Clifford Travis Bean (21 August 1947 – 10 July 2011, aged 63) was an American
luthier
A luthier ( ; ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments.
Etymology
The word ' is originally French and comes from ''luth'', the French word for "lute". The term was originally used for makers of lutes, but it came to be ...
and machinist from
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.
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. This was an unusual design, shared by
Veleno guitars, departing from the more traditional use of wood. The aluminum center section ran through the instrument body, with the pickups directly mounted to the aluminum.
[Travis Bean Patent](_blank)
Pat.No. 3,915,049 Issued: 10/28/75. The majority of these instruments featured solid
koa wood bodies and
humbucker
A humbucker, humbucking pickup, or double coil, is a guitar pickup that uses two wire coils to cancel out noisy interference from Single coil guitar pickup, coil pickups. Humbucking coils are also used in Microphone, dynamic microphones to can ...
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
A single-coil pickup is a type of magnetic transducer, or pickup, for the electric guitar and the electric bass. It electromagnetically converts the vibration of the strings to an electric signal. Single-coil pickups are one of the two most po ...
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
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling discl ...
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. The pans weighed just over 4 pounds when finished and all were serial numbered and identified inside the pan.
Models
*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
Guitarists
*
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini (; July 22, 1962 – May 7, 2024) was an American musician and audio engineer. He founded and fronted the influential post-hardcore and noise rock bands Big Black (1981–1987), Rapeman (1987–1989) and Shellac (band), ...
of
Shellac
Shellac () is a resin secreted by the female Kerria lacca, lac bug on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. Chemically, it is mainly composed of aleuritic acid, jalaric acid, shellolic acid, and other natural waxes. It is processed and s ...
– played a TB500 and TB3000 "Wedge"
[Electrical Audio](_blank)
Steve Albini's Studio showing two TB3000 Wedges and one of his TB500 guitars
*
Steve Pedersen of
Criteria – plays a TB1000S.
*
Matthew Bolger of
The Redneck Manifesto – plays TB1000S & TB1000A
[ music video showing the guitar]
*
John Congleton record producer plays and owns many Travis Bean guitars
*
Duane Denison of
The Jesus Lizard
The Jesus Lizard is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1987 in Austin, Texas by vocalist David Yow, guitarist Duane Denison and bassist David Wm. Sims. They relocated to Chicago, Illinois, in 1989, where they found kindred spirits in ...
– played TB1000S (Sea Foam Green)
[The Jesus Lizard](_blank)
Photo from 7/19/98.
*
Roger Fisher of
Heart
The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...
– played TB1000A
*
Ace Frehley
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley (, ; born April 27, 1951) is an American musician who was the original lead guitarist, occasional lead vocalist and founding member of the rock band Kiss (band), Kiss. He invented the persona of The Spaceman (a.k.a. ...
– Played a black TB1000S in the '75 KISS ALIVE era.
*
Vincent Gallo
Vincent Gallo (born April 11, 1961) is an American actor, filmmaker, and musician. He has won several accolades, including a Volpi Cup for Best Actor, and has been nominated for the Palme d'Or, the Golden Lion, and the Bronze Horse.
Gallo was ...
played a TB500, TB1000S, TB1000A and TB3000 "Wedge" model
*
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician who was the lead guitarist and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence during the counterculture of the 196 ...
– played TB1000A
[Modern Guitars](_blank)
TB1000A reaches $312,000.[Guitar Site](_blank)
Jerry Garcia TB1000A mention. and TB500
*
John Haughm
John Haughm (; born September 14, 1975) is an American musician and artist. He is most known for being the founder, guitarist, and vocalist of the band Agalloch, and later Pillorian. He is also a designer who has created packaging and merchandi ...
of
Agalloch
Agalloch () is an American extreme metal band from Portland, Oregon. Formed in 1995 by frontman John Haughm, they released five full-length albums, four EPs, two singles, one split single, two demos, four compilation albums and one live video a ...
– plays TB1000S (natural koa) and TB1000A (black)
*
Rubberduck Jones, a Finnish
punk rock
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
guitarist, who is most well known as the guitarist of several
Pelle Miljoona related bands, like
Pelle Miljoona & 1980 and the Suspenders.
*
Stanley Jordan – plays TB1000S
[Stanley Jordan's Magic Touch](_blank)
Album Cover with his TB1000S.
* Alex Kane of AntiProduct, on the recommendation of bandmate
Nino Del Pesco, was asked by Travis to test an early guitar prototype during a gig at the Garage. It was the first, and possibly only, time a guitar from the new run was played during a live performance.
*
Greg Lake
Gregory Stuart Lake (10 November 1947 – 7 December 2016) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock bands King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP).
Born and b ...
*
Keith Levene of
Public Image Ltd
Public Image Ltd (abbreviated and stylized as PiL) are an English post-punk band formed by lead vocalist John Lydon (previously, as Johnny Rotten, lead vocalist of the Sex Pistols), guitarist Keith Levene (a founding member of the Clash), bassi ...
