Ernie Ball announced the introduction of a new artist web series, Ernie Ball String Theory, as the cornerstone of its revamped website.
Ernie Ball String Theory features a selection of the company’s most innovative and influential brand ambassadors as they talk about the sonic origins of their tone and playing styles. Episodes currently on the site include Paul Gilbert (Racer X, Mr. Big), Josh Carter (Phantogram), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Dustin Kensrue (Thrice), Bobb Bruno (Best Coast), Joe Don Rooney (Rascal Flatts) and Ilan Rubin(Nine Inch Nails, Angels & Airwaves, Paramore), among others. Created and produced by Ernie Ball, the series is filmed in the intimate, familiar surroundings of home studios where artists can pick up their guitars and demonstrate skills and tricks they’ve learned on their lifelong exploration of the guitar. New episodes featuring artists across multiple genres, including Joe Bonamassa, Steve Vai, The White Buffalo, Butch Walker, 311 and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, are currently in the works.
The new Ernie Ball website goes beyond a full online menu of product information on their industry-leading line of products including electric, bass, acoustic and specialty guitar strings, volume pedals and accessories to encompass innovative music-centric content. The site upgrades underscore the family-owned company’s well-established position of making quality electric guitar and bass strings since 1962. Ernie Ball pioneered the famous “Slinky” rock and roll custom string gauges that virtually all string manufacturers now use, setting an industry standard for over 50 years.
In addition to String Theory, the updated site features Our Family of Artists, an extensive photo gallery of guitar players who play Ernie Ball strings (includingKeith Richards, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend, Joe Walsh, St. Vincent, Elvis Costello and more); Play Warped, a rebranding of the iconic Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands platform which is celebrating its 20th year and gives bands a chance to win a slot to perform at the Warped Tour mainstage; the Ernie Ball blog, which provides updates on current Ernie Ball artist news, as well as string buying guides and more; and links to episodes of Ernie Ball: The Pursuit of Tone, the singular documentary series created and produced in-house which airs on AT&T Audience Network.
Other features on the site include: tone profiles; string comparison charts; product content; a new, streamlined shopping experience, which supports local dealers via a Shopatron integration; and 3D animated string renderings showcasing ball end, core and wrap wire technologies.
“We’ve been a family-owned company for three generations and we’re committed to being an American company,” says Brian Ball, President of Ernie Ball. “Since 1962, when we first started creating tools for musicians, it’s always been about artist relationships. Our new website lets us raise the bar even higher with superior product and an ongoing stream of award-winning creative content for and by musicians – all of it produced in-house.”
