Ernie Ball announces new Earthwood Bell Bronze strings developed with John Mayer, Tim Henson signature strings, plus, the Stingray II and Stingray II deluxe, developed with Cory Wong.
Developed in collaboration with John Mayer, Earthwood Bell Bronze acoustic guitar strings are the first to offer this new patent-pending alloy, which was inspired by blends used for bells and cymbals. In addition, Ernie Ball introduces the Tim Henson Signature Collection of strings and the Pino Palladino Smoothie Flats Signature bass strings.
Earthwood Bell Bronze
Developed in collaboration with John Mayer, Ernie Ball Earthwood Bell Bronze acoustic guitar strings have been carefully crafted to meet John's exacting standards, providing a new voice for your acoustic guitar. Inspired by alloys used traditionally for bells and cymbals, ErnieBall's patent-pending Bell Bronze alloy offers a richer, fuller sound than any other string in our catalog. These strings will breathe new life into your guitar.
“Earthwood Bell Bronze strings are a giant leap forward in tone, playability, anddurability. They’re great in any musical setting but really shine when played solo.There’s an orchestral quality to them.”
- John Mayer
- Developed in collaboration with John Mayer
- Big, bold sound
- Inspired by alloys used for bells and cymbals
- Increased resonance with improved projection & sustain
- Patent-pending alloy unique to Ernie Ball strings
- Available in 4 gauge combinations:
- Extra Light (10-50)
- Light (11-52)
- Medium Light (12-54)
- Medium (13-56)
Acoustic Earthwood Bell Bronze Demo on a Gibson L-00 - YouTube
Tim Henson Collection
Ernie Ball introduces the Tim Henson Signature String and Accessory Collection ,developed in collaboration with one of today’s most innovative players. Designed to meet Tim’s unique specifications and versatile performance style, these new classical strings pair fluorocarbon trebles with silver-plated copper basses for a dynamic, brighter response with a percussive tonality. The electric strings comprise Cobalt and Paradigm technologies for maximum output and clarity with unmatched durability.
Classical Strings
- Dynamic, percussive sound
- Silver-plated copper basses
- Fluorocarbon treble strings
- Gauges: 24, 27, 33, 30, 36, 42
Electric Strings
- Engineered for maximum output & clarity
- Nano-treated for maximum life and corrosion resistance
- Paradigm core wire for added strength
- Gauges: 9.5, 12, 16, 26, 36, 46
The Ernie Ball Tim Henson Signature Collection will be available this spring. The SignatureElectric strings, Classical strings, and Fretwrap will all be available to purchase separately. TheSignature Cable will be available to purchase as part of a box set bundle. This Tim HensonSignature Bundle will include all of the products in the collection.
Ernie Ball ntroduces Pino Palladino Smoothie Flats Bass Strings, designed for effortless playability and exceptional tone. Precision-polished for an ultra-smooth feel, these premium flatwound strings glide easily under your fingers. Crafted with a cobalt alloy ribbon, they deliver a deep, rich tone that perfectly balances vintage warmth with modern flexibility.Developed with legendary bassist Pino Palladino, Smoothie Flats offer unparalleled performance and a silky-smooth playing experience.
Key Features:
- Premium flatwound strings developed with Pino Palladino
- Precision polished for an ultra-smooth feel
- Wound with cobalt alloy ribbon for a rich, deep sound
- Smooth, vintage tone and flexible, low-tension feel
- Available in 2 gauge combinations:
- Extra Light (38, 54, 68, 98)
- Medium (43, 61,76, 108)
The Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay II and StingRay II Deluxe were designed in collaboration with Cory Wong to deliver unmatched clarity, versatility, and precision for every performance.Both models feature a roasted figured maple neck, 22 stainless steel frets, ultra-clean CoWong HT humbuckers, and an ergonomic body design for smooth playability and effortless fret access.
The Deluxe model adds a roasted maple fretboard, parchment binding, and a matching headstock for a refined touch. Inspired by the iconic StingRay Bass, both guitars showcasleek styling with a redesigned larger headstock, a custom Cory Wong neck plate, and gold hardware for a sophisticated finish.
Features
- Ultra-clean Cory Wong HT humbucking bridge & neck pickups
- Ergonomic body design inspired by the StingRay Bass
- Select alder body with roasted figured maple neck
- Gold hardware with Cory Wong neck plate
- 2 finish options including Charcoal Blue & Cashmere
- Mono CaseStingRay II Deluxe Features
- Ultra-clean Cory Wong HT humbucking bridge & neck pickups
- Ergonomic body design inspired by the StingRay Bass
- Select alder body with roasted figured maple neck
- Gold hardware with Cory Wong neck plate
- Parchment binding and matching headstock
- 2 finish options including Pine Green & Polaris White
- Mono Case
Both StingRay II finishes along with the StingRay II Deluxe in Pine Green are available authorized Ernie Ball Music Man dealers. The StingRay II Deluxe in Polaris White is limited to 30pieces and available exclusively from The Vault at www.music-man.com. All models are available for purchase starting today.
