Travis Bean TB1000S Natural 1978 Magnolia NEAR MINT
Travis Bean
$10,000.00
This product is currently sold out.
Collector grade.
From the standpoint of design, weight, quality, tone and playability, 1978 is the best year for Travis Bean.
Magnolia body, only 8lbs. It's not every day that you find an 8lb Travis Bean. The last one of these 8 pounders I had sold to guy in 2019 who plays stadiums, he wanted the light weight.
In 1978 you have thinner bodies, more refined balanced pickups. Much lighter weight. I know I've said it many times before, but the 1978 guitars blow away the early ones, in my experience. I loved my earlier models, but ultimately they didn't work for me musically. A little muddy. Or a little bright. Or a lot bright. Or unusable bright. These later 1978 guitars have a refined neck construction, they work better with distortion. They play better. This guitar, as well as all the 78's, work great with distortion, exceptional with fuzz, life changing really. They are unparalleled.
The only reason this guitar is for sale is that it’s too clean. I play with metal picks, very hard, and don’t want to destroy this collectors item. I’m looking for this identical guitar in a more beat up condition. I want wide horns, thin body, 1978.
This guitar is shiny like a new guitar. It looks like a brand new guitar. It requires no polishing or cleaning. Doesn't have the dirt, the decay, the filth that so many do. Doesn't have the yellow build up and neglect you often find. Doesn't have oxidation, heavy scratches. Super clean.
Has new-like frets.
Original case in very good shape. A pure joy to play.
Only the lightest player wear, and lightest surface scratches. The factory nut was never cut down, it was too high. Amazing that it went 43 years w/out someone correcting it. But then again,
this guitar obviously has spent it's life in the case. But no one
who owned this guitar got to experience anything close to
true Travis Bean action. The nut was filed to perfection last week. Pickup shims were removed. So now you have that low on the deck, wicked straight magical action. If you want high action, have at it,
not hard to do. But this flat fretboard radius and flat top straight design lends itself to a magically low action. I'm not sure most owners achieve this, I know for me it's a must. It must be perfect and dead on. And this leads to a singular playability. Sonically just what you would expect. Strat style C neck. Not the big D, not the slim tiny one. A nice middle of the road medium C.
The last TB1000S of mine sold for $11,500 but it was black.
It was too an exceptional specimen, it went overseas, gone forever. The good Travis Beans are like vintage Rolexes, people are too smart to let them go, demand increases. They are stamped, signed numbered sculptures, works of art, that will continue to go up in value. It's not hard to see that Travis Bean guitars, even at the height of the current market are still undervalued. In a world where people pay $6000 for a Klon
that easily flubs out on distorted low notes, it's easy to imagine a $30,000 Travis Bean guitar some day, there is no substitute. Or you can buy a modern "TB Designs", the equivalent of a fake Rolex. In 1977 Travis Bean shut down for a year to revamp. Then in 1978 they nailed it. Then it was all over. That's a long time ago, and these are very special world class musical instruments.
Like all my guitars, it comes packed the right way, 100% as described, no need for returns. I've never been asked to take a return on a guitar or amp in 25 years. Usually, people say that it's better than described. I simply do not buy or sell guitars that are not extraordinary. The goal is to exceed expectations, and never over promise or underdeliver. Quality over quantity.
From the standpoint of design, weight, quality, tone and playability, 1978 is the best year for Travis Bean.
Magnolia body, only 8lbs. It's not every day that you find an 8lb Travis Bean. The last one of these 8 pounders I had sold to guy in 2019 who plays stadiums, he wanted the light weight.
In 1978 you have thinner bodies, more refined balanced pickups. Much lighter weight. I know I've said it many times before, but the 1978 guitars blow away the early ones, in my experience. I loved my earlier models, but ultimately they didn't work for me musically. A little muddy. Or a little bright. Or a lot bright. Or unusable bright. These later 1978 guitars have a refined neck construction, they work better with distortion. They play better. This guitar, as well as all the 78's, work great with distortion, exceptional with fuzz, life changing really. They are unparalleled.
The only reason this guitar is for sale is that it’s too clean. I play with metal picks, very hard, and don’t want to destroy this collectors item. I’m looking for this identical guitar in a more beat up condition. I want wide horns, thin body, 1978.
This guitar is shiny like a new guitar. It looks like a brand new guitar. It requires no polishing or cleaning. Doesn't have the dirt, the decay, the filth that so many do. Doesn't have the yellow build up and neglect you often find. Doesn't have oxidation, heavy scratches. Super clean.
Has new-like frets.
Original case in very good shape. A pure joy to play.
Only the lightest player wear, and lightest surface scratches. The factory nut was never cut down, it was too high. Amazing that it went 43 years w/out someone correcting it. But then again,
this guitar obviously has spent it's life in the case. But no one
who owned this guitar got to experience anything close to
true Travis Bean action. The nut was filed to perfection last week. Pickup shims were removed. So now you have that low on the deck, wicked straight magical action. If you want high action, have at it,
not hard to do. But this flat fretboard radius and flat top straight design lends itself to a magically low action. I'm not sure most owners achieve this, I know for me it's a must. It must be perfect and dead on. And this leads to a singular playability. Sonically just what you would expect. Strat style C neck. Not the big D, not the slim tiny one. A nice middle of the road medium C.
The last TB1000S of mine sold for $11,500 but it was black.
It was too an exceptional specimen, it went overseas, gone forever. The good Travis Beans are like vintage Rolexes, people are too smart to let them go, demand increases. They are stamped, signed numbered sculptures, works of art, that will continue to go up in value. It's not hard to see that Travis Bean guitars, even at the height of the current market are still undervalued. In a world where people pay $6000 for a Klon
that easily flubs out on distorted low notes, it's easy to imagine a $30,000 Travis Bean guitar some day, there is no substitute. Or you can buy a modern "TB Designs", the equivalent of a fake Rolex. In 1977 Travis Bean shut down for a year to revamp. Then in 1978 they nailed it. Then it was all over. That's a long time ago, and these are very special world class musical instruments.
Like all my guitars, it comes packed the right way, 100% as described, no need for returns. I've never been asked to take a return on a guitar or amp in 25 years. Usually, people say that it's better than described. I simply do not buy or sell guitars that are not extraordinary. The goal is to exceed expectations, and never over promise or underdeliver. Quality over quantity.
