Travis Bean TB2000 Owned by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1976)
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Item # 13317
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Travis Bean TB2000 Owned by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco Model Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1976), made in Sun Valley, CA, serial # 260, natural body finish, koa wood body, aluminum neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
This is a charmingly road-worn example of a Travis Bean TB2000, the company's most well known bass. It mates their patented aluminum neck/centerpiece with a solid Koa wood body and rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay. Travis Bean only ever made three bass models and the TB2000 is by leaps and bounds the standard bearer of the company with just over 1000 built. Only a 36 of the TB4000 Wedge basses were ever made, and there is the other oddity of the single known prototype TB500 bass which was never put into production (but which we were honored to have sold as our Item #11987). These distinct instruments are unbranded but for the subtle "T" cut out of the headstock.
Former motocross racer and lifelong tinkerer Clifford Travis Bean had two partners initially; guitar tech Marc McElwee and one Gary Kramer, who would soon split off to found his own guitar operation. The ads claimed their designs were "the first new development in the electric guitar since the 1930s". The catalog continued "The...lightweight neck and receiver system forms a rigid link between the tuning machines and the bridge. When the strings are attached, a complete vibration connection is achieved. It is this patented chassis that makes the Travis Bean guitar what it is: an instrument that has become the most dramatic breakthrough in electric guitar technology in 50 years."
Bean's patented through-neck/central body core was milled from polished T6061 aircraft aluminum. It extends from the headstock to the through-body strung four-saddle bridge, mounted into a lovely natural-finished Koa wood body. The slab fingerboards at this time were mounted over a hollow neck with one central support rib, which would change after the company restructured a year or so after this example was made. Bean wound their loud and articulate pickups in house; these punchy single coil bass pickups have an exposed soapbar look comparable to those found in the TB500 guitars. Unlike the Bean guitars, TB2000s basses did not have a pickguard, but they have a similar house-made adjustable bridge and brass nut.
In the later 1970s the TB-2000 retailed for $655 plus $100 for the case; while not the most expensive bass on the market (Alembic had that "honor") it was still a fairly high-end instrument. While Travis Bean basses did not become a huge retail success they were featured by some major artists. The TB2000 was notably loved by Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones who not only used them on stage but had custom short-scale TB2000s made for him. Wyman eventually even had a signature bass model made by Travis Bean Designs (the company who took over after Bean's passing).
More recently, Travis Beans have been gainfully employed by a number of noise-rock players along with many denizens of myriad heavy sub-genres like doom and stoner metal. The pickups in the Bean basses are still powerful and loud as ever, though they don't quite possess the cult following of the TB1000's humbucking pickups. Travis Bean knew he had something great in the mid-1970s; while his vision did not lead to major commercial success at the time he would no doubt be well satisfied by the lasting appeal to players and highly collectible status his creations have earned 45+ years on.
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 33 in. (838 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This bass has certainly been put through the wringer cosmetically and there are dings, scrapes, scratches, and general heavy wear uniformly around the koa body. Nothing appears to be vanity "relicing"; this is honest use and playwear in the original finish! It squarely place this bass in the hands of a real rock and roller even before it reached the hands of another real rock and roller, Mr. Jeff Tweedy (who in our experience takes excellent care of even his most heavily used instruments so is probably not the one who once banged this Bean around).
The shining aluminum neck, however, glistens with no significant wear or problematic dings in the metal. The tuners are original, the fingerboard is original though it has seemingly been reglued to the metal; we've seen several Beans where the original epoxy binding the wood to metal has begun to fail 50 years later and require a bit of new epoxy. This was done some time ago as well as what appears to be a well-done and correct size refret. We considered if they were the original frets just crowned down a bit, but judging from the amount of use this bass got... a refret would be unsurprising and welcome!
All other hardware is original and the electronics inside are untouched and in good working order; The lower knobs have some internal cracking around the shafts and one of the original volume knobs is functional but a bit stripped if turned with too much gusto. We have kept the original on the bass and included a not-quite-exact but similar Gibson-style knob in the case that could pop right on if desired. The comes with its original black tolex 70's Fender-esque case which is in solid condition but for one broken latch; the Wilco loft markings are along the bottom edge. Also inside the case lives a certificate of authenticity from the Wilco Loft validating the provenance of this piece. Overall Very Good Condition.
