Ernie Ball Music Man Celebrates 30 years of the StingRay, 20 Years of the Silhouette and a New Limited Edition Package for 2006

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA (December 7, 2005) -- Celebrating the popularity of the StingRay bass and Silhouette guitar, two new anniversary edition instruments will be offered in 2006. Blending original features with modern improvements, these new models will debut at the 2006 Winter NAMM show, taking place January 19-22 in Anaheim, CA.

 StingRay
The 30th Anniversary StingRay will feature a mahogany body (a first for any Music Man production instrument) with a translucent red finish, figured maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. Tipping its hat to the original design, Music Man will offer a strings-thru-the body bridge, along with a buffed polyester finish on the back of the neck.  At the heart of this Anniversary model is the distinctive Music Man humbucking pickup and 3 band EQ, providing bassists the widest possible frequency response and a fat full sound. A special custom-made neckplate will commemorate this bass, along with custom 30th Anniversary logo and graphics.

 Silhouette
The 20th Anniversary Silhouette will feature a figured maple top with a 3-ply black, natural, black veneer underneath. Standard features include a maple neck with the option of a rosewood or maple fingerboard and Music Man Vintage Tremolo or fixed bridge. It also includes rear-mounted electronics, buttercream position markers, a custom neck  plate and 20th Anniversary logo.

 Limited Edition
Music Man introduces its 4th installment of its special-run Limited Edition series with an all black finish and custom gold hardware package. Available for a limited time only, this latest offering includes all Music Man models except for the SUB series, Silhouette Bass, Steve Morse Y2D, Benji Madden signature and all left-handed instruments. Gold hardware includes the bridge, tuning keys, neck plate, tremolo arms, control knobs and pickguard screws. An all black headstock with a gold Music Man logo will match the hardware and overall theme. These Limited Edition instruments will also feature a special 2006 Limited Edition gold silkscreen just below the neckplate. A custom pickguard, rosewood fretboard and Limited Edition case will round out the package.

 “Music Man enthusiasts are drawn to the allure of special run instruments, as there are only limited amounts available in 2006,” said Derek Brooks of Ernie Ball. “These special runs are very popular among the growing base of Music man collectors.”

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