Collective Soul in the Spotlight with an Music Man Bongo in Hand

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA (November 16, 2005) ? After taking a four-year hiatus from the spotlight, Collective Soul is back with a fresh indie vibe, a great new album?and a Music Man Bongo Bass.

?It?s only been a year since I began playing the Bongo,? says Collective Soul bassist/percussionist Will Turpin, who brought his Bongo with him when Collective Soul recently began touring with Lifehouse and Better than Ezra. ?I have a Stingray that has been a regular part of my stage show for a decade, and I figured it was time to retire it. I was immediately impressed by the feel of the Bongo and even more impressed by the sound!?

Turpin has been with Collective Soul since their first record broke in 1993. Their most recent album, From the Ground Up, (released in May 2005) is the group?s first project since Blender was released in 2000. According to Turpin, the Bongo has worked well for the new album?s tracks?although, like many loyal Bongo artists, it was the instrument?s unique look that first caught his attention.

?The Bongo looks like nothing else out there! It?s also real easy to play; the touch on the fretboard is great, and the active pick-ups allow for a lot of versatility. I play with both a pick and my fingers depending on what song we?re performing, and I can easily get a good sound for both just by tweaking the Active EQ's on the Bongo.?

Collective Soul will continue their current tour through Thanksgiving before embarking on a mini-tour of several radio station holiday shows in December. Plans are currently in the works to begin an overseas tour of South Africa and Europe in early 2006.

Music Man is recognized as the benchmark of modern bass guitar design and manufacturing since introducing the Stingray bass in 1976. Music Man was founded by Leo Fender, Forrest White and Tom Walker in 1972, and acquired in 1984 by Ernie Ball Inc. The company has since developed many groundbreaking guitars and basses. For more information, contact the Ernie Ball Company at (805) 544-7726, or visit their website at www.ernieball.com.

These products are Ernie Ball trademarks registered in the USA and many foreign countries:

ERNIE BALL®     CUSTOM GAUGE®     SLINKY®     EARTHWOOD®
MUSICMAN®
STINGRAY®     SILHOUETTE®     AXIS®
STERLING®     4+2®     3+1®

Trademark ownership is indicated by the symbol ®, however, for the sake of brevity it is omitted during the story.

Contact:
Derek Brooks
Ernie Ball, Inc.
(800) 543-2255

Media Contact:
Keith Negrin
MORSEKODE
(952) 853-9555