Travis Bean makes the scene

It’s kind of like seeing a unicorn. There were a mere 755 of these produced during the company’s relatively short existence during the 1970s.  This one is a beauty!

From Wikipedia:

Clifford Travis Bean (21 August 1947 – 10 July 2011, aged 63) was an American luthier and machinist from California.

In 1974, he partnered with Marc McElwee and Gary Kramer to start Travis Bean Guitars, which made high-end electric guitars and basses featuring machined aluminum necks. The aluminum center section ran through the instrument body, with the pickups directly mounted to the aluminum. The majority of these instruments featured solid Koa wood bodies and Humbucker pickups. Though praised for their sound, the aluminum necks made Travis Bean guitars heavier than other electric guitars.

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For more info, there’s a great fan site, which includes a registry and tons of articles and information: http://www.travisbeanguitars.com/