Ernie Ball Power Slinky Bass for electric bass
The Ernie Ball 2831 Power Slinky Bass is a bass string set from the well-known Slinky series by Ernie Ball. If you are looking for a string set for electric bass, the name Ernie Ball quickly comes up as a brand closely linked to the development of modern strings for electric instruments.
Power Slinky Bass sits within a line that many players immediately recognize. The Slinky name refers to the string family that helped make Ernie Ball famous and that is still widely chosen by guitarists and bassists looking for a familiar set from an established brand.
The background of Ernie Ball
Behind Ernie Ball is a long history that begins with Roland Sherwood “Ernie” Ball, born in 1930 in Santa Monica, California. Music was already deeply rooted in the family. His great-grandfather wrote the song “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling”, his grandfather had a sheet music publishing company, and his father taught steel guitar.
As a teenager, Ernie Ball played steel guitar professionally around Los Angeles. During the Korean War he played with the U.S. Air Force Band, and after returning he worked on local stages, on television in the “Doyle O’Dell’s Western Varieties Show”, in the studio, and as a teacher. In 1958 he opened a guitar shop in Tarzana, California.
How the Slinky strings began
With the rise of the electric guitar, Ernie Ball saw that many players would benefit from a set with a lighter plain G string instead of the then-standard wound G string. When major manufacturers showed no interest, he had custom sets made in 1962 and sold them under the Ernie Ball brand in his own store.
Later he noticed that some musicians were assembling even lighter sets themselves, for example by using banjo strings as a high E and replacing a low E. Based on that, he had a similar set produced under the name Ernie Ball Slinkys. It became a major success. Demand grew quickly, and in 1967 he sold his music store and focused entirely on the string business.
An established name in bass strings
By the early 1970s, Ernie Ball strings were being used by major names such as Jimmy Hendrix, Pete Townsend, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. Since then, the company has continued to grow into one of the largest string manufacturers. That background makes the Ernie Ball 2831 Power Slinky Bass appealing to players who choose a brand with a clear place in the history of electric strings.
If you are looking for Ernie Ball bass strings from the Slinky family, the 2831 Power Slinky Bass is a clear and recognizable choice within that range. At Magna Music, you can also count on advice from people who work with and play instruments themselves, which is useful when comparing different kinds of bass strings.
