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Ronanski

Posted: 04/18/2010 at 3:32 PM Post subject: German Company building wooden necked "Travis Bean" replicas

I was perusing the web recently, when I spotted an item on Ebay, which led me to this site. Seems a company in Germany has copyrighted the "Travis Bean" name, and headstock shape. And are now producing wooden necked replicas of Beans. I had to double-take this one, seems like they're missing something fundamental. Craftsmanship (not in question,looks good, though needs to be tested), integrity (questionable business practices), sonic qualities (thats the one, wtf) http://www.travisbean.de/ check it out yourselves I'd be interested to hear what ye have to say (fun? duuuuuh mental!!!)

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crazyb

Posted: 04/25/2010 at 09:34 AM Post subject:

Woah, I wonder what the story is behind this. Wood? Doesn't seem right at all.

Tone

Posted: 04/28/2010 at 10:41 AM Post subject: German Bean?

Woah, Didn't see that coming. Maybe should have. Bean prices are getting kinda steep (compared to a few years ago) and I guess they see this as an oppurtunity to get their foot in the door. It will be interesting to see the prices and where they go in the future. Sugar pine? Will there be an aluminum Bean in the future? I say yes. Will they find success? Stranger things have happened. I hope the do well. TB was probably ahead of its time. I think I want one Tone

Ronanski

Posted: 04/28/2010 at 2:03 PM Post subject: really

its wood wood = not aluminium which defeats the whole purpose of a travis bean (to create a guitar with a wide dynamic frequency range that can make tones not possible through standard instrument making practices - you know the neck and bridge being one solid hunk of metal that inducts the sound differently from trees) and they start at a cost of 2,500 euro - thats INSANE for an unknown guitar (which this basically is) coils could be interesting, as theyre hand wound - wonder if theyre using alnico, would be good to hear from one of the former tech's from the old travis bean factory on this one (had a few emails from former kramer techs when I got my 250G and 350B: wonder if the Travis Bean guys'd do the same)

deathfaces

Posted: 05/17/2010 at 09:03 AM Post subject: RE:German Company building wooden necked

I wonder if they are using carbon fiber to stabilize the headstock like Bob Unk is.

Redcassette

Posted: 11/11/2010 at 4:46 PM Post subject: RE:German Company building wooden necked

Hmmm they have a prototype for sale.....surely if you were making guitars you'd keepnyour first little baby?!! But they have missed the whole point of the tb.....why?!? Why would you go to the effort of owning th name etc if you weren't going to continue the legacy?! Idiots

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Van

Posted: 02/25/2011 at 07:53 AM Post subject: RE:German Company building wooden necked

The wooden neck Travis beans are now available with aluminum necks!!!

JoeMudd

Posted: 02/25/2011 at 08:14 AM Post subject: RE:German Company building wooden necked

I would never look at or buy one of these out of principle. Sketchy and unethical business practice to ride on the coat tails (actually take ownership) of someone elses success and name. Boooo. They should be ashamed. --JM

red cassette

Posted: 02/27/2011 at 3:29 PM Post subject: RE:German Company building wooden necked

what makes you say they are now available with lumie necks?

Van

Posted: 02/27/2011 at 4:20 PM Post subject: RE:German Company building wooden necked

I do agree with some of the things that joemudd said. I personally wouldn't buy one of these either it just caought my eye and I was hoping that they would be exactly the same but there are alot of differences. If you click on any of there guitars and scroll down to custom shop options it says alu neck.

Tone

Posted: 02/28/2011 at 07:16 AM Post subject: RE:German Company building wooden necked

There may be an assumption that this company is operating illegally, by not getting permission from TB to do what they are doing or that the need permission at all. I'll admit I probably wouldn't want to copy anything that closely, but how many Strat, Tele, P-bass, LP "knock-offs" are out there right now? Fender recently lost at an attempt to copy write they're iconic shapes because they allowed "infringement" to go on for so long before taking action. If they made a quality copy (or better version) of a TB at a good price would I buy it? Yup. Probably as close to owning one as many will ever get.

Disclosure: Any links to eBay or Amazon.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links may provide commission payments to the site based on purchases.

JoeMudd

Posted: 02/28/2011 at 08:04 AM Post subject: RE:German Company building wooden necked

The company is definitely not doing this illegally. It's a ethical issue. It's sneaky.. underhanded. It goes way beyond copying. I understand your logic with the strat copy argument. Sure... tons of strat/tele copies out there.. but not under the label of 'Fender Stratocaster'. There is no confusion if the Tele/Strat copy is not the 'real deal'. But there is confusion if Bean is making guitars again. As far as "as close to owning one as many will ever get", I have a feeling, it won't even be in the ballpark. --JM

Greg Bailey

Posted: 02/28/2011 at 5:41 PM Post subject: RE:German Company building wooden necked

HI!!! I can not find the post, so I can't quoyr anyone, but I think it was the Admin on the Travis Bean site that said the Travis Bean copywrite had expired and that German company picked it up..... Travis Bean (The man) apparently is not too happy about it.. To me, these all wood Beans don't even look all that close to the originals. The headstocks are misshaped, they have regulaur pickups with rings, etc. As far as this being as close as you can get to a real Travis Bean guitar goes.... I don't think so.... I know Kevin at EGC has made some good instruments and I have made some Travis Bean Tribute guitars that are really close to original Travis Bean guitars. As far as copying goes, the difference is that Kevin and myself don't write "Travis Bean" on our work... We tell everyone up front that we built our guitars, not Travis Bean... I believe that Travis Bean deserves more respect than to have someone use his name without permission.... Legal or not! Speaking of the work I do....... There is an original TB1000S body on ebay right now... It's not mine, but if you buy it, send it to me, I can make everything else to make you a Travis Bean Tribute guitar..... You can see my work at: http://www.baileycustomguitar.com/ Thanks For reading....... Greg Bailey

gse1

Posted: 06/03/2011 at 6:24 PM Post subject: RE:German Company building wooden necked

i wouldnt want to drop one of these. i would guess that the TB style headstock would break very easily if it was made from timber. i made a test neck out of timber recently (it had an obstructures style headstock) and i dropped it and it fell to pieces. It was only for the puropse of testing the accuracy of the jigs i made so it did not matter.