Biker-turned-luthier Travis Bean, founder of the guitar company that bears his name, passed away yesterday in Burbank, CA.

Bean’s line of aluminum neck guitars and basses, favored by players including, but not limited to Duane Dennison, Steve Albini, Tim Midgett, Keith Levene and Jerry Garcia, are nothing less than a testament to American ingenuity. Bean’s contributions to music history haven’t quite made him a household name, but for those familiar with the players above, his guitars and the sounds they’ve helped fashion are unmistakable.