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History

Article:    


Information provided by Bill Kaman 6/5/01

Production started with #10 on all models.
First 1000 guitar numbers wee 10-1000 mixed between TB Artists and Standards, about 1/3 were Artists.
#1001 it split to each Artists and Standards

Last Number Produced
TB500: 362 (July 1979)
TB1000A: 1425 (July 1979)
TB1000S: 1782
TB2000: 1033 (July 1979)
TB3000: SN 11-56 (April 1979)
TB4000: SN 11-46 (September 1978)
ADMIN NOTE - Dates were provided by Rick 'Obe' Oblinger's brother. Also, shop records state the last TB4000 was #47

Total Numbers Produced
TB500: 352
TB1000A: 755
TB1000S: 1442
TB2000: 1023
TB3000: 46
TB4000: 36
DoubleNecks: 2 (wedges & artists)
5-Strings: 4-5
Short Scale Bass:less than a dozen (2 for Wyman)

COMPANY INFORMATION
1974 - Company Started
Dec. 1977 - Reorganization shutdown and layoff
Jun/Jul 1978 - Reopened
Jul/Aug 1979 - Closed

Business Reorganization Changes to Guitars: (They were phased in but over a 2-4 month period.)
1. Wider Horns - these started about mid '77
2. Thinner Bodies
3. 2 piece fingerboards. When the two piece fingerboards were introduced the cavity within the neck was changed to be a full cut scopped out following the outside contour of the neck. Up until this time, the necks had been hollowed out but there was a rib down the center to help support the fingerboard.
4. Coated necks were offered as an option.
5. Arched fingerboards were also introduced (very slight).


Body & Color Information/History
The 1000s were KOA until the reorganization. After that some painted bodies were magnolia.
In the beginning Guitar #11 was Paduck and #12 was Teak. Then they settled with KOA.

The color options were natural, black, red and white. Two silver ones were made for Joe Perry. The 500s were straight colors and most all guitars were painted.
The 1000s were straight color of pearl. Both were offered. There were some dark blue peral guitars produced as well but very few.

General Information
On the 500s 11-19 were a "squarer" body shape with the waist being parallel to each other and the strings and 90º to the center line. The bottom was an equal curve. From 20 on, the bottom was eggshaped and the waist was offset the bass side being further forward than the treble side. The pickguard was also a more streamlined shape. The first 10 were produces in '77 just before the layoff. The rest started in June of '78. The majority of the 500s had magnolia bodies but there were some made from poplar. Mark Macleway had one of the first made in KOA.

The pickups on the 500 were single coil with the pole pieces exposed until serial number 291. Then they were full plastic covers that said Travis Bean (guitar 290 has pole pieces, 294 is the covered style).

Machine heads were Schaller or Grover and alternated with no pattern. Towards the end, Gotoh keys were used particularily on the 500s.

Knobs - The original knobs were black speed nobs... bought from Gibson. When Gibson shut TB off, they went to clear speed knobs. Toward the end they used black make knobs that they called "Sansui Knobs".

ADMIN NOTE
After Gibson "shut TB off" they went to clear speed knobs, until they found a knob fabricator locally, where they began developing the classic black knobs known as "bottle top" knobs. This was prior to the "Sansui" knobs.

ADMIN NOTE
TB500 Bass Models and Front Loading TB2000 and TB1000.

In late 1978 to early 1979, the shop wanted to provide more affordable models to increase sales. The company was shut down for reorganization from Dec. 1977 to Jul. 1978, and after reopening in 1978 they began production on the TB500 guitars. TB500 11-19 were made prior to 1977. There were 352 TB500 guitars. Costs were cut with a front loading body for accepting the necks, cheaper wood, and quicker assembly time.

Around this time Mitch M. who was a buffer in the shop and a bass player talked to Marc McElwee about designing a TB500 style bass. They both worked on the body shape and general design. This body, like the guitar, would accept the neck from the top/front and be covered with a pickguard. The bass only had one pickup (in the center) and had volume and tone controls. They did produce 4-5 bodies, and as far as I know, only the prototype was completed.

At this time, they were experimenting with top/front loaded TB2000 and TB1000 guitar bodies. There have been a few bodies found after the closure of the shop, but no completed instruments. The shop closed only 12 months after the reorganization and these instruments didn't have a chance to see full production.









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