NGD Journey OF-660

[oscarvan]

IT"S HERE!

[oscarvan]

How long should I let it acclimate before I open the box......?

Just KIDDING!

[oscarvan]

Zip..... zip.......zip........

[oscarvan]

Tada...... OK, the first time always takes a little longer.... like 20 seconds. With some practice I'll probably learn to do it in 10 or so......

[oscarvan]

And there she is..... a quick tune. None of the tuner knobs more than a half turn!!!!

Sound: Amazing. Not overly loud, of course, but rich and balanced. Good sustain. Nice low tones! Neck: NICE. My favorite nut width (1-3/4") 14 fret to the body the neck is smooth, good profile, plays NICE. No buzz, no rattles. CLEAN!

Fit. Even though it's small it's not stupid light which makes it a little more solid in your lap. In fact, at 5 lbs it's 20% heavier than my Rainsong WS... And unlike the LAVA it has a waist, so it's not slip slidin' away! (If only the waist was at an angle like the Emerald......)

Overall: I LOVE THIS THING. It's perfect for what I want it to do and that is travel. But, when I get there I get to play a very reasonable facsimile, albeit a little smaller, of my CF's at home. Similar sound and neck. AWESOME.

And, finally the stupid jokes are going to STOP!

OK, there's a story there I have to tell you. I drive airplanes for a living which is how guitars travel with me, as i have room for them in the cockpit. The Captain says this is where his guitar goes..... that's where his guitar goes. I fly mostly overseas where I am then in a hotel room for 24 hours. Aside from napping and trying to do damage control on yet another circadian disruption I have the time to play. Company puts me in nice hotels, with good sound proofing and so far no one has banged on the door yet, even at 3am. (I try to not rock out too hard.) Problem with a guitar case on your back while in uniform is that suddenly everyone is a comedian. "OH, you gonna entertain us too?" The first 50 times it was funny. And I retort with "Did you pay the $50 live music surcharge?" Haha. Me funny too. Anywho, this problem is now gone. Just another bag on my wheeled pile of possessions. Did I mention I LOVE this thing?

Get one, it's the real deal and if you travel it's a no brainer.

[Methos1979]

Congrats! I've owned 2 OF660's over the years and they are probably the best small travel guitar you can buy. Great design, perfect backpack, bulletproof carbon fiber, decent pickup system. There is no bad for what this guitar is. Ticks a lot of boxes in a travel guitar. I really like the satin black. I had a gloss black and gloss blue. If I get another one I'd go satin black.

[steelvibe]

Congrats! Nice buy!!

I just returned from my second cruise with mine since buying it about 1.5 years ago. For what it is I absolutely LOVE it too. It is so comfortable and the tone is very nice. Actually, I prefer the tone of it over many other CF guitars I've played. Albeit a little on the quiet side, but it is balanced with simply wonderful CF tone and nice bass response.

Here is a nice tip for a great string pairing with a needed volume boost; I'm liking LaBella Silk and Steel 710M. I was using Ernie Ball Aluminum Bronze, and while they did help with a volume boost, I hated the feel and how they turn my fingers black. The LaBellas don't do that. I tried the LaBellas to tame brightness on a previously owned RainSong and they just didn’t work on that guitar but may be my go-to strings for the Journey.What I love about them is that strike a balance in how they seem to have more “fight” than a light set and yet don’t feel like mediums. This observation is reflected in how they sound as well- nice and punchy and don’t have the flimsy feel that bronze/silk varieties I’ve tried had. Another plus is that they are not squeaky!

If you need a worry-free compact travel guitar and want something that won't fuss with you with humidity and temperature issues, IMO you can't beat the OF660. There are better CF guitars no doubt but for the cost these are insanely good and the backpack is killer. Pay for early boarding and you won't even get looked at by flight staff.

[oscarvan]

Did you catch the part about how early I board?

And, since I play in hotel rooms the quiet is actually something I like....

But I appreciate your suggestions.

[Sscully]

Congrats! I’ve had mine for 5 years now and I have traveled all over with it. And when not traveling, it sits out by the couch because it is very comfortable to play. Just got back from 10 days in Hawaii and our 21 month old grandson just loves “playing” it And I am very happy to share

[oscarvan]

1 week update.

Sitting in a hotel in Berlin..... it's 4 am and my circadian clock is melting, again.

The Journey is in my lap and while I am watching the worlds collide on the ugly box (no volume) I am picking apart Mr Gilmore's solo on "High Hopes"....

The more I play this thing the more I like it. It plays really well, and the utility is amazing. Really, really glad I got it.

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by oscarvan

1 week update.

Sitting in a hotel in Berlin..... it's 4 am and my circadian clock is melting, again.

The Journey is in my lap and while I am watching the worlds collide on the ugly box (no volume) I am picking apart Mr Gilmore's solo on "High Hopes"....

The more I play this thing the more I like it. It plays really well, and the utility is amazing. Really, really glad I got it.

It's the most comfortable acoustic I've ever owned or played (although I'm betting the x7 2.0 would beat it simply due to lighter weight- but I've never held the rare gem). I also love the tone you can get out of them- just fantastic little guitars. I love mine too.

[Pine Cone]

Glad you are enjoying it! I really like mine.

Like steelvibe I find mine is very comfortable to play.

I really liked having it with me earlier this year on a 3 week trip to the SW US where it can get rather warm.

Two tips to share...

I have started always putting a Shubb capo on the 1st fret before dis-assembly after I had a string loop come off my tuning machines. The capo keeps some tension on the strings at the tuning machines which keeps the loops where they should be.

When I put the neck back on I haved learned to check the string spacing at the nut before tensioning the neck. You can accidently put small dents/notches in the bone saddle which is never a good thing.

[oscarvan]

Originally Posted by Pine Cone

Glad you are enjoying it! I really like mine.

Like steelvibe I find mine is very comfortable to play.

I really liked having it with me earlier this year on a 3 week trip to the SW US where it can get rather warm.

Two tips to share...

I have started always putting a Shubb capo on the 1st fret before dis-assembly after I had a string loop come off my tuning machines. The capo keeps some tension on the strings at the tuning machines which keeps the loops where they should be.

When I put the neck back on I haved learned to check the string spacing at the nut before tensioning the neck. You can accidently put small dents/notches in the bone saddle which is never a good thing.

Maybe a new feature but there's a small retaining bracket north of the nut, seems to keep things in line pretty well..... So far no issues.

[futboljim]

congrats on the Journey! I love mine, too, for the role it plays.

Not sure who you fly for, but we get alot of overseas traffic in our airspace - I'm an air traffic controller, and work in the norther WI and MI airspace at Minneapolis Center, maybe we have talked.

[Frettingflyer]

Originally Posted by futboljim

congrats on the Journey! I love mine, too, for the role it plays.

Not sure who you fly for, but we get alot of overseas traffic in our airspace - I'm an air traffic controller, and work in the norther WI and MI airspace at Minneapolis Center, maybe we have talked.

In that case you have directed me and my Blackbird before too!