Ernie Ball facts for kids

Ernie Ball (born Roland Sherwood Ball; August 30, 1930 – September 9, 2004) was an American entrepreneur (a person who starts businesses) and musician. He became famous for creating many products for guitars. Ernie started as a musician playing in clubs and on TV. He then built a huge international business selling guitars and their accessories. His company, Ernie Ball Inc., is named after him.

Ernie Ball's Early Life

Ernie Ball was born in Santa Monica, California. He grew up in a family that loved music. His grandfather, Ernest Ball, wrote a famous song called "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling." Ernie's father sold cars but also taught people how to play the steel guitar.

Ernie started playing the steel guitar when he was nine years old. He wanted to make his father happy. For a few years, he wasn't very interested. But in his early teens, he started loving the instrument again. He would practice for up to three hours every day! Within a year, he joined the Musicians Union.

Ernie Ball's Career Journey

Becoming a Professional Musician

When Ernie was still a teenager, he began playing music professionally. He performed in beer bars in South Central Los Angeles. By age 19, he joined the Tommy Duncan Band. He played the pedal steel guitar for them. The band toured through the Southwestern United States.

During the Korean War, Ernie served in the United States Air Force Band. He played both guitar and bass drum. After his military service, he returned to Los Angeles. He continued playing in bars and lounges. Soon, he got a job on a 1950s TV show called "Western Varieties" at KTLA television. This job helped him become more known in the Los Angeles music scene. It also led to studio work and teaching music lessons.

Starting His Own Business

Around 1957 or 1958, Ernie Ball opened a music store in Tarzana, California. He said it was the first store in the U.S. that sold only guitars. Other music sellers criticized him for not selling things like drumsticks. But Ernie told them, "I just want to sell guitars." In the next few years, he opened two more guitar shops nearby.

In the 1960s, Ernie started making his own custom guitar strings. By the early 1970s, his products were sold in Europe and Asia. Eventually, his company's products were sold in over 5,500 stores. They were also sent to more than 70 countries worldwide.

In the early 1980s, his company bought the Music Man Company. This allowed them to make high-quality guitars, basses, and amplifiers. Leo Fender helped make the instruments, and Tom Walker built the amps. Ernie Ball also helped create the first modern acoustic bass guitar. It was introduced in 1972 under the Earthwood brand. These early models are now very rare and valuable.

In 1985, the company moved to San Luis Obispo. It stayed there until 2003, when string making moved to Coachella. Under Ernie's leadership, the company made over $40 million each year.

Innovating Guitar Strings

Ernie Ball Slinky bass guitar string set

In the 1960s, rock music became very popular. Ernie noticed that new guitar students had trouble playing the standard Fender guitar strings. The third ("G") string was often too thick and hard to bend. At that time, this string was usually "wound" (wrapped with wire).

Ernie talked to the Fender company about this problem. He suggested making lighter strings. But Fender said no. So, Ernie convinced a string maker to create custom sets for him. These sets had a thinner, 24-gauge third string. He sold them in his store. This was the start of the Ernie Ball brand.

His store was near Hollywood. Many professional musicians started coming there. These included The Beach Boys, Merle Travis, and The Ventures.

Ernie also noticed that some players would remove the thickest sixth string. Then, they would add a thin banjo string in its place. This made the whole set lighter and gave them a plain (unwound) third string. Again, he asked Fender and Gibson to make lighter sets, but they both refused.

So, Ernie ordered these new strings himself. He named them Ernie Ball Slinky strings. Professional musicians who used them traveled all over the country. Soon, Ernie was getting mail orders from people and stores everywhere. He wasn't just a string company yet. He ordered separate strings in different sizes. He displayed them in a special case. This allowed musicians to create their own custom string sets. This idea became very popular. In 1967, he sold his store and moved his string business to Newport Beach, California.

The unique packaging for Ernie Ball's guitar strings was designed by Rolly Crump. He was a famous designer for Disney.

Ernie Ball's Personal Life

Ernie Ball had many hobbies. He enjoyed collecting cars, surfing, and flying airplanes. He also wrote several books and guides on how to play the guitar.

He was married to Nova Gail (Conley). They had four children: Sherwood, David, Sterling Ball, and Nova. His granddaughter is the actress Hannah Marks.

Ernie stayed active in his company until he passed away. He died on September 9, 2004, after an illness. He left his business to his sons and other family members. He was buried in San Luis Cemetery in San Luis Obispo, California.

See also

• Michael DeTemple, an American musician, luthier, and acquaintance of Ball