Ernie Ball Music Man

Forrest White and Tom Walker founded Music Man in Fullerton, California, in 1974, with Leo Fender himself involved as a silent partner. The StingRay bass, launched not long after, was one of the first production basses with active electronics — onboard EQ that could boost specific frequency bands rather than just cutting tone — and it's stayed in continuous production since. Ernie Ball bought the company in 1984, and it now builds premium electrics and basses from San Luis Obispo, California, including long-running signature lines for John Petrucci and others. StingRay reissues, new signature drops and the odd Sterling by Music Man budget model all pass through GuitarBomb. Here's what we've covered.