That fucking grain on the wood looks like a painting of a forest or something. Unreal. Like two tree trunks on the sides and some light in the distance in the middle - the other world portal of pure sound.
It's finally here, as of yesterday. I still haven't been able to do a proper volume/amp test with it, but playing it has been great. Strikingly similar to the yellow EGC that I had and sold to Dan W. To compare the neck it's pretty much exactly like the Denison profile, on the thicker side, and with a wooden fretboard instead of the aluminum one on the EGC. Lighter than the EGC too, I was telling Dan maybe its because of the wood, maybe it's because the Bean doesn't have the full metal back that the EGC did, and maybe the wooden vs aluminum fretboard on the EGC as well. Craftsmanship is spot on (which I would expect at this pricepoint). The MOP dot inlays are beautiful. I'm almost intimidated by it. Also, the case that came with it is insane. USA made SKB case, which is pretty much military grade. 4 latches. 2 key points. Fucking WHEELS. Be back later. Going to strum some more.
That guitar looks great, and a bit powerful. After you get a chance to play it some I would love to know how the sound is compared to your EGCs of past and present. If I went with a TBD it would be my ONLY guitar...forever. Does it feel like you have just another wonderful guitar or do you feel like it will kick the others out?
I got to put the Travis Bean to the A/B test with my Tyranny just now, which was really cool. I also spent about the past hour just running the Bean through my Shiv and through my Rusty Box/Power Amp combo.
Some thoughts:
These humbuckers are awesome. They are even stronger than the EGC single coils that I have been used to, but clear. They are clearer than the EGC humbuckers that I had (as far as I can remember, at least), and the neck and middle positions are probably some of the most usable that I've come across on a humbucker equipped guitar (I usually hate humbucker necks and middle position sounds). The humbuckers push my Science well. I even had to turn the gain DOWN on the amp a little bit on the dirty channel because they were pushing so hard.
The aluminum isn't lost as much as one would think, having a wood body and wooden fretboard. There is still a distinct kind of midrange twang on the Bean that I was fearing would be downplayed, but I guess I should have known better. Of course the all aluminum Tyranny REALLY plays this twang up, but I hope you get what I'm saying.
Notes sustain FOREVER. Seriously. I don't know if I've heard something ring out like this before. The frets are nickel which are true to Bean spec. I prefer stainless steel after playing EGC's the past few years, but it's a very small preference thing.
Going between the Tyranny and the Bean neck profile wasn't as awkward as I remember it being before when I had the Buzzo and yellow EGC.
I'll report back with some more feedback after I play out with it this weekend. Next week I've got a Verellen Skyhammer preamp that I'll be running into the .44 Power Amp, really excited to see how that sounds.
My Tyranny is light as shit compared to the Series One that I had, and even the Buzzo that I had. I would say the Bean only weighs a pound or so more than my Tyranny. Something like 9/10 pounds