Travis Bean

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Steve Albini tuning a TB500 onstage.

Clifford Travis Bean (21 August 1947 – 10 July 2011, aged 63) was an American luthier and machinist from California.[1]

In 1974, he partnered with Marc McElwee and Gary Kramer to start Travis Bean Guitars, which made high-end electric guitars and basses featuring machined aluminum necks.[2][3] This was an unusual design (but see also Veleno), departing from more traditional wood necked instruments. The aluminum center section ran through the instrument body, with the pickups directly mounted to the aluminum.[4] The majority of these instruments featured solid koa wood bodies and humbucker pickups. Though praised for their sound, the aluminum necks made Travis Bean guitars heavier than other electric guitars. Models included the Artist, Standard, Wedge (rare), and TB500 (rare) with single coil pickups.

Kramer and Bean parted ways in 1975, with the former starting Kramer Guitars. The first series of Kramer guitars were redesigned aluminum-necked instruments but utilizing wooden inserts along the back of the neck to cut down on weight and provide a more traditional feel; these modifications also avoided patent infringement of Travis Bean's original neck design.

Around 3,600 guitars and basses were produced between 1974 and 1979.

In the late 1990s, Bean teamed with master machinist/designer B. Kelly Condon and produced a run of 24 high end, custom instruments. These guitars and basses were aluminum-neck instruments, each machined from a 125-pound billet of 7075 aluminum.[citation needed] The pans weighed just over 4 pounds when finished and all were serial numbered and identified inside the pan.

Models[edit]

  • TB500 (Bass) – 1 produced
  • TB500 (Budget Model) – 351 produced
  • TB1000S (Standard) – 1422 produced
  • TB1000A (Artist) – 755 produced
  • TB2000 (Standard Bass) – 1020 produced
  • TB3000 (Wedge) – 45 produced
  • TB4000 (Wedge Bass) – 36 produced

Players[edit]

Guitarists[edit]

Bassists[edit]

  • Liam Andrews of My Disco plays a TB2000.
  • Emidio Clementi of Massimo Volume
  • Nino Del Pesco of AntiProduct worked with Travis Bean and B. Kelly Condon in the 1990s, testing the bass prototypes during the new run. Nino also played the first bass prototype on one song during an AntiProduct gig at the Garage (now the Virgil). It was the first, and possibly only, time a bass from the new run was played during a live performance.
  • Johnny Docherty of The Twilight Sad plays a Travis Bean
  • Peggy Foster, The Runaways, Steve Vai, TB4000 Wedge Bass #25, TB2000 Fretless #248
  • Chosei Funahara of Plasmatics – played two of black TB4000 Wedges #5 and #31
  • Vincent Gallo played a TB500 bass, TB2000 and a TB4000 Wedge bass.
  • Matt Gentling of Archers of Loaf plays a TB2000.
  • Bruce Hauser of Touch, Stepson & Honeymoon played a Flamed Koa TB2000 1977 – 1978. It was a gift from Marc McElwee and later stolen when Bruce's home was burgled.
  • Mick Karn of Japan – played a fretless TB2000 serial number 002
  • Alan Lancaster of Status Quo
  • Bill Laswell 1976 TB2000 {Band} Sonor Eclipes
  • Tim Midgett of Bottomless Pit and Silkworm – plays TB4000 Wedge.[20] During Silkworm, Tim played a TB1000S modified to baritone[21] and TB2000.[22]
  • Burke Shelley of Budgie plays a TB2000 occasionally.
  • Bob Weston of Shellac and the Volcano Suns
  • Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones – Wyman used a custom made short-scale TB2000[23][24] from 1977 until 1986. A total of 4 short-scale TB2000 bases were made for Wyman.
  • Anders Steen, formerly a member of Swedish sludge/doom band Switchblade played TB2000's[25]
  • Kahn, John, Jerry Garcia Band.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Douglas Martin, Travis Bean Aluminum Guitar Maker Dies at 63, New York Times. Retrieved on 2011-9-26.
  2. ^ Moseley, Willie (January 1999), "Travis Bean Interview-Metal Machine Music – The Next Phase Archived 14 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine", Vintage Guitar Magazine
  3. ^ Wheeler, Tom. American Guitars: An Illustrated History. New York: Harper & Row, 1982, pp. 351-352
  4. ^ Travis Bean Patent. Pat.No. 3,915,049 Issued: 10/28/75.
  5. ^ Electrical Audio Steve Albini's Studio showing two TB3000 Wedges and one of his TB500 guitars
  6. ^ We Still Got It video on YouTube music video showing the guitar
  7. ^ The Jesus Lizard Photo from 7/19/98.
  8. ^ Modern Guitars TB1000A reaches $312,000.
  9. ^ Guitar Site Jerry Garcia TB1000A mention.
  10. ^ Gottshall, Melanie (21 November 2013). "Jerry Garcia's Travis Bean Guitar To Be Auctioned in December". Guitar World. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  11. ^ Stanley Jordan's Magic Touch Album Cover with his TB1000S.
  12. ^ SPIN magazine At home with Stephen Malkmus.
  13. ^ KENNELTY, GREG. "MELVINS' Guitarist Buzz Osbourne Walks Kid Through His Extensive Guitar Rig". Metal Injection. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  14. ^ Woody Tone Photo of Joe Perry with Black TB1000S
  15. ^ Foals Yannis playing Black TB500.
  16. ^ The Sonic Youth Gear Guide. Retrieved on 2008-09-25.
  17. ^ Sonic Youth Lee Ranaldo's Red Bullseye TB1000S.
  18. ^ "Ty Segall (Guitars)". EquipBoard. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  19. ^ "General info on Switchblade and equipment used".
  20. ^ Tim Midgett with TB4000 Wedge
  21. ^ Tim Midgett with TB1000S modified to Baritone
  22. ^ Tim Midgett with TB2000 Bass
  23. ^ Smoke Stack Lightnin Bill Wyman bio mentioning Travis Bean bass
  24. ^ Hard Rock Memorabilia Photo of Bill Wyman TB2000
  25. ^ "General info on Switchblade and equipment used".

External links[edit]