A host of never-before-seen electric, acoustic and bass gauge combinations are included in the drop
(Image credit: Ernie Ball)
Ernie Ball has introduced its 2022 lineup of Slinky and Earthwood electric guitar, bass guitar and acoustic guitar string packs, headlined by a new Zippy Slinky set that boasts the brand's lightest-ever gauge.
Clearly hoping to provide a license to thrill, the six-string Zippy Slinky pack flashes an ultra-light .007 top string, which is partnered with .009, 0.013, .020w, .026 and .036-gauge strings.
Ernie Ball has been knocking on .007’s door for quite a while now, having previously issued the .008 Extra Slinky and .0085 Mighty Slinky string sets.
Ernie Ball Magnum Slinky(Image credit: Ernie Ball)
Ernie Ball 7-string Skinny Top Heavy Bottom Slinky(Image credit: Ernie Ball)
Elsewhere in the drop, Ernie Ball has unveiled a number of other never-before-seen string gauge combinations in the form of the Hyper Slinky – .008, .011, .014, .024w, .032, .042 – and the wound-G-string-loaded, detune-friendly Magnum Slinky, which features .012, .016, .022w, .032, .044 and .056 gauges.
A seven-string pack, the Skinny Top Heavy Bottom Slinky, has also debuted, containing .010, .013, .017, .030, .044 and .056 strings, which joins the new-for-2022 Hyper Slinky Bass 40-100 pack.
In terms of composition, all sets feature the usual Slinky specs, meaning they come equipped with a nickel-plated steel wrap wire and tin-plated hex core.
In the acoustic guitar string department, Ernie Ball has introduced a trio of new sets – available in both 80/20 bronze and phosphor bronze options – which aim to provide players with more options for selecting their desired balance of tension, projection and playability.
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Two six-string sets – Custom Light (11.5-54) and Custom Medium (12.5-56) – are joined by a 12-string set, which comprises 10-10, 14-14, 22w-9, 30-12, 10-18p and 48-28 string pairings.
Single pack prices for all of Ernie Ball’s new string sets can be found below:
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
