Ernie Ball/Music Man Welcomes Top Billboard Artists to Ernie Ball Family

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA (June 5, 2007) - Ernie Ball/Music Man is proud to announce that several new internationally acclaimed bands have been added to the company's ever-expanding list of endorsees.

The award-winning Deftones, as well as rock bands Hinder, The Fratellis, Breaking Benjamin and Porcupine Tree are among the welcomed new members of the Ernie Ball family.

"We're always looking to expand the family, and we're honored to have such a phenomenal collection of artists around to put our products to good use," said Derek Brooks of the Ernie Ball Company. "We're glad to have them on board to keep the tradition of great music and quality instruments and accessories going strong."

Details on the aforementioned artists follow:

· Deftones - The Grammy award-winning Deftones have often been praised as one of the most innovative and unique rock bands of recent years. Since their first album in 1995, they've continually made marks on the charts, releasing several albums that went gold. Their smash-hit third album release, White Pony, went platinum, and their most recent album, Saturday Night Wrist, successfully made its way up the charts last year. For more information on the Deftones, visit www.deftones.com.

· Hinder - This post-grunge band jumped onto the rock scene with their debut single "Get Stoned" in 2005, and gained international attention and the number one spot on many charts in 2006 with their second single "Lips of An Angel." Following the success of that release, Hinder played three tour dates with Aerosmith at the end of last year, and they're now anticipating the release of the third single from their debut album. For more information on Hinder, visit www.hinderonline.com.



· The Fratellis - Already in the top 200 on the US Billboard charts for their catchy, fast-paced single "Flathead," the indie rock trio The Fratellis is storming the States with their debut album Costello Music after already being viewed by critics as "the best new band in Britian." For more information on The Fratellis, visit www.thefratellis.com.

· Breaking Benjamin - Having toured with the likes of Evanescence and Godsmack, the alternative rock band Breaking Benjamin has continually heated up the airwaves since their emergence in 2001, with three singles from their sophomore album We Are Not Alone - including "Sooner or Later," "So Cold," and "Rain" - making it into the Billboard charts. For more information on Breaking Benjamin, visit hollywoodrecords.go.com/breakingbenjamin/.



· Porcupine Tree - A progressive rock band formed in England by songwriter Steven Wilson, their music is a combination of rock, psychedelia, ambient and metal. Since Porcupine Tree's initial success in the nineties, their fan base among progressive rock listeners has continued to grow, with some even hailing them as the modern Pink Floyd. For more information on Porcupine Tree, visit www.porcupinetree.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:
Derek Brooks
Ernie Ball, Inc.
(800) 543-2255

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