Industry Sponsors Hop on Board for the Promising Battle of the Bands 11

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA (April 16, 2007) - As the 11th Annual Ernie Ball Battle of Bands gets underway, some of the biggest names and manufacturers in the music industry have once again joined up as sponsors, helping give unsigned bands a once-in-a-lifetime shot at rock and roll fame and fortune?all while reaching their consumers through the Vans Warped Tour. Strong leaders in their respective music niches, each sponsor is committed to supporting new and developing artists through opportunities for live performances, while acknowledging the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands 11 and the Vans Warped Tour as two of the best outlets for such expression of talent.

"One of the issues today is that there are few outlets or venues for folks to play and experience a music performance," said Paul Youngblood, president of BOSS USA. "The Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands gives aspiring musicians a place to play, have fun, and gain playing experience. And of course this directly translates to the performers getting recognized."

Added Peter Murray, who handles international promotion, marketing and artist relations for Battle sponsor Markbass, "The Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands is a great opportunity for young, new rock bands to connect with a large audience and gain some real exposure. Ernie Ball has been very cutting-edge in their use of these contests and the internet and very successfully bringing bands and fans together. It's a win-win situation for everyone and a great celebration of cool new music!"

This year's Battle entrants will have the chance to play live on the Vans Warped Tour, win sponsor-provided professional music gear through a concurrent online competition, and play in front of industry executives and fans at the final Hollywood Showcase, which will be held at a prominent Hollywood location in the fall of 2007. New this year, entrants can even sell their music for profit through the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands website.

The Vans Warped Tour will hit major venues in the United States and Canada from June 28 through August 25.

Battle sponsors include Auralex, BOSS, Coffin Case, DW, Electro-Voice, Guitar Center, Krank Amplification, Markbass, M-Audio, Remo, Taylor Guitars, TC Electronic, Vans Warped Tour and Zildjian.

Details on each sponsor follow:

Auralex: Founded in 1977, Auralex strived to provide innovative acoustical control products at the best value. Since then, thousands of satisfied Auralex customers have experienced improved acoustics, solid advice and exceptional customer service. Showcase winners receive the Auralex Project 2 Acoustics Sound Control Kit, consisting of 24 Studiofoam wedge panels, eight LENRD Bass Traps, and five Tubetak Pro Adhesives; online winners receive one Producer Pack.

BOSS: Known around the world as the company that put the "stomp" in "stompbox," BOSS has been making effects, recorders, rhythm composers, tuners and other accessories for over 30 years. BOSS has a long history of innovation with the world's first chorus, first digital delay pedal, first chromatic tuner, first drum machine with step time among many other innovations. The company is providing online winners with its popular ME-50 Guitar Multiple Effects Monster, a floor based multi-effects processor built with the ruggedness and simplicity of a stompbox.

Coffin Case: Years ago, Jonny "Coffin" brought the underground revolution to musicians with the coffin-shaped guitar case. The following years saw a rapid succession of new, innovative, and award-winning products for guitarists, bass players and drummers, working both on stage and in the studio. Coffin Case continues to introduce more industry "firsts" and receives acclaim from critics and musicians worldwide. Coffin Case will provide Showcase winners with the BB-120 Guitar Gig-Bag; the BB-140 Bass Gig-Bag; the BB-110 Pedal Board with Gig-Bag; and the BB-100 Drum Stick Bag.

Drum Workshop (DW): Drum Workshop, Inc. is a world-renowned manufacturer of professional quality custom drums, pedals and hardware. The DW brand is endorsed by Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac), Tommy Lee (Motley Crue), Max Weinberg (Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band), Neil Peart (Rush), Joey Kramer (Aerosmith), Alex Gonzales (Mana), Jose Pasillas (Incubus) and Terry Bozzio (Jeff Beck) among others. DW is also home to the highly successful Pacific (PDP) line of mid- and entry-level priced drum sets as well as Gon Bops, a legendary line of hand percussion and percussion accessories. Showcase winners will receive the CXR Kit for heavy-hitters, which includes an 8.155 hardware pack with two cymbal stands, snare stand, hi-hat stand, pedal and a DT800-04 throne.

"The Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands reaches a young demographic on their turf in a very credible way," said Scott Donnel of DW. "By using outlets like the Warped Tour, they are giving us visibility in places we are not always able to be. Plus, they offer a very real way for emerging artists to reach the same core audience."

