I bought a TB2000, sent from Canada to Europe. They were having -35 deg Celsius and a snow storm over there... Customs also held it on my side, and it spent another 3 weeks stored in a cold locations. When it finally got home to me, it was freezing cold outside, and +20 deg Celsius in my living-room (yes, I like it nice and warm). I opened the box and saw the beauty. The varnish on the Bean had all cracked, due to temperature changes (who cares), AND it was still nearly in good tune !!
There is a very simple reason why they tried the black goop on TB necks, at the end. And it has nothing to do with "expansion". You should know it. It's the same silly reason for which Gary Kramer (Bean's ex-partner) had some wooden inserts put in his alu necks. It is a business reason, and that black stuff certainly did not add any tonal quality to the instrument, on the contrary ! Again, please check the Bean forums if you don't know.
...Whats a luthier going to do to a TB?...Tighten tuners...change or reshape a nut? ADJUST THE NECK?..."My Bean NEVER Goes out of tune" No sense in having a tuner in your line is there? Mythomany?...Yes I am a professional guitarist at 50..Why do you think they painted the necks with Imron?..Which is used on aircraft by the way...because it can stand the COLD..without cracking, and provide...yep...insulation...Your item #4 insult is a as meaningless to me as all of your other posts
... or maybe just wind your strings properly for a start. Or correct nut slot and saddle angles, so they get more weight vector and add solder to the bottom of your strings, ... , that's the most insulting basic advices I can find for you - the rest is luthier art, not for you. You feel insulted by my "funny" post ? Well I retired it. But all luthiers are insulted by yours. Have a good day Mr. Pro Guitarist. Most players have Beans that stay in tune, including amateurs. Check any Bean forum.
the Travis Bean is a self contained aluminum chassis that is rigid from one end to the other...Take out a cold guitar, and tune it. Warm the neck with your hands for about 10 minutes like you would if you were onstage...if you CANT see or hear that the tuning has changed...then you cant HEAR..
@Singlpilot there is some truth to this. I was an industrial painter and have used Imron countless times. Imron is not going to crack easily, it will expand and contract with the material it is applied on significantly. Epoxy and certain enamels will not withstand the amount of stress that urethanes will. It also does have great insulating properties. I think they more or less coated the necks with Imron to keep players hands from getting too cold due to the aluminum, though.
Beans do have some tuning issues for sure when it comes to temp. Here in Chicago some bands used to bring electric blankets with them to get them up to stage temp in the winter. That's why when he did that come back he offered a heating element in the neck as a add on, never saw one, but that's what I heard at least, heard they were really pricey, even for a Bean.
The funny thing about the Stones footage in this video is that the song sounds so much like a Tele or a Strat not the Bean tone, they probably just used them for the video shoot on this day.
The TB500 is a tele on steroids. Manipulation of tone and volume controls enables the TB500 to sound very telecasterish. The "cronk" and "squak" from a TB500 is much in the same vein of the tele.
Yeah, I'm in "denial". My Boss tuner is in my signal path at all times, and my basses have never gone out of tune while playing with other people.
Travis Bean went out of business because he only made a "handful" of expensive guitars, and was spending lots of money on something he shouldn't have been. He was paying people with guitars instead of money at one point... that's why he went out of business.
Again, if you thought they were such crap guitars, why did you own four? Daddario, eh?
Nothing personal, man : It's just that I know a bit about the theory (I'm an engineer) AND the facts, as I've also worked on many, many vintage intruments over the past 25 years. I know alu necks very well : in my experience Beans stay in tune no less / no more than any very good guitar. You are just propagating a myth that is simply not true. If you are not a mytho yourself (hard to believe you had BeanS during 9 years and you gave all of them up), then your guitar(no s?) just had a defect.
If you really want to know why Travis Bean Guitars went under it was because he got a divorce and his ex-wife took everything he had, not because it wouldn't stay in tune.
I have two Travis Beans, and they never go out of tune. Maybe you just used crap-ass strings. Strings, like aluminum necks, are made out of... METAL! If you think the necks on a Travis Bean expand and contract to the point where they become problematic, what do you think the strings do in a similar situation? Wood expands, contracts and warps with change in temperature and humidity, yet I don't hear people whining...
Surprised you owned 4 of them if you thought there was a problem there.
Anyone who still owns one of these crummy guitars can go ahead and sell it to me, I'll take it off your hands. All you rockstars jamming under the hot stage lights may want to consider selling.
Nice tribute to beans! I own the Garry Shider bean ( TB1000A # 494), very well played condition, still plays and sounds great. There is nothing like a bean!
