NAMM 2025: Last October, John Mayer joined forces with Ernie Ball to launch the Silver Slinky set, a set of electric guitar strings boasting a unique in-between gauge and a custom core-to-wrap ratio.
Our own Senior Staff Writer, Matt Owen, happened to get his hands on a set, and said that the Silver Slinky package ended his years-long quest to find the perfect set of Stratocaster strings.
Now, the Silver Sky-slinging guitar hero and pop star has joined forces with Ernie Ball once again for something a little different – the Earthwood Bell Bronze set of acoustic guitar strings. From the way its co-creator speaks about the strings, it seems they may get similarly revelatory reviews.
“Earthwood Bell Bronze strings are a giant leap forward in tone, playability, and durability,” Mayer says of the set. “They’re great in any musical setting but really shine when played solo. There’s an orchestral quality to them.”
Not that we don’t believe him, obviously, but what would make someone channel Neil Armstrong when speaking about a string set?
Well, Ernie Ball says it all starts with how they were inspired by alloys traditionally used for bells and cymbals. Ernie Ball says that this, in turn, leads to a bigger sound, with better sustain, projection, and resonance.
The alloy Ernie Ball ended up creating with that percussive inspiration is patent-pending, and the company says it helps produce “a richer, fuller sound than any other string in our catalog.”
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Ernie Ball’s new Earthwood Bell Bronze string sets will be available in four gauge combinations: Extra Light (10-50), Light (11-52), Medium Light (12-54), and Medium (13-56), starting this spring. Their price hasn’t been announced as of yet.
Mayer’s not the only 21st century guitar hero to unveil new Ernie Ball guitar strings at NAMM this year. He’s joined by Polyphia’s Tim Henson, who unveiled a signature string and accessory set of his own at the show’s opening yesterday (January 23).
For more info on both string sets, visit Ernie Ball.
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