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Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst have been making music as Shovels & Rope since 2008. The husband-and-wife duo from South Carolina specialize in rootsy, bluesy rock, Americana, and alt-country, but they don’t confine themselves to traditional two-piece arrangements. They switch off on vocal, guitar, percussion, and synth duty throughout their shows, orchestrating a full-band ruckus with all available limbs.
Their seventh full-length, Something Is Working Up Above My Head, released in September last year, and while touring in support of it, they stopped at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl in late February. PG’s John Bohlinger caught up with Trent before the gig to see what tools he and Hearst use to maintain their musical juggling act.
Brought to you by D’Addario.Black Bird
Trent’s not a guitar snob: Generally speaking, he plays whatever he can get his hands on. While playing Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Fest, someone loaned him this Gretsch Black Falcon, and he fell in love with it. He likes its size compared to the broader White Falcon. It’s also the band’s only electric, so if it goes down, it’s back to acoustic. Hearst takes turns on it, too.
Trent loads the heaviest strings he can onto it, which is a set of .013s. It lives in standard tuning.
Ol' Faithful
As Trent explains, he and Hearst have done some DIY decorating on this beautiful Gibson J-45—it’s adorned with sweat droplets, stains, and fingernail dust. It runs direct to the venue’s front-of-house system with an LR Baggs pickup. This one is strung with Martin heavy or medium gauge strings; lighter ones are too prone to snapping under Trent’s heavy picking hand (which holds a Dunlop Max-Grip .88 mm pick). And it rolls around in an Enki tour case.
On Call
These second-stringers—a Loar archtop and an LR Baggs-equipped Recording King—are on hand in case of broken strings or other malfunctions.
Need for Tweed
Trent doesn’t trust amps with too many knobs, so this tweed Fender Blues Junior does the trick. It can get fairly loud, so there’s a Universal Audio OX Amp Top Box on hand to tame it for some stages.
Shovels & Rope's Pedalboard
Because Trent and Hearst trade off bass, guitar, keys, and percussion duties, all four of their limbs are active through the set. Whoever is on guitars works this board, with an MXR Blue Box, Electro-Harmonix Nano Big Muff, EarthQuaker Devices Hummingbird, and Boss OC-5, plus a pair of Walrus Canvas Tuners for the electric and acoustic. Utility boxes on the board include a Walrus Canvas Passive Re-Amp, Radial J48, Livewire ABY1, and a Mesa Stowaway input buffer.
A Roland PK-5 MIDI controller, operated by foot, sits on the lower edge of the board. It controls the board for “Thing 2,” one of two MicroKORG synths onstage.
Thing 1 and Thing 2
There’s no one backstage helping Hearst and Trent cook up all their racket; they handle every sound themselves, manually. During the first few sets of a tour, you’re liable to see some headaches, like forgetting to switch synth patches during a song, but eventually they hit a rhythm.
Affectionately given Seuss-ian nicknames, this pair of microKORGs handles bass notes through the set, among other things, via the foot-controlled PK5. “Thing 1” is set up at the drum station, and runs through a board with an EHX Nano Big Muff, EHX Bass9, EHX Nano Holy Grail, and a Radial Pro DI. A Walrus Aetos keeps them all powered up.
The board for “Thing 2,” beside the guitar amps, includes an EHX Mel9 and Bass9 powered by a Truetone 1 SPOT Pro, plus a Radial ProD2.
PowerStage 700 Bass is compact and durable for easy transport yet powerful enough to fill any venue. This world-class bass head can also serve as the ideal clean power platform to amplify your preamp or modeler. Streamline your rig without compromising your sound and focus on what truly matters—your music.
Designed by Seymour Duncan’s legendary engineer Kevin Beller, a lifelong bass player, this 700-watt bass head delivers unparalleled clarity and performance in a lightweight, rugged package. Whether plugging in on stage or in the studio, PowerStage 700Bass provides tight low-end and rich harmonics, with a footswitchable built-in overdrive for an extra layer of sonic versatility.
A robust, bass-optimized EQ (treble, low mid, high mid, bass and presence) tailors your sound to any room. Need to switch between active and passive basses? You’re covered - PowerStage700 Bass includes a convenient -10db pad control. Multiple output options (¼”, Speakon, XLRDI, and headphone) work for any setup, whether powering cabinets, going direct to a PA, or recording straight into your audio interface.
- 700 Watts of Power at 4 ohms• Preamp voiced for a wide range of vintage & amp; modern bass sounds
- Built-in Overdrive that can go from a light vintage saturation to full-throttle bone-grinding distortion (with optional foot-switchable control)
- Effects loop allows for post-preamp processing and easy integration with modelers and preamp pedals
- 4 band EQ, Sweepable mid controls, and presence button offer dynamic tone shaping possibilities
- Aux input
- Super lightweight and durable chassis for easy transport with our optional gig bag or rack ears.
For more information, please visit seymourduncan.com.
