian Ball said the company was drawn to "their pedals inspire musicians to find sounds they didn't know they were looking for," while Source Audio co-founder Roger Smith said the deal gives his company "the scale, support, and reach to keep growing while preserving what we built." Smith is staying on through the transition, and Ernie Ball says it plans to widen Source Audio's dealer support and international distribution.
Why it matters
It's a small deal in dollar terms but a real shift in strategy — a company that's spent its whole history on strings and accessories is now also in the effects business, and where it takes Source Audio's product line next is worth watching.
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