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Old 09-25-2018, 12:02 AM
steelvibe steelvibe is offline
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Default NUCFGD- Journey OF660B

So I’ve been curious about this model and started really gravitating to them about 3.5 years ago. I even started a thread here a couple years ago (“Tell me about your OF660”) and got mostly positive feedback. There were 3 CF guitars back in 2014 that I was going back and forth on and this was one of those guitars.

I have always liked what I have heard in YouTube videos on the OF660, but we all know that those can be pretty misrepresentative of the instrument. As far as tone there are so many factors at play (the ability of the player, the room, the gear used to record the video, whether the recording was with a pickup, mic, unplugged or any combination thereof). Most certainly it is hard to discern how a guitar will feel in your hands and against your body until you actually get your paws on one.

Well, about a month ago there was a thread about travel guitars and our very own Methos1979 had mentioned he might be willing to sell off his second OF660. I PM’d him and the rest is history. I was nice to score a good deal and Scott is great to work with!

The Kudos:

**I will preface by saying that I have never picked up a folk size (00) with bass response like this….never. It is like Rob put magic in there, seriously. Maybe it is because it is CF, maybe because of the Elixir nano PB, maybe it’s the Manzer Wedge….not sure but it just pours out nice rich and warm bass. Very nice!

**This guitar arrived with a nearly perfect set up for my type of play but it has zero neck relief. I like a flat neck but not that flat. I will give the truss a slight tweak at next string change. The action is crazy low at the 12th fret with 1st string at .05 and the 6th at .08. I really like the neck but it is somewhat neck-heavy. Since I’ve been playing with a strap lately it isn’t a deal breaker. The shape is somewhat of a C but has a flatter feel up the heel, and certainly has flatter shoulders than my RainSong. It (more like a “D”?) and I definitely prefer the 16” radius over the 20” of the RainSong as well.

**the stock proprietary pick up in this guitar sounds killer. I can’t hear the difference from a K&K, I really can’t.

**The backpack is so nice. ! I thought I found all the pockets but I didn’t, I discovered another pocket watching an OF660 video… LOL! Really well thought out Journey, thanks for taking time to think about the bag.

**The string spacing at the bridge. First guitar I’ve ever had with a 2 ¼” spacing and I love it!

**the contours. No wonder you guys love the Emeralds so much- these are very nice features!

**It is blue....and everybody knows that the blue ones sound best



The Concerns: - but this is nitpicking really

**It is heavy, probably the result of an over-engineered neck joint.

**It is on the quiet side. However, I didn’t buy this guitar because I need loud. I bought it for the travel factor and the fact that it is stage ready. This is a great “plug in” guitar! (I think CF shines here in general- they seem to really amplify well). If you want a loud CF acoustic, there are far better options that won’t disappoint….you just can’t take the neck off of them.

**Not a huge fan of the brass frets. I like to bend the strings and play a blues style vibrato at times and the frets feel abrasive, almost like the “grab” the strings. Should I need a re-fret someday it won’t be brass. I’ll opt for stainless or EVO.

**I will be trying several sets of strings as well. I like the tone of the Elixir PB nanos on this but I’m not sure I like the feel of Elixirs, and that has always been true for me.

** The fit is excellent on these but the finish is sloppy. Maybe I’m just used to looking at my RainSong, of which the layup is flawless, as is the clear coat. But this guitar has finish issues beyond the scratches which were disclosed as a condition of the sale. It sunlight you can actually see the fingerprints under the clear coat of whoever was doing the layup. Not a deal breaker as I’m sure Journey will only get better and better at it. However, it's certainly there and worth noting since RainSong is encroaching at the price point of these guitars (and used Emeralds too)

In a recent interview between Mark Gallagher of Sweetwater and James Brawner (VP of Marketing and Sales for Journey), James indicated that many of their endorsed artists have been telling him that marketing the OF660 as a "travel" guitar is selling it short. They have told him that the OF660 is rather "a great guitar that just happens to travel well."

I couldn't agree more with those sentiments.
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Old 09-25-2018, 08:45 AM
Captain Jim Captain Jim is offline
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Nice review! Interesting guitar. Appreciate your insights.
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Old 09-25-2018, 09:06 AM
rmsstrider rmsstrider is offline
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Nice review. I have been enjoying my Of660 for over a year now. Mine is black and i can find no flaws even in direct sunlight.
I agree that the pick up sounds the same as the K&k pick ups I have used.
As for strings, I am enjoying the Ernie Ball Aluminum Bronze Medium lights.
I also like the Elixir 80/20 HD lights on this guitar. 13,17,25,32,42,53.
I like the thicker trebles for this guitar that i get with these strings.
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Old 09-25-2018, 09:27 AM
katwel katwel is offline
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Congratulation, the OF660 is a nice guitar. I agree with all your pros and cons. It´s a relativ heavy guitar but this is not an issue for me. Mine have a very small bleemish on the armbevel but this hard to see even in the sunlight. So i think the quality ist quite good but not perfect..not a big thing.
I´m also a bit concerned about the durability of the frets. But i just hope the best.
After reading here , i tryed out Ernie Ball Aluminum Bronze strings and i love them after a couple of days with playing. They adds more on the treble side
Courious how the Of660 is in comparison to the Emerald x7 , which is on the way :-)
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Old 09-25-2018, 09:31 AM
steelvibe steelvibe is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rmsstrider View Post
Nice review.....As for strings, I am enjoying the Ernie Ball Aluminum Bronze Medium lights.

