Brand: Travis Bean
Instrument Categories: Electric, Guitars, REDUCED, SOLD, Solidbody
Built from 1974 to 1979, the Travis Bean TB1000S was the ‘Standard’ version of these innovative instruments, also available as the TB1000A or ‘Artist’ with carved top. 1,422 were built before the company folded and this example is number 1214.
Travis Bean had a varied career, including stints as a machinist, luthier, motorcycle racer, movie set builder and rock drummer among other pursuits. Born in 1947, Bean died in 2011. At the launch of Travis Bean Guitars, his partners included Marc McElwee and Gary Kramer – Kramer went on to form Kramer Guitars in 1975.
The Travis Bean TB1000S has the characteristic, or idiosyncratic, features of this entire line – an aluminum neck / body core with a T-shaped cutout in the headstock and a bolt-on wood body.
This Travis Bean TB1000S example dates to 1978 and is in very good, though not entirely original, condition and has been expertly restored by Douglas Harrison. At one time, it had different pickups and a top-mount trem bridge installed. To restore the guitar to its original form, a section of the Koa body was removed, from the neck joint to the tailblock, and a new piece of Koa inlaid and routed for the original pickups and bridge design. The body was then refinished in clear gloss nitrocellulose lacquer. It appears to have also been refretted with large fretwire, and given an excellent setup. As a consequence, it plays very well.
A period hard shell case is included.
- Model: TB1000S (Standard)
- Year: 1978
- Finish Gloss
- Class: Vintage
- Serial Number: 1214
- Country of Origin: USA
- Condition: Very Good
- Date Posted: 08/07/2020
- This instrument has been sold
- Consignment Item
- Including Hard case
- Instrument Weight: 11.11lbs 5.05kg
- Scale Length: 24.65in 626mm
- Nut Width: 1.733in 44mm
