Benji Peterson
Well-known member
Hello Ernie Ball Music Man brethren! This is my first post and well, it comes with a story…
My name is Ben Peterson. I was raised by an 80's hairband. From the age of three when I received my first "bass" (ukelele) I have been gearing myself to be a musician. There is no other trade I know beyond it. My family started a music store called Glory Days Music in 1997 in Joplin, Missouri. I worked there just about every day of my life mostly teaching, but also working retail, hanging out, and just lavishing in the fact that I got to do what I enjoyed for a living. I did this until May 22, 2011 when an EF5 tornado destroyed one third of our entire town. Many lives were lost and with them went my home, my possessions, and my store. My world was turned upside down in the course of a few minutes. It's an amazing thing to survive such an incident and also amazing, in a weird kind of way, to lose everything you've known, been familiar with, touched, etc. I was happy to have my life. In fact, I was shocked. I was home with my roommate huddled in our hallway gripping my dog in my arms. We had rushed home from a calm sunday jam at the store with some friends. We raced home for my dog. I didn't know there was a record breaking tornado on the ground. I just knew I didn't want him to endure something terrifying alone. Within about twenty seconds of getting home and finding him the house was pressurized. My ears reacted as if I was taking off in an airplane. I didn't know where to go so we just knelt down with my dog. Never have I felt so small and without a voice. When my home starting taking the kind of brute energy that this force of nature was dishing out I felt calm and completely at the mercy of the situation. There's no where to go. No shelter, no correcting your decisions that got you there. There's you and whatever comes your way. My house began getting ripped apart and I just held my dog tightly and awaited my fate. I truly did not think for a moment that I'd survive. My roommate was begging God for help.
Fast forward a bit. After it passed I could see a few miles down my street through the place that used to be a wall. There used to be trees so lush you couldn't see more than a few blocks. I heard screams. I saw people more desperate and confused than me dying, experiencing their final moments. This was the kind of shock you think will never happen to you. It's the sort of thing that you don't' think you'll experience in your lifetime. We managed to pull my roommate's jeep out from under the house. The car was devastated. It performed it's final mission with confidence though. Not knowing where to go or where the path began and ended we headed just a few miles down the road to our store. My uncle's home was directly next door. The town was transformed. It was unrecognizable. There was the sort of desperation you'd only expect in the apocalypse. When I saw the store I was crushed. It was with disbelief that I realized everything was gone. Fortunately, my uncle and his family were all healthy and accounted for. Although Joplin endured much death that day my family was lucky. Our loss was only to our homes, business, and possessions.
Okay, okay. I'm gonna tie this in with my guitars. Just you wait and keep reading…
I had to stay with my dad for a few months. Those first couple days were tense and awkward because we both enjoy our space and independence. On the second day all I had managed to replace were some clothes. Sitting there, sipping coffee in my pac man pajamas and white t shirt I heard my uncle's voice. He said he managed to salvage a few guitars. I was in perpetual disbelief. Well, then came the mixed bag. Mind you, this mixed bag still brought tears to my eyes. I HAD SOMETHING. Something that was mine and whatever it was, I was enthralled. Mint green. Chocolatey brown all rosewood neck. CHROME. She was not without her wounds though. I sat looking at my one guitar that I had left. She was perfect just a few months prior, perfect. Now, ugh… This is going to be a lot of work. I grabbed my mint green Albert Lee HH and headed downstairs in my pj's with my coffee in the other hand. I tore the guitar down to the last screw. There was tar from what I presume to be bits of roof and road everywhere. The neck was dried out from the tornado, rain, and enduring the elements for two days. No lie, there was debris under every single tuner between the casing and the headstock where they come together. There was debris everywhere. After about five hours and a few coats of oil to the neck and… well, words cannot describe…
i had my perfect guitar
my one, perfect guitar
Understand, this is my identity. Parts of who I am can only be explained through the expression that I can offer in an emotional moment of musical perfection onstage. You know what I mean. When your eyes are closed and you cannot play a wrong note. When your head is empty except for that one dim though, "Who is playing this thing?" Playing guitar when everything is in it's place and perfect is akin to transcendence. Ever brought yourself to tears when playing? I have. This is how much this guitar means to me. I had one possession that really mattered to me. It was my mint green, all rosewood neck Ernie Ball Music Man guitar.
I want to thank this company for taking so much pride in making an instrument. A tool. That thing that helps make us who we are. What you guys do means a lot more than you may realize. For me, on that day, it meant the world. Thank you Sterling and your fine crew. I am a EBMM lifer and it is with this enthusiasm and sincerity that I spread the word of what you guys do and product you make that is without equal in this industry.