I also like the Elixir 80/20 HD lights on this guitar. 13,17,25,32,42,53.

I like the thicker trebles for this guitar that i get with these strings.


Thank you! I’m curious what you like about the HD 80/20s. Better top end? Feel? Both? I have a pack of the EB Aluminum Bronze on deck based on your previous posts.
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Old 09-25-2018, 09:32 AM
steelvibe steelvibe is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Jim View Post
Nice review! Interesting guitar. Appreciate your insights.


Thanks Captain!
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Old 09-25-2018, 11:18 AM
rmsstrider rmsstrider is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steelvibe View Post
Thank you! I’m curious what you like about the HD 80/20s. Better top end? Feel? Both? I have a pack of the EB Aluminum Bronze on deck based on your previous posts.
I like the 80/20 HD for both feel and a more meaty sound? if that makes sense.
The EB AB feel and sound nice to me. I go back and forth on string changes.
I have found both hold up well in the salt air environment on my boat.
Give the EB strings a day or 2 to form your opinion.
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Old 09-25-2018, 12:11 PM
jdinco jdinco is offline
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Congrats on the new guitar Sean! Great review there. I know you gave up a pretty nice guitar to get this one, so I hope it exceeds your expectations.
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Old 09-25-2018, 12:25 PM
steelvibe steelvibe is offline
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Originally Posted by jdinco View Post
Congrats on the new guitar Sean! Great review there. I know you gave up a pretty nice guitar to get this one, so I hope it exceeds your expectations.


Thanks John! The RainSong was a fine guitar for me for the 4 years I’ve enjoyed it. Somebody will get a great deal.
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Old 09-25-2018, 12:37 PM
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Methos1979 Methos1979 is offline
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As the original owner of this guitar I can honestly say, I want my guitar back!

Seriously though, I've owned two OF660's now. The first one I sold to a buddy after loaning it to him a couple times (he travels a LOT) and he begged me to sell it to him. I was not traveling that much.

Then I started to travel a little bit for work and thought I'd like to bring a guitar so I bought another one. It was equally as good as the first (better, actually, since it was blue!) but I quickly found that traveling for work does not leave much time for playing the guitar and since that's the only traveling I do (by plane) I decided to sell it again.

But I think if you like to travel and bring a guitar and/or if space constraints are a serious consideration, then the OF660 is THE go-to travel guitar. That backpack is nothing short of awesome. I was able to fit so much stuff in there along with the guitar that it allowed me to travel with just that and my briefcase for a week-long work trip!

Glad you like it, Sean!

Btw, Sean (steelvibe) is a great person to deal with. Another great AGF'er - deal with confidence!! Good luck with the Shorty sale.
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Old 09-25-2018, 04:45 PM
DavidE DavidE is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steelvibe View Post
So I’ve been curious about this model and started really gravitating to them about 3.5 years ago. I even started a thread here a couple years ago (“Tell me about your OF660”) and got mostly positive feedback. There were 3 CF guitars back in 2014 that I was going back and forth on and this was one of those guitars.

I have always liked what I have heard in YouTube videos on the OF660, but we all know that those can be pretty misrepresentative of the instrument. As far as tone there are so many factors at play (the ability of the player, the room, the gear used to record the video, whether the recording was with a pickup, mic, unplugged or any combination thereof). Most certainly it is hard to discern how a guitar will feel in your hands and against your body until you actually get your paws on one.

Well, about a month ago there was a thread about travel guitars and our very own Methos1979 had mentioned he might be willing to sell off his second OF660. I PM’d him and the rest is history. I was nice to score a good deal and Scott is great to work with!

The Kudos:

**I will preface by saying that I have never picked up a folk size (00) with bass response like this….never. It is like Rob put magic in there, seriously. Maybe it is because it is CF, maybe because of the Elixir nano PB, maybe it’s the Manzer Wedge….not sure but it just pours out nice rich and warm bass. Very nice!

**This guitar arrived with a nearly perfect set up for my type of play but it has zero neck relief. I like a flat neck but not that flat. I will give the truss a slight tweak at next string change. The action is crazy low at the 12th fret with 1st string at .05 and the 6th at .08. I really like the neck but it is somewhat neck-heavy. Since I’ve been playing with a strap lately it isn’t a deal breaker. The shape is somewhat of a C but has a flatter feel up the heel, and certainly has flatter shoulders than my RainSong. It (more like a “D”?) and I definitely prefer the 16” radius over the 20” of the RainSong as well.

