• Ernie Ball
  • MusicMan
  • Sterling by MusicMan

Nancy

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 14, 2004
Messages
89
Location
at the present time-Nashville TN
The last few years I was seeing the Music Man amps at the winter Namm Show at the Ernie Ball booth. These amps were being used by artists on the Ernie Ball stage. I have been asking for the last few years when these amps will be available for purchase, since they are out on display and being used. Answers I have gotten from the Ernie Ball staff is, they are not available at this time. When will these amps be ready for purchase? I have a Music Man 100 RD head and bottom and I love that amp. I bought it from a Fender rep years ago and it was hardly used, except as a demo. What a great product Ernie Ball amps were. Please bring these amps back, so I can purchase another one.:)
 

KDude

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 24, 2019
Messages
90
Location
Texas
The last few years I was seeing the Music Man amps at the winter Namm Show at the Ernie Ball booth. These amps were being used by artists on the Ernie Ball stage. I have been asking for the last few years when these amps will be available for purchase, since they are out on display and being used. Answers I have gotten from the Ernie Ball staff is, they are not available at this time. When will these amps be ready for purchase? I have a Music Man 100 RD head and bottom and I love that amp. I bought it from a Fender rep years ago and it was hardly used, except as a demo. What a great product Ernie Ball amps were. Please bring these amps back, so I can purchase another one.:)

I've noticed some occasionally show up online, but are being sold out of Eurozone countries. I've yet to see one come out in the US.

I've never actually played one. What's great about them? Is it clean headroom.. like a Twin?

Funnily, I've heard of some famous artists still happy with their old ones, much like you. The biggest name that surprised me is Joan Jett. Apparently she still records with her HD 130 (I think) she's had for years.
 

Nancy

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 14, 2004
Messages
89
Location
at the present time-Nashville TN
These amps are very similar to a Fender twin, but better sounding and built, in my opinion. I am hoping these amps will be available in the US soon. I am going to ask Sterling Ball or one of his sons to give me a straight answer if these amps will be available for us to purchase at Namm next month. I really want a new one, and not have to go to another brand to satisfy my amp needs, which I have been doing for these past years.
 

Stratty316

Well-known member
Joined
May 11, 2009
Messages
2,478
Location
Sin City!!!
These amps are very similar to a Fender twin, but better sounding and built, in my opinion. I am hoping these amps will be available in the US soon. I am going to ask Sterling Ball or one of his sons to give me a straight answer if these amps will be available for us to purchase at Namm next month. I really want a new one, and not have to go to another brand to satisfy my amp needs, which I have been doing for these past years.

I seem to remember Sterling saying he was having a hard time finding a distributer for the amps in the US and he had moved on to the next project... or something like that. There is a thread or comment in a thread about it somewhere in the forum... but I don't remember how long ago it was. I don't believe we will see them making a comeback anytime soon.
 

KDude

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 24, 2019
Messages
90
Location
Texas
If I recall correctly, Guitar Center said no to them.

Guitar Center higher ups don't seem to be playing with a full deck of cards.

I brought back a Reflex from some work done there last week, and one of the things the tech said to me is that that guitar got a lot of compliments. I never heard that about any other guitar I've owned. Yet apparently it was Guitar Center that also saw little prospects in the Reflex.. from what I hear (maybe I heard wrong?). It doesn't seem like their employees or customers think that way.
 

tbonesullivan

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 24, 2012
Messages
2,250
Location
New Jersey
I don't understand why the Reflex, which was the Standard name of the Anniversary Model, didn't take off. Maybe it was just too similar to the Axis and other models that they have. The Armada was a great model too, but unfortunately only Guitar Center can really move enough product in person. People want to try things out, and if GC says no unfortunately it can mean the end for a model.
 

GWDavis28

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 23, 2003
Messages
12,470
Location
Mass
They should sell them online like the vault offerings. That would be pretty cool.

Glenn |B)
 

Johnny Alien

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2006
Messages
334
Location
Harrisburg, PA USA
Selling it themselves online likely won't meet the numbers to make a production guitar worthwhile. Like it or not GC is like the Walmart of the guitar world. Read up sometime on how Walmart drove Levi's to move all production out of the USA. Not getting GC on board with carrying something can easily make or break things.
 

