Ernie Ball Music Man, one of the world’s premier guitar, bass and amp manufacturers, has debuted three new Artist Series guitars: the John Petrucci “JP16”, the Annie Clark “St. Vincent” and the James Valentine “Valentine” models. The new guitars were designed with extensive input from the artists and manufactured to their exact specifications.
“We are honored to be working with such talented guitar players and instrument designers like John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Annie Clark (St. Vincent), and James Valentine (Maroon 5),” said Sterling Ball, CEO of Ernie Ball. “Unlike with other signature instruments, Ernie Ball Music Man Artist Series guitars are ground-up designs created hand-in-hand with the players’ input to enable them to develop guitars that push the limits of design and performance.”
The Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci “JP16” offers an ideal combination of the best features of all John Petrucci signature instruments, one of the world’s best-selling artist signature models. The JP16 retains the styling of the current JP15 and features a basswood body with original JP6 arm scoop, black Floyd Rose Pro Series Tremolo with matching black hardware, two DiMarzio Illuminator humbucking pickups with a 20dB boost and a 25.5-inch scale, gun-oil finish, 17-inch radius roasted maple neck with ebony fingerboard, and Ernie Ball’s trademarked 4-over-2 headstock and compensated nut, designed for superior tuning stability.
The Ernie Ball Music Man Annie Clark “St. Vincent” features an ergonomic body shape made from lightweight African mahogany, three DiMarzio mini-humbucking pickups and custom wired 5-way switching. Signature knobs, inlays, molded pickguard, 25.5-inch scale, gun-oil finished rosewood neck and 10-inch radius fingerboard, with Ernie Ball’s trademarked 4-over-2 headstock and compensated nut, designed for superior tuning stability as well as Ernie Ball Music Man’s exclusive super smooth modern tremolo are among the guitar’s additional features. It will be available in Black and St. Vincent Blue on March 1, 2016, for $1,899.99 SRP/MAP.
The Ernie Ball Music Man James Valentine “Valentine” guitar features a slab ash body, two Ernie Ball Music Man designed pickups (1-humbucker/1-single coil) with 3-way custom wired lever switch, coil tap, modern hardtail bridge with vintage bent steel saddles, 25.5-inch scale, tinted ultra-light satin polyurethane finish neck with 10-inch radius rosewood or maple fingerboard, 22 stainless steel frets, oversized 4-over-2 headstock and compensated nut, designed for superior tuning stability.
About Ernie Ball:
In 1962, veteran player and teacher Ernie Ball created Slinkys®, the iconic light gauge electric guitar strings widely revered by hundreds of guitar greats including Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, Paul McCartney, Metallica, Brad Paisley, Slash, John Petrucci, The Edge and John Mayer. In addition to industry-standard strings, as well as hand-crafted high-end Music Man® guitars and basses, Ernie Ball Inc. offers state-of-the-art instrument accessories that are carried in more than 6,000 stores in the U.S. and 120 countries worldwide. The family-run company maintains its founder’s dedication to preserving the musician’s playing experience and delivering superior sound quality through the development of new products, such as Cobalt Slinkys, M-Steel, Earthwood and the revolutionary Element Shield Packaging, which hermetically seals guitar strings to keep each set as fresh as the day they were made. The company also fosters artist development through musician-focused programs such as the world’s largest and longest running Battle of the Bands, where unsigned bands compete each year for the chance to play live on national tours, festivals and events. Visit them online at www.ernieball.com and www.music-man.com.