-ben
My Minty Green Goodness
My Dark Chocolate
My Big Blue Bongo
The stable
Other wall
My name is Ben Peterson. I was raised by an 80's hairband. From the age of three when I received my first "bass" (ukelele) I have been gearing myself to be a musician. There is no other trade I know beyond it. My family started a music store called Glory Days Music in 1997 in Joplin, Missouri. I worked there just about every day of my life mostly teaching, but also working retail, hanging out, and just lavishing in the fact that I got to do what I enjoyed for a living. I did this until May 22, 2011 when an EF5 tornado destroyed one third of our entire town. Many lives were lost and with them went my home, my possessions, and my store. My world was turned upside down in the course of a few minutes. It's an amazing thing to survive such an incident and also amazing, in a weird kind of way, to lose everything you've known, been familiar with, touched, etc. I was happy to have my life. In fact, I was shocked. I was home with my roommate huddled in our hallway gripping my dog in my arms. We had rushed home from a calm sunday jam at the store with some friends. We raced home for my dog. I didn't know there was a record breaking tornado on the ground. I just knew I didn't want him to endure something terrifying alone. Within about twenty seconds of getting home and finding him the house was pressurized. My ears reacted as if I was taking off in an airplane. I didn't know where to go so we just knelt down with my dog. Never have I felt so small and without a voice. When my home starting taking the kind of brute energy that this force of nature was dishing out I felt calm and completely at the mercy of the situation. There's no where to go. No shelter, no correcting your decisions that got you there. There's you and whatever comes your way. My house began getting ripped apart and I just held my dog tightly and awaited my fate. I truly did not think for a moment that I'd survive. My roommate was begging God for help.
Fast forward a bit. After it passed I could see a few miles down my street through the place that used to be a wall. There used to be trees so lush you couldn't see more than a few blocks. I heard screams. I saw people more desperate and confused than me dying, experiencing their final moments. This was the kind of shock you think will never happen to you. It's the sort of thing that you don't' think you'll experience in your lifetime. We managed to pull my roommate's jeep out from under the house. The car was devastated. It performed it's final mission with confidence though. Not knowing where to go or where the path began and ended we headed just a few miles down the road to our store. My uncle's home was directly next door. The town was transformed. It was unrecognizable. There was the sort of desperation you'd only expect in the apocalypse. When I saw the store I was crushed. It was with disbelief that I realized everything was gone. Fortunately, my uncle and his family were all healthy and accounted for. Although Joplin endured much death that day my family was lucky. Our loss was only to our homes, business, and possessions.
Okay, okay. I'm gonna tie this in with my guitars. Just you wait and keep reading…
I had to stay with my dad for a few months. Those first couple days were tense and awkward because we both enjoy our space and independence. On the second day all I had managed to replace were some clothes. Sitting there, sipping coffee in my pac man pajamas and white t shirt I heard my uncle's voice. He said he managed to salvage a few guitars. I was in perpetual disbelief. Well, then came the mixed bag. Mind you, this mixed bag still brought tears to my eyes. I HAD SOMETHING. Something that was mine and whatever it was, I was enthralled. Mint green. Chocolatey brown all rosewood neck. CHROME. She was not without her wounds though. I sat looking at my one guitar that I had left. She was perfect just a few months prior, perfect. Now, ugh… This is going to be a lot of work. I grabbed my mint green Albert Lee HH and headed downstairs in my pj's with my coffee in the other hand. I tore the guitar down to the last screw. There was tar from what I presume to be bits of roof and road everywhere. The neck was dried out from the tornado, rain, and enduring the elements for two days. No lie, there was debris under every single tuner between the casing and the headstock where they come together. There was debris everywhere. After about five hours and a few coats of oil to the neck and… well, words cannot describe…
i had my perfect guitar
my one, perfect guitar
Understand, this is my identity. Parts of who I am can only be explained through the expression that I can offer in an emotional moment of musical perfection onstage. You know what I mean. When your eyes are closed and you cannot play a wrong note. When your head is empty except for that one dim though, "Who is playing this thing?" Playing guitar when everything is in it's place and perfect is akin to transcendence. Ever brought yourself to tears when playing? I have. This is how much this guitar means to me. I had one possession that really mattered to me. It was my mint green, all rosewood neck Ernie Ball Music Man guitar.
I want to thank this company for taking so much pride in making an instrument. A tool. That thing that helps make us who we are. What you guys do means a lot more than you may realize. For me, on that day, it meant the world. Thank you Sterling and your fine crew. I am a EBMM lifer and it is with this enthusiasm and sincerity that I spread the word of what you guys do and product you make that is without equal in this industry.
-ben
My Minty Green Goodness
My Dark Chocolate
My Big Blue Bongo
The stable
Other wall
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