GWDavis28

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 23, 2003
Messages
12,470
Location
Mass
Selling it themselves online likely won't meet the numbers to make a production guitar worthwhile. Like it or not GC is like the Walmart of the guitar world. Read up sometime on how Walmart drove Levi's to move all production out of the USA. Not getting GC on board with carrying something can easily make or break things.

Johnny, we are talking about Music Man amps. If memory serves me right they worked with another company to actually make the amps. Your right about GC, but EBMM might have better luck with trying an online model. It has worked for some other companies.

Glenn |B)
 

KDude

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 24, 2019
Messages
90
Location
Texas
Ooh, I forgot that one of my favorite guitarists also used Music Man amps. Tom Verlaine (or actually both him and his counterpart Richard Lloyd used them. The duo in Television). They didn't record with them though (they used Super Reverbs), but went with Music Man live before they broke up. In any case, Music Man or not, allow me to link a great track. This was a live bootleg from the end of their stretch, and it's possible it was one of their Music Mans. I swear to God, it's one of the greatest solos of all time. And people say Punks can't play...

 

KDude

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 24, 2019
Messages
90
Location
Texas
In lieu of no Music Man amps, I kind of think Mesa is a good pairing. They're both an evolution of Fender DNA, both Cali and family owned, and more importantly, both sound great together. Err... and both hard to find in Guitar Center too :p
 

click track

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 14, 2016
Messages
240
Location
Northern Ohio
I love my Fender Super Sonic 22 paired with my Axis SS, so much so that I bought 2 alone, that just stay at the Church I play at, HOWEVER considering the quality of anything EBMM....need I say more, I would not hesitate to get one of their MM Amps if they made one around 18 - 30 watts, and I am so confident in the company it would not matter to me if it was tube or solid state... just sayin
 

Spudmurphy

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 23, 2005
Messages
12,034
Location
Cardiff, United Kingdom
The "New" MM amps were developed by the guy in Markbass.
They were supposed to replicate the original MM amps. I saw them at an exhibition in the UK - my findings were that they used neodymium speakers and a power switching supply rather than conventional speakers / mains transformer.
I have both an original RD50 and an RP65.
I use the RD50 regularly live ... but IMO the RP65 was a better amp - it loves having guitar pedals in front.
So i'll let you make your own minds up ... but you guys in the US can still pick up second hand MM amps quite cheap.
If they were plentiful over here in the UK and I had a big car/van and a back made of iron I'd get the 4 x 10 model al la Johnny Winter
 

KDude

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 24, 2019
Messages
90
Location
Texas
I don't care for Mesa amps, due to them having too many control knobs on the front panel. Music Man amps have the basic controls, easy to use and you get a great sound from them.

Ah, I can understand that. There's a tradeoff here though, since the knobs and mode switching make a difference and you can get so many tones from one. But yes, sometimes it's better to not overthink it.
 

Pops

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 4, 2017
Messages
78
Location
Scotland
I love my Fender Super Sonic 22 paired with my Axis SS, so much so that I bought 2 alone, that just stay at the Church I play at, HOWEVER considering the quality of anything EBMM....need I say more, I would not hesitate to get one of their MM Amps if they made one around 18 - 30 watts, and I am so confident in the company it would not matter to me if it was tube or solid state... just sayin

I also love my Fender Super Sonic 22.I have the Fender Super-Sonic 22 V-Custom Limited edition version of it.Only 150 were made for worldwide distribution. You can check it out on YooChoob.Of the 150 only 9 of them made it to the UK so I guess I was just lucky to be in the right place at the right time with an understanding wife.Paired with my Cutlass for me it is the ultimate. .Back on topic I remember adverts from the 70's with Eric Clapton using Music Man amps.There's a photo of Blackie leaning against a MM combo on the cover of the Cream of Clapton CD.

http://www.ilbaluardo.com/Cover/Audio/C - D - E/ERIC CLAPTON - The cream of Clapton - Front.jpg
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom