THE BALL FAMILY RESERVE
The Ball Family Reserve represents the finest that Ernie Ball has to offer. Including models formerly reserved for the family, their friends, and select Ernie Ball artists, these extremely limited editions feature top-end components like quilted tone woods, roasted figured maple necks, rosewood fingerboards with pearlescent block inlays, hand-fitted binding, and premium hardware and detailing for an elegant and refined instrument once–and still–available only to a limited few.
SEPTEMBER '20 - STINGRAY SHORT-SCALE BASSES
Ernie Ball adds a short-scale bass with two stunning night-and-day finishes to the Ball Family Reserve collection. Available in timeless Vintage Sunburst and shimmering Starry Night, these BFR Short Scale Stingrays feature passive, high-output, neodymium-magnet pickups, 30” scale lengths, premium Music Man hardware, and three-way rotary pickup switching for parallel, true single-coil, and series options.
July '20 - Albert Lee MM90, Stingray 5 Fretless
The Ball family just got a little bit bigger. The brand welcomes two new models into the exclusive Ball Family Reserve series: the Albert Lee MM90 and the StingRay 5 Fretless.
StingRay 5 Fretless Bass Vintage Sierra Burst w/Roasted Figured Maple Neck
The StingRay bares it all in this fretless 5-string BFR model, passing on the pickguard and frets in favor of a lightweight ash body with Sierra Burst finish and a roasted maple fingerboard finished in high-gloss polyester.
Following in simplicity, the single alnico humbucker pairs with three-way switching and a three-band EQ for classic StingRay punch with a versatile range of coil-voicing options. Finally, Ernie Ball flat-wound strings and premium, vintage-inspired hardware offer vintage feel and modern durability for the best of yesterday and today.
Albert Lee MM90 Natural Mahogany
It comes as no surprise that the Albert Lee MM90 is beautiful from stern to bow. Like all BFR models, the Albert Lee MM90 Honduran mahogany body and rosewood neck and fretboard are of the highest quality, finished here with signature gunstock oil and a hand-rubbed wax blend.
The hardware, too, is impeccable with Schaller MD6-IND locking tuners arranged 4-2 around the natural headstock, stainless steel frets for better bends, and a Music Man Vintage Tremolo bridge with bent steel saddles installed just below a trio of MM90 custom-wound single-coils with cream covers. Each Albert Lee MM90 is signed by the artist, limited to 50 pieces worldwide.
SHOP ERNIE BALL BFR GUITARS
December '19 - St. Vincent, Cutlass, JP-15
Ernie Ball is adding new models to the Ball Family Reserve, like the StingRay Special H, The St. Vincent Ball Family Reserve, special edition StingRay 5HH, and more.
BFR St. Vincent HH - Dargie 3
Limited to just 41 pieces, this St Vincent HH features an exclusive satin Dargie Delight 3 finish that covers the entire body, headstock and back of the neck. The ebony fretboard omits traditional face dot inlays in favor of two "Runway" pearl inlays that outline the fretboard on both sides. Black hardware and a 1-ply black pickguard complete the aesthetic. Each guitar ships with a numbered certificate of authenticity.
BFR Stingray Guitar - Atomic Orange
The Stingray Ball Family Reserve edition guitar comes with a custom Atomic Orange Sparkle Finish. The opaque sparkle African Mahogany features a 2 humbucking pickup configuration and is fully buffed in polyester for a glossy striking appearance. A roasted figured maple neck with ebony fingerboard is accented with pearlescent white block position markers, matching painted headstock and pearloid Schaller locking tuners. The overall aesthetic package is enhanced with chrome hardware, white pickguard and chrome pickup covers. Limited to 51 pieces worldwide.
BFR Cutlass HSS - Blue Magic Figured
This special edition Cutlass HSS BFR features a lightweight Alder body finished in Custom Blue Magic matte finish. Smooth satin figured white maple neck with figured maple fingerboard is accented with larger black position markers and hand fitted black binding. This BFR edition guitar comes with matching painted headstock and locking tuners. Parchment pickguard with contrasting black plastic parts and all black hardware completes the overall aesthetic package. Limited to 56 pieces worldwide.
BFR JP15 - Purple Sunset
Limited to 84 pieces, this JP15 features a lightweight African Mahogany body with a translucent Purple Sunset finish over a highly figured spalted maple top. The figured roasted maple neck and maple fretboard are fitted with 24 stainless steel frets and custom JP 15 Inlays. Chrome hardware is standard. Each guitar hand signed by John Petrucci and features a numbered certificate of authenticity.
October '19 - Stingray, JP-15, Majesty
StingRay 4 Special H Fretless - Sierra Burst Sunburst
New for October, 2019, the StingRay 4 Special H Fretless features a stunning translucent Sierra Burst Sunburst finish sans pickguard to show off its wonderfully figured Ash body. A highly figured roasted maple neck completes the minimalist look with a flamey roasted fretless fingerboard for tones as slick as it looks.