– played Wedge and TB1000S
*
John MacLean of
Six Finger Satellite
Six Finger Satellite (a.k.a. 6FS) is an American rock band from Providence, Rhode Island. Described by former member John MacLean as "a post-punk band utilizing dance music elements", Six Finger Satellite's eclectic sound is driven synthesize ...
*
Stephen Malkmus
Stephen Joseph Malkmus ( ; born May 30, 1966) is an American musician best known as the primary songwriter, lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Pavement. He currently performs with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Pavement, The ...
of
Pavement owns a TB1000A
[SPIN magazine](_blank)
At home with Stephen Malkmus.
*
Efrim Menuck
Efrim Manuel Menuck (; born November 4, 1970) is a Canadian musician involved with a number of Montreal-based bands, most notably Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra. Menuck is also a frequent record producer ...
* Ceylon Mooney of
Pezz
* Eddie Rivas of Leopold and
Distorted Pony plays a koa TB1000A and a magnolia TB1000S
*
Colin Newman
Colin John Newman (born 16 September 1954) is an English musician, record producer and record label owner. He is best known as the primary vocalist and songwriter for the post-punk band Wire (band), Wire.
Early life
Newman was born in Salisbury ...
of
Wire
file:Sample cross-section of high tension power (pylon) line.jpg, Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample d ...
played a TB1000A during the mid-1980s.
*
Josh Newton of
Shiner plays a TB1000S and TB1000A
*
Rick Nielsen
Richard Alan Nielsen (born December 22, 1948) is an American musician who is the lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and leader of the rock band Cheap Trick. He is well-known for his numerous custom-made guitars from Hamer Guitars, including hi ...
– Played a red and black TB1000S. Both pictured in his book Guitars of The Stars.
*
Stephen O'Malley of
Sunn O)))
Sunn O))) (pronounced "sun") is an American drone metal band formed in 1998 in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington. The band is known for its distinctive visual style and slow, heavy sound, which blends diverse genres including doom metal, ...
plays TB1000S
*
Buzz Osborne
Roger "Buzz" Osborne (born March 25, 1964), also known as King Buzzo, is an American guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and golfer. He is a founding member of the rock band Melvins, as well as Fantômas (band), Fantômas and Venomous Concept.
Biog ...
of
Melvins
Melvins (sometimes the Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Primarily a trio, they have also performed as a quartet, with eith ...
*
Joe Perry – played Wedge and TB1000S
[Woody Tone](_blank)
Photo of Joe Perry with Black TB1000S (black and silver)
*
Yannis Philippakis of
Foals
A foal is an equine up to one year old; this term is used mainly for horses, but can be used for donkeys. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, and are used until the horse is three or four. When the foal is ...
uses a TB1000S (natural and black) and black TB500
[Foals](_blank)
Yannis playing Black TB500.
*
Lee Ranaldo
Lee Mark Ranaldo (born February 3, 1956) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known as a co-founder of the rock band Sonic Youth. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked Ranaldo at number 33 on its "Greatest Guitarists of All Time" li ...
of
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...
– played TB1000A (several were stolen in July 1999)
[The Sonic Youth Gear Guide](_blank)
Retrieved on 2008-09-25. Also played TB1000S "bullseye"
[Sonic Youth](_blank)
Lee Ranaldo's Red Bullseye TB1000S. (which was destroyed) and TB1000S
*
Keith Richards
Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...
– played a TB1000 on the
Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
1975 tour and a custom made 5-string TB1000A during the 1979
New Barbarians tour. Used a black TB500 during the Rolling Stones 1978 Saturday Night Live performance.
*
Brian Robertson played a TB1000A during his time with
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. The band initially consisted of bass guitarist, lead vocalist and principal songwriter Phil Lynott, drummer Brian Downey, guitarist Eric Bell and organist Eric Wrixon although Wr ...
*
Billy Rowe Jetboy
*
Kelly Ryall played a TB1000 during early
High Pass Filter shows.
*
Ty Segall
Ty Garrett Segall (born June 8, 1987) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his solo career, during which he has released seventeen studio albums alongside various EPs, singles, and col ...
plays a TB1000S and a TB1000A
*
Kevin DeFranco of
Super Unison plays a TB1000A
*
Garry Shider
Garry Marshall Shider (July 24, 1953 – June 16, 2010) was an American musician and guitarist. He was musical director of the P-Funk All-Stars for much of their history. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, with fifteen ...
of
Parliament Funkadelic
* Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance. TB1000A
*
Slash
Slash may refer to:
* Slash (punctuation), the "/" character
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Slash (Marvel Comics)
* Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'')
Music
* Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band
* Nash th ...
plays a TB1000S live with Guns N' Roses on the song "Bad Obsession".
*
Ronnie Wood
Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as a member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, and a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group.
Wood began his career in 1964, playing lead guitar with several Brit ...
– played a TB2000 on the Rolling Stones 1975 tour, a TB1000A and a white TB500 during the 1979 New Barbarians tour.