RIP
hezzart 7 months ago
RIP Travis Bean
stamp1220 8 months ago
who starts playing at 1:56 and at 2:16?
howeuth 1 year ago
@ 2:16 I think to be Keith Levene from Public Image Limited.
I am however at a loss as to the guitarist at 1:56. and would like to know.
curtisslow 1 year ago
stanley jordan is at 1:56
curtisslow 1 year ago
@Singlpilot : Iet's stop discussion here. You are certainly a good man, don't take it personal.
In summary :
1) You owned a Bean that apparently went out of tune and you have this "scientific" theory on why an aluminium instrument can't stay in tune.
2) a few thousand other people around the globe own Beans that stay in tune perfectly well
3) luthiers have been making aluminium instruments in the US for the past 120 years, including acoustic violins, double basses and guitars.
Full stop.
raboglu 2 years ago
I bought a TB2000, sent from Canada to Europe. They were having -35 deg Celsius and a snow storm over there... Customs also held it on my side, and it spent another 3 weeks stored in a cold locations. When it finally got home to me, it was freezing cold outside, and +20 deg Celsius in my living-room (yes, I like it nice and warm). I opened the box and saw the beauty. The varnish on the Bean had all cracked, due to temperature changes (who cares), AND it was still nearly in good tune !!
gizgy 2 years ago
No Singlpilot, you have it wrong, again.
There is a very simple reason why they tried the black goop on TB necks, at the end. And it has nothing to do with "expansion". You should know it. It's the same silly reason for which Gary Kramer (Bean's ex-partner) had some wooden inserts put in his alu necks. It is a business reason, and that black stuff certainly did not add any tonal quality to the instrument, on the contrary ! Again, please check the Bean forums if you don't know.
raboglu 2 years ago
Comment removed
gizgy 2 years ago
...Whats a luthier going to do to a TB?...Tighten tuners...change or reshape a nut? ADJUST THE NECK?..."My Bean NEVER Goes out of tune" No sense in having a tuner in your line is there? Mythomany?...Yes I am a professional guitarist at 50..Why do you think they painted the necks with Imron?..Which is used on aircraft by the way...because it can stand the COLD..without cracking, and provide...yep...insulation...Your item #4 insult is a as meaningless to me as all of your other posts
Singlpilot 2 years ago
... or maybe just wind your strings properly for a start. Or correct nut slot and saddle angles, so they get more weight vector and add solder to the bottom of your strings, ... , that's the most insulting basic advices I can find for you - the rest is luthier art, not for you. You feel insulted by my "funny" post ? Well I retired it. But all luthiers are insulted by yours. Have a good day Mr. Pro Guitarist. Most players have Beans that stay in tune, including amateurs. Check any Bean forum.
gizgy 2 years ago
Comment removed
Singlpilot 2 years ago
the Travis Bean is a self contained aluminum chassis that is rigid from one end to the other...Take out a cold guitar, and tune it. Warm the neck with your hands for about 10 minutes like you would if you were onstage...if you CANT see or hear that the tuning has changed...then you cant HEAR..
Singlpilot 2 years ago
@Singlpilot there is some truth to this. I was an industrial painter and have used Imron countless times. Imron is not going to crack easily, it will expand and contract with the material it is applied on significantly. Epoxy and certain enamels will not withstand the amount of stress that urethanes will. It also does have great insulating properties. I think they more or less coated the necks with Imron to keep players hands from getting too cold due to the aluminum, though.
80selectro 2 years ago
Comment removed
Singlpilot 2 years ago
To heyadaho & snapcult :
Somebody pulled your leg (electric blankets ? waaarf!!! )
Here's another one for you :
"Metal strings expand and contract, even with the temp of your hand - you should use strings made out of wood..."
Sounds stupid, no?
In fact aviation Alu necks are WAY more stable towards heat than metal strings (and than most of the truss rods that are inside classic necks)
My TB2000 stays in tune LONGER that my JBs, and it has nothing to do with that great alu neck, anyway !
raboglu 2 years ago
Comment removed
gizgy 2 years ago
Who was the man with the black and white sweater who was playing mostly by tapping?
zriazriazriazria 2 years ago
what stanley jordan song is it at 1:50?
heyadaho 2 years ago
Beans do have some tuning issues for sure when it comes to temp. Here in Chicago some bands used to bring electric blankets with them to get them up to stage temp in the winter. That's why when he did that come back he offered a heating element in the neck as a add on, never saw one, but that's what I heard at least, heard they were really pricey, even for a Bean.