**the stock proprietary pick up in this guitar sounds killer. I can’t hear the difference from a K&K, I really can’t.

**The backpack is so nice. ! I thought I found all the pockets but I didn’t, I discovered another pocket watching an OF660 video… LOL! Really well thought out Journey, thanks for taking time to think about the bag.

**The string spacing at the bridge. First guitar I’ve ever had with a 2 ¼” spacing and I love it!

**the contours. No wonder you guys love the Emeralds so much- these are very nice features!

**It is blue....and everybody knows that the blue ones sound best



The Concerns: - but this is nitpicking really

**It is heavy, probably the result of an over-engineered neck joint.

**It is on the quiet side. However, I didn’t buy this guitar because I need loud. I bought it for the travel factor and the fact that it is stage ready. This is a great “plug in” guitar! (I think CF shines here in general- they seem to really amplify well). If you want a loud CF acoustic, there are far better options that won’t disappoint….you just can’t take the neck off of them.

**Not a huge fan of the brass frets. I like to bend the strings and play a blues style vibrato at times and the frets feel abrasive, almost like the “grab” the strings. Should I need a re-fret someday it won’t be brass. I’ll opt for stainless or EVO.

**I will be trying several sets of strings as well. I like the tone of the Elixir PB nanos on this but I’m not sure I like the feel of Elixirs, and that has always been true for me.

** The fit is excellent on these but the finish is sloppy. Maybe I’m just used to looking at my RainSong, of which the layup is flawless, as is the clear coat. But this guitar has finish issues beyond the scratches which were disclosed as a condition of the sale. It sunlight you can actually see the fingerprints under the clear coat of whoever was doing the layup. Not a deal breaker as I’m sure Journey will only get better and better at it. However, it's certainly there and worth noting since RainSong is encroaching at the price point of these guitars (and used Emeralds too)

In a recent interview between Mark Gallagher of Sweetwater and James Brawner (VP of Marketing and Sales for Journey), James indicated that many of their endorsed artists have been telling him that marketing the OF660 as a "travel" guitar is selling it short. They have told him that the OF660 is rather "a great guitar that just happens to travel well."

I couldn't agree more with those sentiments.

I can tell you that the strings aren't responsible for the bass. It's the design. :-)

I agree on the finish, though it doesn't bother me at all. But it should be better for the price point.

I didn't think the guitar was heavy. Much lighter than a McPherson (sp?).

I'm surprised your action is that low. Mine came with high action and a second saddle that I still had to sand quite a bit to get it close to what I prefer. It could still go down a little.

I discovered a few things on a recent 3 week trip overseas. 1) It's among the smallest carryons people bring. i don't get the looks I did with a Voyage Air. 2) Be careful as the saddle can fall out when the strings are loose. 3) Be careful as the bridge pins can fall out when the strings are loose. I found I was missing one a few days before flying out of the country. Fortunately I had some subs that fit. 4) I put a preamp (Fishman Platinum Stage) in the large pocket at the top back of the case. It ended up inside the case with the guitar. Don't put anything heavy at all in there as it could damage the guitar. 5) The guitar does sound great plugged in. 6) It's my favorite travel acoustic!
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Old 09-25-2018, 06:30 PM
steelvibe steelvibe is offline
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Glad you like it, Sean!

Btw, Sean (steelvibe) is a great person to deal with. Another great AGF'er - deal with confidence!! Good luck with the Shorty sale.
Yes I do like it Scott, and no, you can't have it back

Thanks for the kind words. Lots of looks at the Shorty but no real buyers/ offers yet. It will sell.
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Old 09-25-2018, 06:35 PM
steelvibe steelvibe is offline
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Originally Posted by DavidE View Post

I discovered a few things on a recent 3 week trip overseas. 1) It's among the smallest carryons people bring. i don't get the looks I did with a Voyage Air. 2) Be careful as the saddle can fall out when the strings are loose. 3) Be careful as the bridge pins can fall out when the strings are loose. I found I was missing one a few days before flying out of the country. Fortunately I had some subs that fit. 4) I put a preamp (Fishman Platinum Stage) in the large pocket at the top back of the case. It ended up inside the case with the guitar. Don't put anything heavy at all in there as it could damage the guitar. 5) The guitar does sound great plugged in. 6) It's my favorite travel acoustic!
Thanks for the tips Dave! I have that exact preamp so I will take care to put it somewhere else if I take it. I guess that top storage might be best for straps, cables, microfiber cloths, etc.

My first trip will be in October and I'll follow up letting folks know how it goes.
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Old 09-25-2018, 08:15 PM
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Methos1979 Methos1979 is offline
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Originally Posted by steelvibe View Post
Yes I do like it Scott, and no, you can't have it back

Thanks for the kind words. Lots of looks at the Shorty but no real buyers/ offers yet. It will sell.
I'm sure it will. The Shorty's are great guitars. I had the APLE and loved the tone of the uni-directional top on the Shorty models. Wonderful bass. As with most stock CF guitars, I just didn't bond with the neck shape.
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