PRODUCT REVIEW
ERNIE BALL
Music Man
25th Anniversary
BY BEN FRIEDMAN
Looking back upon things,
1984 was a pivotal year in some
respects: mullets and spandex reached
the pinnacle of fashion for the MTV set,
and Eddie Van Halen was playing killer
licks from VH’s new hit album 1984—on
a synthesizer! For the Ball family, 1984
was a keystone year, as Ernie Ball, Inc.
acquired the Music Man trademarks.
The company tells us that it was actu-
ally Ernie’s son, Sterling, who con-
ceived the idea to buy Music Man from
his godfather, former Fender Instrument
veteran and Ball business associate
Tom Walker. Working with Scotty and
Brian Ball, and newly hired luthier Dudley
Gimpel, they took the reins as the next
generation design team, creating a series of
well-regarded guitars and basses from their
San Luis Obispo, CA, headquarters. Testimony
to their success is a substantial roster of pro-
fessional endorsees and associated signature
models that includes Steve Morse, Albert Lee,
