Travis Bean on eBay

[oldleftybass]

Ex John Kahn- pretty cool:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI...m=190800932054

[Twocan]

Not $12,000 cool.

[staindbass]

where do people come up with these prices?

[Flyingfrets]

I played one of their guitars (a standard) for a few months in the late 70's. Absolutely HATED it. Wasn't that it didn't sound good, it did, but the feel was just God-awful.

I live in the northeast and on cold winter days, that neck was like ice. Should've put heating elements in them...

I understand when Kramer broke away from Bean, they built some aluminum necked instruments, but they had wood inserts in the neck which probably gave similar stabilty, but a more traditional feel. Don't know, never tried one of those.

Yeah, I can dig the history of this instrument, but $12,000? I wouldn't want it if they were paying me to take it...

[CBNJ]

Not interested at all.

[Baird6869]

Not the best bass for outdoor winter shows in Canada...

[spufman]

Originally Posted by Flyingfrets

I played one of their guitars (a standard) for a few months in the late 70's. Absolutely HATED it. Wasn't that it didn't sound good, it did, but the feel was just God-awful.

I live in the northeast and on cold winter days, that neck was like ice. Should've put heating elements in them...

Same here, except the guitar is my brother's and he still owns it. Neither of us has touched it in a few years, he should sell it while the selling is good! Alas, to each his own...

[Pimpernel Smith]

My memory of these, when they were new, was that they were the worst basses I've played. Awful sounding and felt awful to play. They are shamefully ugly as well.

[preside]

My first good bass was a cramer with the wood inserts and a "T" shaped metal neck and it was a pretty good bass. Most folks know who Garcia is but Kahan. Who in their right mind would pay 12K for a bass he used? Great bassist but who cares.

[godofthunder59]

I never saw the appeal in these, most didn't and they went the way of the Dodo. 12k is laughable.

[Roscoe East]

Originally Posted by Pimpernel Smith

They are shamefully ugly as well.

Dif'rent strokes... I think an original koa TB-2000 is one of the most gorgeous looking basses to ever be mass-produced.

But that eBay thing... hey, wait, maybe it's a typo: Perhaps the seller meant "travesty", not "Travis Bean"? 'Cuz those extra pickups totally destroy the aesthetic.

Move the decimal point one place to the left and it'd still be fugly. But I'd pay 2x that (i.e., $2,400) for a mint condition all original TB-2000.

[millsbass5]

Originally Posted by Baird6869

Not the best bass for outdoor winter shows in Canada...

Can you imagine Rudy Sarzo licking the neck of this bass at an outdoor show in Canada?

[darkstorm]

Except for the models that had wood inserts along neck, they where horrible necks. The metal gets cold in cold weather and hot in hot weather.

[Templar]

Originally Posted by Roscoe East

Dif'rent strokes... I think an original koa TB-2000 is one of the most gorgeous looking basses to ever be mass-produced.

I think so too. Had a couple over the years, including an exhibition grade flamed koa one from Bean's last batch. The owner of Flatts And Sharpe Music in Chicago bought it from Bean at his last Chicago NAMM appearance.

I bought it from F&S in '82 for $575. They had been using it as a "rental" bass, of all things. It was so stunningly beautiful, I'm surprised someone didn't rent it then run off with it.

The later ones had a black epoxy-like coating applied to the back of the necks which mostly eliminated the cold "clammy" feeling of the earlier necks.

The build quality on both mine was outstanding, as was the clear coat finish. I think I read somewhere that he used like 25 coats of aircraft laquer (whatever that is) on them.

Definitely the most outrageous sounding basses I've ever come across. Uber powerful, tremendous lows and highs.

(sorry for the derailment)

[lonote]

It is too heavy to use as a boat anchor but certainly ugly enough.

[fenderslaper]

I had one for several (like 20) years. Got it from a pawn shop for $150.00. Sold it on the bay last year for around $1800.00 or so. Never warmed up to the neck, but it did sound good. Very heavy though. $12000? Um...no!

[Passinwind]

I still have mine, a fretless bought new in 1977. Sounds great, weighs a ton, needs lots of temp conditioning before gigs. That price is nuts, I've turned down much nicer all-original ones for 2K or so in the last few years.

[mjac28]

That thing is so modded it looks horrible if it were all original and had the cool band cred to go along with it maybe half that price?

[Dluxe]

A few years back a touring bassist playing a club here in Austin was electrocuted badly. He was using a Travis Bean. Something about an all aluminum neck that goes through and attaches to the bridge just does not seem safe. I can't remember the band or the bassist involved but he was hospitalized for a few months. I know it can happen with an all wood instrument too but aluminum is a good conductor for electricity.

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by Dluxe

Something about an all aluminum neck that goes through and attaches to the bridge just does not seem safe.

Yep, good point. Same for metal strings too, of course.

BTW, electrocuted = dead.