How much does a Travis Bean guitar weight ?

[Flatus]

I was wondering how much a Travis bean weights circa ?
and i was also wondering if any of the Travis Bean owners here has ever suffered from a back pain of playing one for a long time ?

[glimmertwin]

I played a very early aluminum neck Kramer guitar (basically a Travis Bean clone - the company he came from) recently and I would say it's about as heavy as a heavier Les Paul. It's not unbearable, but it's not for the small guys if you plan on playing it a lot. I'm a bigger guy and all my fenders I can hold the guitar taught horizontally without the body moving with my fretting hand (useful for when a strap falls off on the body end) but there is zero chance of me being able to do that with the Bean/Kramer. Never have played a real Travis Bean, but I imagine this is pretty similar if not the same. The Kramer I played looked like the Travis Bean Jerry Garcia model, but with some more pickup switching options.

[null.fuzz]

I played a very early aluminum neck Kramer guitar (basically a Travis Bean clone - the company he came from) recently and I would say it's about as heavy as a heavier Les Paul. It's not unbearable, but it's not for the small guys if you plan on playing it a lot. I'm a bigger guy and all my fenders I can hold the guitar taught horizontally without the body moving with my fretting hand (useful for when a strap falls off on the body end) but there is zero chance of me being able to do that with the Bean/Kramer. Never have played a real Travis Bean, but I imagine this is pretty similar if not the same. The Kramer I played looked like the Travis Bean Jerry Garcia model, but with some more pickup switching options.

Travis beans actually had the aluminum extend into the body, as opposed to being just in the neck like the kramer, so they may be even heavier.

[Flatus]

ok, i was just wondering, because there is a guy in my town who owns a Travis Bean who looks just like this one:
http://www.jetenginesound.com/tbk1.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
i was thinking about selling most of my stuff and offering him alot of money and see if he would sell it ive been listening alot to Jesus lizard, shellac and silkworm and other bands that use them and they really seem to sound amazing. But i dont wanna spend a lot of money if i would give up using it because of a hurt back(im not a big guy). i once had a kramer bass with an aluminum neck and it was very heavy. Maybe all just stick with my truly jazzmaster.... maybe ill try to buy it if it doesn't weight way to much. A heavier les paul is ok, though it's a bit heavy......

[i love sharin foo]

By the shape of the cutaways, that one in the photo above is a later model. By that point in time, the bodies (as well as the 'heel' of the neck) were thinned down, cutting down on weight slightly. I have a '79 TB1000S (thinner body and longer bouts) and have spent hours at a time with it strapped over my shoulder. A good strap will help as cheaper, thin ones quickly force pressure points in certain places in my experience. I haven't had any trouble due to the weight, but you most certainly don't forget that it's there like an SG for example. Also, they are neck heavy but you get used to it and compensate quickly. I don't even notice much anymore. I have a '90 Les Paul Studio with a Bigsby and it weighs probably a pound or so less than the Bean in my estimation. I haven't ever had it on a scale, but I am pretty certain that it (the Bean) weighs in around 11 pounds or so. The amazing sustain and attack qualities far outweigh any discomfort from the weight IMHO They are amazing guitars and are much more versatile than they are really given credit for. I have only two guitars that I consider truly irreplaceable to me and the Bean is one of them.

[null.fuzz]

The amazing sustain and attack qualities far outweigh any discomfort from the weight IMHO They are amazing guitars and are much more versatile than they are really given credit for. I have only two guitars that I consider truly irreplaceable to me and the Bean is one of them.

I've never played one but I would happily ditch my Jazzmaster and a couple other guitars to get one if I had the chance. I can always get another jazzmaster - you can't always find these!

[Flatus]

Thank you guys, very nice to hear from a bean owner with expirience. im used to neck heavy guitars so thats not a problem for me. Gibson Sg was my main guitar for some years before i got into offsets and i had a Kramer aluminum neck for a year or so. Im going to contact the owner of the Bean and see if there is a chance if he will sell it for a good price. it's really absurd how he got the guitar. He bought it sometime in the 90's and the guitar had been in a repair in a guitar shop for a long time and the former owner never came to get his guitar back and he didn't leave a a number or a address. And the guitar shop ended up selling the guitar to the now owner for pretty cheap and now im gonna contact the owner and check if he want's to sell it to me, i hope im not to optimistic . I will definitely post pictures of it here on the forum if i will buy it. Im really impresed of the sound of Travis Bean guitars, it's so unique.
Here a one nice video of a Travis bean in action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUR--JKdm7M" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Gideon]

I have an EGC. It is almost about 13 pounds.

[Harvester]

hey there,

i'm a travis owner and i've had some serious lower back issues for many years ( currently mysteriously in remission ) - it's not going to stop me playing it.

they're heavy ... mine's an early one. ( TB1000S )
i've never weighed it but it's a lot heavier than the worst 70's Les Paul.



... i'll take any excuse to post a picture of travis ... ( see - doesn't it LOOK heavy ?? )

more here ... http://www.flickr.com/photos/harvesterw ... 056361829/

even with a wooden neck it would be a heavy guitar due to the thick solid koa body.
but hey - if you can get that thing from your friend it's a once in a lifetime opportunity - you won't feel the weight once you plug it in and play your first downstroke on it. seriously.

good luck.

AP

[crazyzeke]

The more I learn about the Travis Bean guitars the more I want to know. From what I've read, I'd really dig the kind of tone and feel you get from them. I need more SOUNDCLIPS!

[clavin]

more here ... http://www.flickr.com/photos/harvesterw ... 056361829/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

mm them some lovely pictures there..

[gherb]

I recommend a VACCARO guitar....all the fun of a travis bean at about 1/10th the price....they come in wicked body shapes and many stock pickup configs....

i had a generator x a few years back and it was a great guitar, still pissed i parted w/ it.

[Highnumbers]

Travis Bean guitars are break-your-back heavy.

Seriously.


....and yes, sustain for days....very cool guitars.

[shadowplay]

I have a friend who owns two, a Koa bucker model and a white single coil. The koa is heavy, not as heavy as Jupiter but a bit heavier than Saturn. The same guy owns four Kramers, a Dmz 250, 350 and 1000 plus a bass, he got the lot for about £1200. The 350 and 250 are brilliant Travis Bean substitutes for bean counters.

D

350


250



1000

http://www.guitarmaniacs.de/html/users/ ... KRamer.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He really wants this with a Bigsby, I wouldn't mind one either

335

[shadowplay]

I have a friend who owns two, a Koa bucker model and a white single coil. The koa is heavy, not as heavy as Jupiter but a bit heavier than Saturn. The same guy owns four Kramers, a Dmz 250, 350 and 1000 plus a bass, he got the lot for about £1200. The 350 and 250 are brilliant Travis Bean substitutes for bean counters.

D

350


250



1000



He really wants this with a Bigsby, I wouldn't mind one either

335