This is a charmingly road-worn example of a Travis Bean TB2000, the company's most well known bass. It mates their patented aluminum neck/centerpiece with a solid Koa wood body and rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay. Travis Bean only ever made three bass models and the TB2000 is by leaps and bounds the standard bearer of the company with just over 1000 built. Only a 36 of the TB4000 Wedge basses were ever made, and there is the other oddity of the single known prototype TB500 bass which was never put into production (but which we were honored to have sold as our Item #11987). These distinct instruments are unbranded but for the subtle "T" cut out of the headstock.
Former motocross racer and lifelong tinkerer Clifford Travis Bean had two partners initially; guitar tech Marc McElwee and one Gary Kramer, who would soon split off to found his own guitar operation. The ads claimed their designs were "the first new development in the electric guitar since the 1930s". The catalog continued "The...lightweight neck and receiver system forms a rigid link between the tuning machines and the bridge. When the strings are attached, a complete vibration connection is achieved. It is this patented chassis that makes the Travis Bean guitar what it is: an instrument that has become the most dramatic breakthrough in electric guitar technology in 50 years."
Bean's patented through-neck/central body core was milled from polished T6061 aircraft aluminum. It extends from the headstock to the through-body strung four-saddle bridge, mounted into a lovely natural-finished Koa wood body. The slab fingerboards at this time were mounted over a hollow neck with one central support rib, which would change after the company restructured a year or so after this example was made. Bean wound their loud and articulate pickups in house; these punchy single coil bass pickups have an exposed soapbar look comparable to those found in the TB500 guitars. Unlike the Bean guitars, TB2000s basses did not have a pickguard, but they have a similar house-made adjustable bridge and brass nut.
In the later 1970s the TB-2000 retailed for $655 plus $100 for the case; while not the most expensive bass on the market (Alembic had that "honor") it was still a fairly high-end instrument. While Travis Bean basses did not become a huge retail success they were featured by some major artists. The TB2000 was notably loved by Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones who not only used them on stage but had custom short-scale TB2000s made for him. Wyman eventually even had a signature bass model made by Travis Bean Designs (the company who took over after Bean's passing).
More recently, Travis Beans have been gainfully employed by a number of noise-rock players along with many denizens of myriad heavy sub-genres like doom and stoner metal. The pickups in the Bean basses are still powerful and loud as ever, though they don't quite possess the cult following of the TB1000's humbucking pickups. Travis Bean knew he had something great in the mid-1970s; while his vision did not lead to major commercial success at the time he would no doubt be well satisfied by the lasting appeal to players and highly collectible status his creations have earned 45+ years on.
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 33 in. (838 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This bass has certainly been put through the wringer cosmetically and there are dings, scrapes, scratches, and general heavy wear uniformly around the koa body. Nothing appears to be vanity "relicing"; this is honest use and playwear in the original finish! It squarely place this bass in the hands of a real rock and roller even before it reached the hands of another real rock and roller, Mr. Jeff Tweedy (who in our experience takes excellent care of even his most heavily used instruments so is probably not the one who once banged this Bean around).
The shining aluminum neck, however, glistens with no significant wear or problematic dings in the metal. The tuners are original, the fingerboard is original though it has seemingly been reglued to the metal; we've seen several Beans where the original epoxy binding the wood to metal has begun to fail 50 years later and require a bit of new epoxy. This was done some time ago as well as what appears to be a well-done and correct size refret. We considered if they were the original frets just crowned down a bit, but judging from the amount of use this bass got... a refret would be unsurprising and welcome!
All other hardware is original and the electronics inside are untouched and in good working order; The lower knobs have some internal cracking around the shafts and one of the original volume knobs is functional but a bit stripped if turned with too much gusto. We have kept the original on the bass and included a not-quite-exact but similar Gibson-style knob in the case that could pop right on if desired. The comes with its original black tolex 70's Fender-esque case which is in solid condition but for one broken latch; the Wilco loft markings are along the bottom edge. Also inside the case lives a certificate of authenticity from the Wilco Loft validating the provenance of this piece. Overall Very Good Condition.