Electro-Voice (EV): A professional audio brand of Telex Communications, Inc., EV is a leader in the design of loudspeakers, microphones, power amplifiers, Klark Teknik signal processing equipment, Dynacord loudspeakers and electronics and world-renowned Midas mixing consoles. EV is providing Showcase winners with the new RE-2 Series UHF Wireless Microphone, which operates over 28MHz (6 TV channels), XLR Mic or Line level output and features a completely programmable frequency agile system with one-touch Auto-ClearScan and more. Online winners will receive a selection of Electrovoice microphones.

Guitar Center: Since 1959, Guitar Center has been providing good, old-fashioned service that caters to the musician's every need. With more than 100 stores, the chain continues to be a strong link between musicians and tools of the trade, making it "The Musician's Choice." Guitar Center is offering Showcase winners a $10,000 shopping spree.

Krank Amplification: Krank Amps has invaded the guitar playing community over the past two years with its unique sounding, high gain amplifiers, providing what the company describes as "a new tone for a new generation."

Showcase winners will receive the Rev. Jr. Mini Stack, a professional studio quality rig featuring a 20-watt all tube dual channel head with boost switch and active tube-driven effects loop.

MarkBass: The makers of high-quality, bass amplifiers in Italy, Markbass products are becoming known for their great sound, light weight, and reliability. Showcase winners will take home a CL106 cabinet and an R500 amplifier.

M-Audio: "The Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands is an excellent vehicle for promoting up-and-coming talent?a goal that M-Audio strongly supports and shares," said a representative for the company. "While some outlets like reality shows provide tremendous exposure for pop artists, there are fewer opportunities for today's innovative punk and rock acts. The Battle does a great thing by recognizing and advancing this group of independent musicians."

A leading provider of creative tools for computer-centric musicians and audio professionals, M-Audio was founded in 1988. The company's reputation for delivering cutting edge technology in easy-to-use, affordable products has garnered significant recognition by industry experts, including world-class artists, recording studios and magazines.
M-Audio's advanced engineering and value-conscious pricing has also helped to bring the joy of creating high-quality music to virtually anyone with the desire. Online winners receive a BlackBox performance/recording tool, Pro Tools M-Powered production software, BX5a studio reference monitors, an Oxygen8 keyboard controller, a Key Rig virtual keyboard rack, a Drum & Bass Rig virtual drum and bass rack and a Studio Pack backpack.

Remo: Providers of drumheads for the cutting-edge sounds of pop, rock, Latin, and jazz drumming styles, Remo has been the world leader in drumheads since 1957 with the goal to manufacture the best drum products on Earth. Online winners will receive a selection of Remo drumheads.

Taylor Guitars: Since 1974, Taylor Guitars has been the name in acoustic guitars. Online winners receive a Taylor 210 Guitar with a solid top, back and sides. Solid ebony is used for the fretboard and bridge, while wood fiber binding accents the Dreadnought body.

TC Electronic: A leading manufacturer/distributor of audio signal processing hardware and software, TC Electronic is renowned for innovative solutions as much as superior quality. The company's wide product range is used for recording, live sound, postproduction and broadcast applications. Founded in 1976, the first products developed were specifically designed for guitar signal processing. Showcase winners will receive ND-1 Nova Delay and NR-1 Nova Reverb pedals.

Vans Warped Tour: The most successful summer music tour and festival for youth, the Vans Warped Tour has kicked off the careers of Eminem, Blink-182, 311, No Doubt, Sugar Ray, Limp Bizkit and more. Scheduled to hit almost 50 cities in North America this summer, it incorporates music and gravity-defying sports including BMX, motocross and skateboarding.

Zildjian: The Avedis Zildjian Company has been the world's leading cymbal and drumstick maker for three centuries. Whenever great strides are made in music and in drumming, a Zildjian product is there to respond, take part and lead. Online winners will receive a cymbal pack from Zildjian.

ERNIE BALL/MUSIC MAN: Showcase winners receive 52 sets of guitars strings and 12 sets of bass strings of their choice as well as one Music Man guitar and one Music Man bass of their choice. Online winners receive 24 sets of guitar strings and 6 sets of bass strings of their choice.

For more information on the Battle, contact Ernie Ball at (800) 543-2255, or visit www.battleofthebands.com. Editors may contact On the Horizon Communications at (805) 773-1000 or info@thepressroom.com.

Ernie Ball was the first to offer rock strings with the creation of Slinkys, and further revolutionized the market by offering guitarists Custom-Gauge single strings. The Ernie Ball Company also produces Music Man guitars and basses, volume pedals, and other accessories. The company's strings and accessories are available in more than 6,000 music stores throughout the U.S. The company also exports to 82 countries. For more information, contact the Ernie Ball company at (800) 543-2255, 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:
Brian Ball
Ernie Ball, Inc.
(800) 543-2255

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