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  #1  
Old 03-21-2017, 10:25 AM
new2guitar_eh new2guitar_eh is offline
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Default A new Journey OF660 on a cruise ship journey

Long post...

I had been considering an OF660 for quite some time and with a 2 week cruise coming up decided to pull the trigger back in February. As we are just back from our vacation, I wanted to provide my thoughts on this particular guitar and traveling with it.

This potential purchase had been one I wrestled with for a long time. Being located in Canada the exchange rate, duties, customs brokerage and taxes put the total cost up there. Nonetheless, I decided it made sense for me and did get the order in in time to have the guitar arrive before our trip.

I began the discussion with Rob at Journey a while back as I was very interested in the potential of a burst finish, with that interest further peaked having seen the new RT with a burst. Given there simply wasn't enough time to make a burst happen with the quality result both Rob and I would want I pulled the trigger with Ted at LA Guitar on a black OF660. As others who will have dealt with him will understand, I have nothing but good things to say about Rob....a truly class individual. Likewise, my dealings with Ted were first rate and he easily merits the highest recommendation.

Seeing the box for the first time was very cool, as it provided a good indication of just how compact the guitar would be. Then opening the box to discover the backpack was another smile maker. The backpack is very well made with lots of storage/pockets/nooks and crannies. It is also a nice size and comfortable to wear.

Then came the guitar itself. Even though I had seen many pictures and videos, seeing it in person was a thrill. The 'decapitated' body with strings making their way over to the storage area for the neck was initially weird to see, but that passed quickly as I snapped the neck into the body and tightened the twist nut down (side note, make sure you get it all the way tight). A little tuning with my mini Planet Waves tuner and voila, a come-apart travel guitar that actually sounds like a 'real' guitar. With the neck locked into place, the rigidity is impressive and I didn't give a second thought to the fact that moments earlier the neck was a separate piece.

Let me put a context piece of information here: I would consider myself an intermediate to advanced beginner who likes fingerstyle. I play for pure enjoyment of it, never for anyone else. I hope someday to improve to an intermediate level and am enjoying the journey of working towards that goal. Practicing everyday is important towards that end and with this guitar I now am positioned to do that even when on vacation.

Anyway, back to the post. I tend to play in a classical type position with the neck up reasonably high. With the smaller body size (similar to a parlour) I initially had some trouble finding a comfortable position. I put on a DeOro guitar rest (similar to a NeckUp which I have on my Emerald) and all was good. A little adjustment with the positioning and I found the DeOro to work very well with the OF660. Of note, I had the same issue with a wooden parlour guitar I had previously owned, so this was related to body size/shape rather than the specific guitar.

Taking the guitar to the airport for the first time was a little nerve wracking. I quickly discovered however there was nothing to worry about. Easy peasy as a backpack. No issue getting through the security checkpoint....I expected they would want to see in the case but nope. Nicely fit in the overhead bin of the airplane. Basically, everything I was hoping for.

Fast forward to the cruise ship and unpacking the guitar. Under a minute and it was out of the case and put together. Another minute and in tune. As simple as that. I got to play guitar every day of our vacation, sitting on our balcony and not having the slightest worry about humidity. How much better can it get than that!

My recommendation is if you are after a quality instrument that travels easily, the OF660 needs to be on your short list.

I'll get a couple of pictures of the guitar off our deck with the beautiful Carribean Sea in the background posted over the next few days.
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  #2  
Old 03-21-2017, 04:53 PM
Captain Jim Captain Jim is offline
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Love it when a plan comes together! Congrats on finding the right guitar for your needs. I'll be looking forward to the photos... still in the dry ol' desert, here.

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  #3  
Old 03-25-2017, 07:51 AM
new2guitar_eh new2guitar_eh is offline
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A few photos of the trip with this terrific travel guitar

The first day at sea with the Atlantic Ocean in the background

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...pjtLUkBChvOe8V

The OF660 chillin' and enjoyin' the cruise

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...yjpmV6QXYD1iMP

The top of the cruise ship with Aruba in the background. Love Aruba!

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...P8K9_aB0t-LutK

Last edited by new2guitar_eh; 03-25-2017 at 07:59 PM. Reason: Photos not displaying
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Old 03-25-2017, 07:57 AM
new2guitar_eh new2guitar_eh is offline
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Hmmm...something is amiss as no pictures are showing. I'm heading out now so will try again later
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Old 03-26-2017, 06:41 AM
new2guitar_eh new2guitar_eh is offline
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Mods:

I was able to put the links in the post above but only as URLs. As soon as the IMG tags go around the URL, not only doesn't the picture display, but neither does the URL.

Can you provide any guidance to help me sort this out?

Thanks,

Robert
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Old 03-26-2017, 06:55 AM
new2guitar_eh new2guitar_eh is offline
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Another attempt.....

A few photos of the trip with this terrific travel guitar

The first day at sea with the Atlantic Ocean in the background



The OF660 chillin' and enjoyin' the cruise



The top of the cruise ship with Aruba in the background. Love Aruba!

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Old 03-26-2017, 08:45 AM
TheChicagoTodd TheChicagoTodd is offline
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Yeah....I can't see the pics. If they are on your phone, the Tapatalk forum app makes it ez-pz to add photos, no coding required!

Another convert to the virtues of the OF660!

Todd in Chicago


Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk
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  #8  
Old 03-26-2017, 09:05 AM
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Acousticado Acousticado is offline
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I don't know if the "https" (which your links contain) vs "http" denoting a secure link has anything to do with it. Thought I'd mention it in case it could be a reason.
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Last edited by Acousticado; 03-26-2017 at 09:10 AM.
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  #9  
Old 03-26-2017, 01:02 PM
ac ac is online now
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Yup. Nothing to see here either.
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  #10  
Old 03-27-2017, 05:17 AM
new2guitar_eh new2guitar_eh is offline
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Grrr....frustrating. I'll try again after work today paying particular attention to the https vs. http piece. That makes sense so just need to figure out how to make that change.

Hopefully I'll get this sorted out before my next vacation
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