Travis Bean
Travis Bean was an American company that manufactured electric guitars and basses . The company was derived from the name of the founder Travis Bean. The company became known for the unusual use of aluminum as a construction material in instrument construction.
history
Driven by his idea of making instruments out of aluminum, Travis Bean started producing his instruments in 1974 in Sun Valley , California . After initial successes, the sales figures settled only at a low level. Due to the lack of success, Travis Bean stopped manufacturing the instruments in 1979 . In 1998 , a replica of the most successful model, the TB 1000 electric guitar, briefly appeared on the market with the collaboration of the designer Travis Bean.
A special design feature of the Travis Bean instruments were the continuous aluminum necks that ran through the entire guitars. Conventional wooden bodies were attached to the neck or the aluminum chassis. The idea behind this construction was the assumption that guitars should have a better tone and a longer sustain due to the stable metal construction . In addition, material-related problems of conventional wooden instruments (e.g. bending and warping of necks due to string tension and climatic influences) should be minimized. The big disadvantage, however, was the uncomfortably cold feel of the metal neck, which put off many players and ultimately led to the end of the guitars. The sound of the Travis Bean guitars is roughly comparable to that of Gibson instruments due to the humbuckers , although the sound is much clearer and harder.
New edition
New Travis Bean instruments have been on the market since 2009; Travis Bean guitars have been manufactured in Germany ( Bavaria ) since then . In contrast to the history vintage Travis Bean Guitars, the Travis Bean company today manufactures under the direction of Franz "Travis" Gründl, mainly with wooden necks; however, aluminum necks are still available as custom-made products and special series.
Since 2010 Travis Bean has been registered as a trademark for the owner, Franz Travis Gründl.
The Travis Bean guitars in music
In particular, the pronounced sustain of the Travis Bean guitars made the instruments popular. Well-known musicians who play / played a "Travis Bean" were u. a. Jerry García from Grateful Dead , Steve Albini from Shellac , Lee Ranaldo from Sonic Youth , Matthias Röhr (Matt "Gonzo" Roehr), Hermann Hausner and Slash from Guns N 'Roses . The latter mainly uses his "Travis Bean" when playing with the bottleneck , where he exploited the immense sustain of this instrument.
literature
- Tony Bacon / Dave Hunter: Totally Guitar - The definitive guide . London 2004, ISBN 3-86150-732-3
- Tony Bacon: Guitars - All models and manufacturers London / Vienna 1991, ISBN 3-552-05073-6
- George Gruhn / Walter Carter: Electric Guitars & Basses - The History of Electric Guitars and Basses ISBN 3-932275-04-7