*
Milić Vukašinović of
Vatreni Poljubac during whole career.
* Rich Zoran of Bacchus Lotus played TB1000A in the early 1980s.
*
David Lebón of
Seru Giran (Argentine rock supergroup) played a TB1000S, natural finish
*
Johan Folkesson of Swedish sludge/doom band Switchblade plays TB1000S'
*
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but he left for Atlanta in 1997 with fellow guitarist Clay Cook, with whom he formed the short-liv ...
played a Black TB1000A at various times during the 2019 Fall Fun Run tour with
Dead & Company.
*
Walt B of
In The Dark and For The Grateful – plays a TB1000S.
Bassists
* 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
The Twilight Sad are a Scottish post-punk revival, post-punk/indie rock band, comprising James Graham (vocals), Andy MacFarlane (guitar), Johnny Docherty (bass), Brendan Smith (keyboards) and Grant Hutchison (drums). They have released five stu ...
plays a Travis Bean
*
Peggy Foster,
The Runaways
The Runaways were an American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. Formed in 1975 in Los Angeles, the band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are " Cherry Bomb", " Holl ...
,
Steve Vai
Steven Siro Vai ( ; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a Transcription (music), transc ...
, TB4000 Wedge Bass #25, TB2000 Fretless #248
*
Chosei Funahara of
Plasmatics
The Plasmatics were an American punk rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed by Rod Swenson and Wendy O. Williams in New York City in 1978. They were a controversial group known for chaotic, destructive live shows and outrageous thea ...
– played two of black TB4000 Wedges #5 and #31
*
Vincent Gallo
Vincent Gallo (born April 11, 1961) is an American actor, filmmaker, and musician. He has won several accolades, including a Volpi Cup for Best Actor, and has been nominated for the Palme d'Or, the Golden Lion, and the Bronze Horse.
Gallo was ...
played a TB500 bass, TB2000 and a TB4000 Wedge bass.
* Matt Gentling of
Archers of Loaf
Archers of Loaf is an American indie rock band originally formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1991. The group toured extensively and released four studio albums, one compilation, numerous singles and EPs, and a live album which was release ...
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
Andonis Michaelides (Greek: Αντώνης Μιχαηλίδης; 24 July 1958 – 4 January 2011), better known as Mick Karn, was a British musician who rose to fame as the bassist for the art rock/ new wave band Japan. His distinctive fretles ...
of
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
– played a fretless TB2000 serial number 002
*
Alan Lancaster
Alan Charles Lancaster (7 February 1949 – 26 September 2021) was an English musician, best known as a founding member and bassist of the rock band Status Quo, playing with the band from 1967 to 1985, with brief reunions in 2013 and 2014. As wel ...
of
Status Quo
is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, economic, legal, environmental, political, religious, scientific or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the curren ...
*
Bill Laswell
William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, wo ...
1976 TB2000 Sonor Eclipes
* Tim Midgett of
Bottomless Pit and
Silkworm
''Bombyx mori'', commonly known as the domestic silk moth, is a moth species belonging to the family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of '' Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. Silkworms are the larvae of silk moths. The silkworm is of ...
– plays TB4000 Wedge.
[Tim Midgett with TB4000 Wedge](_blank)
/ref> During Silkworm, Tim played a TB1000S modified to baritone[Tim Midgett with TB1000S modified to Baritone](_blank)
/ref> and TB2000.[Tim Midgett with TB2000 Bass](_blank)
/ref>
* Burke Shelley of Budgie plays a TB2000 occasionally.
* Bob Weston
Bob Weston (born 1965) is an American musician, producer, recording engineer, and record mastering engineer. Critic Jason AnkenyAnkeny, Jason. " Bob Weston: Overview from Allmusic.com declares that "Weston's name and fingerprints are all over t ...
of Shellac
Shellac () is a resin secreted by the female Kerria lacca, lac bug on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. Chemically, it is mainly composed of aleuritic acid, jalaric acid, shellolic acid, and other natural waxes. It is processed and s ...
and the Volcano Suns
* Bill Wyman
William George Wyman ( né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who was the bass guitarist with the rock band the Rolling Stones from 1962 to 1993. Wyman was part of the band's first stable lineup and performed on their first 19 ...
of The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
– Wyman used a custom made short-scale TB2000[Smoke Stack Lightnin](_blank)
Bill Wyman bio mentioning Travis Bean bass[Hard Rock Memorabilia](_blank)
Photo of Bill Wyman TB2000 from 1977 until 1986. A total of 4 short-scale TB2000 basses were made for Wyman.
* Anders Steen, formerly a member of Swedish sludge/doom band Switchblade played TB2000's
* John Kahn of Jerry Garcia Band.
See also
* Frying pan (guitar) – The first aluminum neck guitar, 1930s
* Veleno (guitar) – another maker of aluminum neck guitars
References
External links
Travis Bean Guitars
– an unofficial site for enthusiasts of the 1970s guitars.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bean, Travis
1947 births
2011 deaths
Guitar makers
American luthiers
Machinists
American musical instrument makers