Travis Bean TB-1000S

My guitar is a Standard, serial number 1100. I bought new in in 1978, I ordered it with a rolled over top edge like a Fender Stratocaster, a Bigsby vibrato, and out of phase switch. It is Natural Koa, and when it came, it was without the phase switch. I called Travis Bean, he said it couldn't be done due to the design of the pickups. I did it myself in a couple hours. So much for "can't be done". It has Schaller keys. Hate them. Too fast,touchy. Grovers are slower and more finely adjustable. It has clear Gibson type knobs, a flat rosewood fingerboard with jumbo frets. The phase switch I installed works real neat. You can control the amount of out of phase you want by making the volume switches of unequal setting, and the phasing can be toward the front or back pickup depending how you set it. It has a hard case, which for some reason reacted with the aluminum neck and caused some minor pitting where it touches the case. It will polish out. I used my Travis Bean only about 6 months, and took the strings off and put it in the case in mid 79, where it has been ever since. I had a torn left rotator cuff and the weight made it painful to play.
Finish was clear, looked about a foot deep. Workmanship and fit are excellent. Neck is thin. Never comes out of tune once it warms up.

I played a variety of music, rock, blues, classical, country. For rock, it will sustain till you get tired of hearing it. Any note, anywhere on the neck. Incredible sustain. Set the volume 7 and down, it is so clean you can hear each individual note even in a chord. But turn it wide open, and it sings like a violin in overdrive. I used the out of phase position to play steel guitar licks. Sounded like a real pedal steel. I used it on my last country record, and people think it's a pedal steel, but it was the Bean. I could play Classical Gas on it and make it sound like a Martin thru my Lab Series L5 amp. For blues, well, it was the best blues guitar I ever played. Period. Jimmi Hendrix would have loved one of these. It gets overtones and it has a soul of it's own, feedbacks out of pick attack that are just incredible. I loved the sounds it has. I only had one guitar that had more varieties of sounds, and that was a Les Paul Recording. No hums or buzzes. I tried the Travis Bean with a Twin Reverb amp. Big mistake. Marshalls are just ok. Peavey? Forget it. Ampeg, Vox, Accoustic and some others I had at the time didn't cut it. The Lab series amp is incredible with it. I still have my L5. You gotta remember, this was 1978. I rate the sound a solid 12 out of 10.

Action, fit, finish, are all very good. About as good as anything I'd seen up to 1978. Only the finish on a Mosrite Ventures was better. The wood grain itself left something to be desired, but that didn't affect action, fit, and finish.

Keep in mind I only used it 6 months. It still looks like new. But it's been in the case for 20 years and hasn't seen the light of day. But it stayed in tune well. You had to warm the neck up to room temperature if it was winter, or it was a little flat. I usually just got it out and played it, and never tuned it. After about half a song, it was right on and stayed there till I put new strings on it.
Probably the best built guitar at the time on the market. Good hardware, excellent finish, and no wood neck to warp. I had several guitars at the time, but left the rest of them at home. It's dependable.

I had a problem with the case etching the back of the neck where it touches. Probably a problem with some chemicals in the glue leaching thru the fabric. I called the factory about it, and it was closed. So much for customer support. If they ever open their doors again, I'm sending it back in, as it has a lifetime warranty to the original owner, and I'm it.

I played about 25 years. Owned about every guitar there has ever been that was worth owning. Price was never an object. I only thought 3 were worth keeping... my 57 strat, my 68 (yes, 1968) Les Paul Recording. The factory will tell you they only made them from 1973, but I have my receipt for two consecutive serial numbered guitars, custom built with necks to my specs in red sunburst with my name on them, from 1968. And of course, my Travis Bean. And I still have them all. The only reason I quit playing my Bean, was the weight hurt my shoulder. I stopped playing in 87.
If anyone is interested, my Travis Bean is for sale if the price is right. Look at the cost of the "reissues", then make me an offer for serial number 1100 an "original" with all the paperwork. Overall, the Bean was my number 2 favorite of all time.

I have a Travis Bean TB1000S which I bought new in 1978,serial 1100.
I ordered it in natural koa with a rollover top at the place your right arm lays, like a Fender Strat, and a Bigsby tailpiece. It has Schaller keys, a flat fingerboard and a hard case. I ordered it also with an in/out of phase switch, but the Nice Mr. Bean said it couldn't be done. So I did it after I took delivery of it. It has 2 pickups, the phasing can be controled with the switch I installed, and varied with the volume controls between the two pickups for the amount of phasing you want to use.

I loved the sound, especially out of phase, as I did a lot of steel guitar licks on it. The sustain was incredible, it would hold a note till you were sick of hearing it. This guitar reaaally cut through the rest of the band. Clean as a razor till you turned the volume past 7, then it sings like a violin in overdrive. I played both rock and country on it, and it did both very well. No gripes with sound, although I never heard it "stock", I took it apart andd figured how to put a phase switch on it before I ever played it the first time. I played a stock one before buying this one, though. Every time I picked it up, the neck was cold, and it was a few cents flat for the first couple verses of the first song. I didn't retune to correct it, because after a couple minutes it was right on and STAYED THERE THE WHOLE NIGHT! Can't say that about any other guitar I own.

The action was just right to my preference, the only harp I have is that the case made some type of minute pitting where it supports the neck, probably caused in shipping or reaction with the glue they put the lining of the case on with. Fit and finish were very good.

I only played this guitar less than 6 months, had to retire it because it hurt my shoulder due to a torn rotator cuff injury. It's been in the case since 1979 with no strings. It would be an excellent survivor in "barwars", you could likely destroy a mack truck with it and not knock it out of tune. I can't really rate it for reliability
as I only played it a short time, but no troubles at all while I used it.

Forget customer support. I finally called the factory about the pitting on the back of the neck, and they were out of business before I could send it in to get it made right.

*I played for 23 years before hanging up my guitar because of 3 divorces over music, and hearing loss. Say WHAT?? Huhh?
I played a Martin, a Les Paul Recording, a 57 Strat, Harmony rocket,
Epiphone Masterbuilt flattop , and a few others I have forgotten.
Usually played thru a Fender twin reverb with JBL'S or a Lab Series L5 with a Peavey 15" black widow installed. The beannie sounded great on the Lab amp.
*Is there something I wish I'd asked before buying? Yes, How long will the "lifetime guarantee" be good?
*If it were lost or stolen, I probably couldn't replace it. It has not a scratch on it. I put clear plastic laminate over the pickguard and it doesn't even have a mark. Almost like new,except for 4 screw holes where the bigsby tailpiece was. I removed it just after I got it, as it made it come out of tune. The bigsby went the way of the garbage can.
*I loved everything about it except the weight. And that would not have been an issue, except for my injured shoulder. It caused my fingers to go numb. Not good for a lead player. My favorite feature is the in/out phase switch I installed. It really makes a lot of variety in sounds available. It's a rare piece, and it's for sale if the price is right. Otherwise, I'll let my great grandkids fight over who gets it when I croak.