John Petrucci Majesty - Dargie Matte Olive Green
The new BFR John Petrucci Majesty features Music Mans famous Dargie Matte Olive green finish over the entire body with a matching headstock and back of neck. A "Runway" Ebony fingerboard is outlined with white pearl inlays, for a streamlined, timeless aesthetic. This exclusive guitar features a newly designed Dreamcatcher bridge pickup, and Rainmaker neck pickup, and comes hand-signed by John himself.
JP15 7 - Blood Orange Burst
Hand-signed by John Petrucci himself, the JP15 7 is new for October, 2019 and features a translucent Blood Orange Burst finish over a highly figured spalted maple top. A highly figured roasted maple fretboard is outlined with pearlescent JP15 inlays and 24 stainless steel frets.
August '19 - Valentine, Bongo
Bongo 5 HH - Wild Cherry Burst
One of only 57 made, the Bongo 5 HH in wild Cherry Burst features an Ash body with dual humbucking pickups, satin-finished roasted maple neck with black dot inlays and matching black binding.
BFR Valentine Target Burst
New for august, 2019, and limited to just 45 pieces worldwide, the Valentine Target Burst is the newest member of the BFR family. With a double-bound ash body, bound ebony fretboard with white pearl block inlays, and a roasted figured maple neck with decorative herringbone inlay, this model is an eye-catching homage to Maroon 5s own James Valentine.
June '19 - Luke Shadow, Albert Lee
Albert Lee - Electric Shimmer
Limited to 51 pieces worldwide, this take on the Albert Lee model will surely put a sparkle in your eye with matching gold hardware, a figured, roasted neck, and a stunning Electric Shimmer finish.
Luke - Shadow Gold
Once-reserved to only Steve himself, this BFR model is limited to 65 pieces worldwide and comes complete with a stunningly figured, roasted maple neck and ebony fingerboard.
April '19 - Stingray 5 HH, St. Vincent
StingRay 5 HH - Giants Orange Quilt
The special edition StingRay 5HH dresses up the classic five-string, removing the pickguard to showcase a highly-figured quilted maple top on a lightweight ash body and including dual Music Man alnico humbucking pickups wired with a three-band EQ and five-way switching for expanded tonal options and a matte black steel hardware set featuring Schaller tuners. Limited to 91 pieces worldwide.
StingRay Special H - Hades Black
First in the lineup of new additions to the Ball Family Reserve, the StingRay Special H is outfitted with an exclusive Hades Black high-gloss polyester finish, matte black nickel-plated steel hardware, and a single neodymium-magnet humbucking pickup wired with an 18V, three-band preamp. Limited to 81 pieces worldwide.
St. Vincent Ball Family Reserve - Turquoise Crush
The St. Vincent Ball Family Reserve improves on the popular artist model, adding an exclusive Turquoise Crush high-gloss polyester sparkle finish over an African Mahogany body, matching painted headstock with pearloid Schaller locking tuners, chrome hardware with autographed tremolo backplate, and a trio of three custom DiMarzio mini-humbucking pickups with chrome covers. Limited to 87 pieces worldwide.
February '19 - Stingray 4 HH
StingRay Special 4 HH - Dargie Delight 3
The Music Man BFR StingRay Special 4HH has style to spare with a Dargie Delight 3 finish that covers the entire top, back, neck and headstock, complemented with all black hardware and an ebony fretboard with “Runway” pearl inlays on the side, finally tying it all up with a 5-ply black/cream/black/cream/black pickguard. Limited to just 98 pieces worldwide.
December '18 - Cutlass HSS
BFR Cutlass HSS - Smoked Chrome
The limited BFR Cutlass HSS sports a slick Smoked Chrome finish, painted 4-over-2 headstock, and custom-wound ceramic humbucker on the tremolo bridge for a groovy vintage sound.
October '18 - Axis, Valentine, Petrucci
StingRay Guitar - White Smoke
The StingRay Guitar packs all the aesthetic funk of the celebrated bass into a not-so-traditional 25.5”-scale 6-string, outfitting it with an exclusive White Smoke finish, roasted and figured maple neck with matching headstock, and white custom-wound humbucking pickups. Only 39 units worldwide.
BFR Axis - Steel Blue
The BFR Music Man Axis comes in two exclusive finishes over a flame maple top. Limited to just 75 units worldwide, these Axis models feature figured maple necks and fretboards and chrome hardware complete with unique aesthetic pickup treatments to push their bold looks to a new level.
John Petrucci Majesty - Cinnabar Red
John Petruccis Majesty in a Cinnabar Red is limited to 105 pieces worldwide and comes equipped with two strips of pearl inlays running down the neck, an eye-catching Red Sparkle finish, and Johns own signature on the backplate
Valentine - Pine Green
The BFR Music Man Axis comes in two exclusive finishes over a flame maple top. Limited to just 75 units worldwide, these Axis models feature figured maple necks and fretboards and chrome hardware complete with unique aesthetic pickup treatments to push their bold looks to a new level.
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