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Travis Bean :: TB500
TB500 was to be the "budget" model compared to the 1000S. They equipped these axes with single coil pick-ups and had a "strat" type body. These guitars are often, ironically, the Holy Grail of Travis Bean guitars. They have a very aggressive bite to their tone. Steve Albini (Big Black, Rapeman, Shellac) can be seen swingin' this bad boy. 351 guitars were produced.
Number of reviews: 4
Score: 8.8  
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Recent Reviews
by sam
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| Purchased New: |
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N/A |
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£1800 |
| Name: |
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sam |
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N/A |
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Style of Music: i like to play anythang
Comments: recently purchased. first things first. its the best guitar i have ever played. probably not as nice 59 burst or and old tele but its probably the best ill ever own. the neck is like butter. reminds of a 70's fender neck, but slightly thinner. very comfotable to play - action is lovely. very fast. i have 1000 which has a thicker profile, although that doesnt make it uncomfortable play. i think if you prefer gibson style necks then a 1000 would be the way forward. personally i fell in love with both guitars as soon as i played them.
the sound however is amazing. ive had house mates who dont even play guitar commenting on its lovely tone. in the neck position you have a really warm sound that is still very cutting. not sure how its possible really but its great. the bridge is very harsh and trebly but still has weight to its sound. when both are combined you get a nice growl going on. the tone is rich on all settings. masses of clarity. im pretty much completly smitten with the neck pick up at the moment - you can even get this thing to do steve cropper style blues/r n b tone. very telecaster ish. its not just limited to sounding like albini's, although the shellac sound is there pretty much as soon as you plug in. however, the guitar sounds so great plugged just straight into an amp, that its a great guitar to use as a basis for getting a unique, yet listenable tone of your own. albini's is great but this guitar doesnt need to be used exclusively as a rip off. dont get me wrong, i heard of beans through jesus lizard and shellac just like most of people, but i dont think that using this great guitar makes you one as its got such tone potential. plug straight into a twin a hiwatt or traynor and youll do a double take at the sound of these things.
the down side to these guitars though they are tough, the body is so thin behind the neck that it could snap really easily. the egc500 recifies this and has a much more solid construction and are built better. they have a huge metal plate on the back isolating the neck from the body. albinis 500 of course also has a giant metal plate on the back, but thats a different principle in that it keep his one from falling apart. however, great as egc500 is, they dont have as clear a tone as a tb. more powerful pick ups though. ive got a big review of one up on here somewhere. great guitar, but it sounds like an egc and not a bean - bear that in mind.
overall i love thing. i payed alot for mine. still cant believe i payed what i did. luckily, not 5k like what they usually go for, but still way out of my budget. however they play and sound so nice that im gonna keep this thing till i die. if you find one get it. the sound is amazing, the play great (most comfotable neck ive ever played) and are rare as fuck - a comparably great guitar like 50's tele will cost you more than 5k and are far more plentiful than the 350 500's knocking about. ive literally been looking for one nearly every day on ebay for 3 fucking years. a nearly swapped a gp and dr103 for one a while back but i last i heard that ones owned by the hives now. shit happens. still, i think though they rediculusly priced they are great. im very poor now though.
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by MATT
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2001 |
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1700 |
| Name: |
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MATT |
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[ e-mail ]
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Style of Music: N/A
Comments: These guitars are smooth as milk to play, but keep in mind that they were TB's "budget" model. I feel like the thing is going to break in my hands when i play it- never seen one without stress cracks at the neck joint. Overall, the Artists and Standars are much higher quality instruments, but the 500 is so damn comfortable, thin, and has single coils. Ultra rare, and probably not worth the 5000 that they are pulling on ebay, but if you ever play one you will be quite tempted to place a bid.
About 90 percent of these guitars have a black paint coating on the neck which is quite annoying. Apparently Mr. Bean did this to cut the "cold" feel of the aluminum. I find the coating to be a bit sticky, and no where near as smooth as the aluminum, but the near perfect action and dimensions of the neck make up for it.
In terms of sound, they are quite twangy with the stock pick-ups.
overall, highly recomended if you have the cash, and do not care about durability.
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