snapcult 3 years ago
Comment removed
raboglu 2 years ago
Keef can be seen playing the TB500 on SNL in 1978.
gitsirius 3 years ago
The funny thing about the Stones footage in this video is that the song sounds so much like a Tele or a Strat not the Bean tone, they probably just used them for the video shoot on this day.
madeinmexicoband 3 years ago
The TB500 is a tele on steroids. Manipulation of tone and volume controls enables the TB500 to sound very telecasterish. The "cronk" and "squak" from a TB500 is much in the same vein of the tele.
gitsirius 3 years ago
Comment removed
Singlpilot 3 years ago
Yeah, I'm in "denial". My Boss tuner is in my signal path at all times, and my basses have never gone out of tune while playing with other people.
Travis Bean went out of business because he only made a "handful" of expensive guitars, and was spending lots of money on something he shouldn't have been. He was paying people with guitars instead of money at one point... that's why he went out of business.
Again, if you thought they were such crap guitars, why did you own four? Daddario, eh?
BadComrade 3 years ago
Comment removed
Singlpilot 3 years ago
Non-sense, man. You don't know what you are talking about. If your guitars don't stay in tune, take them to any good luthier, he'll fix them for you.
No, It has nothing to do with the fact that the neck is made of alu or wood (although alu does help for ENHANCING tuning stability).
raboglu 2 years ago
Comment removed
Singlpilot 2 years ago
Mmm... I just had a look at the Travis Bean forum, and none of the Bean owners in there talk about expansion problems. Weird...
Either they all have cold hands (help ! the lezard invasion began...) , or there is some mistake in Singlpilot's reasoning -
From the on-going discussion, I guess Jerry Garcia was a lezard that didn't string his guitar well, have I got it right ? =8-P
gizgy 2 years ago
PS..Travis was a good luthier...949 went back to him twice...
Singlpilot 2 years ago
Nothing personal, man : It's just that I know a bit about the theory (I'm an engineer) AND the facts, as I've also worked on many, many vintage intruments over the past 25 years. I know alu necks very well : in my experience Beans stay in tune no less / no more than any very good guitar. You are just propagating a myth that is simply not true. If you are not a mytho yourself (hard to believe you had BeanS during 9 years and you gave all of them up), then your guitar(no s?) just had a defect.
raboglu 2 years ago
@Singlpilot
Did not find any Bean #949 in the base. What model was it, exactly ?
I just wonder if the current owner of this guitar still has the tuning problems you evoked. May I ask when you sold it ?
raboglu 2 years ago
Comment removed
Singlpilot 2 years ago
So it went back to the shop twice and problem apparently remained. OK, just a possible hint :
- did it play in tune for a while once back from Travis' shop ?
- did it possibly start going out of tune once you changed a string or messed with the tuners ?
- was your instrument equipped with a tremolo ?
- if yes, did you ever lock the trem appropriately before taking any of the strings out ?
Nothing personal, but many pros play better than they string. Guitar techs make a living out of that...
raboglu 2 years ago
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Singlpilot 2 years ago
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raboglu 2 years ago
If you really want to know why Travis Bean Guitars went under it was because he got a divorce and his ex-wife took everything he had, not because it wouldn't stay in tune.
coachdarren99 3 years ago
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Singlpilot 2 years ago
Mmmm quite a naive question for sure...
Why did Volkswagen take over Rolls-Royce Motors ?
I guess they made better cars :)
gizgy 2 years ago
Comment removed
Singlpilot 4 years ago
I have two Travis Beans, and they never go out of tune. Maybe you just used crap-ass strings. Strings, like aluminum necks, are made out of... METAL! If you think the necks on a Travis Bean expand and contract to the point where they become problematic, what do you think the strings do in a similar situation? Wood expands, contracts and warps with change in temperature and humidity, yet I don't hear people whining...
Surprised you owned 4 of them if you thought there was a problem there.
BadComrade 3 years ago
Anyone who still owns one of these crummy guitars can go ahead and sell it to me, I'll take it off your hands. All you rockstars jamming under the hot stage lights may want to consider selling.
gitsirius 3 years ago
which rock stars would these be...that currently play beans onstage?...
Singlpilot 2 years ago
My 1000S never ever goes out of tune. Why did you keep buying them if they were so unreliable?
sazma 2 years ago
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Singlpilot 2 years ago
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raboglu 2 years ago
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raboglu 2 years ago
Nice tribute to beans! I own the Garry Shider bean ( TB1000A # 494), very well played condition, still plays and sounds great. There is nothing like a bean!
gitsirius 4 years ago