Journey OF660 - thoughts??

[McLatchey]

Okay I don't see a lot of talk about the Journey OF660..

But...after all my research thinking about buying one.

Currently own:

Waterloo WL-K
IRIS AB
Luthier built Martin size 1 clone


Two questions:

1. Will I be satisfied with the tone
2. Will I actually use the collapsability of the guitar or is it a gimmick?

[new2guitar_eh]

There have actually been several posts about this model. Do a search within the CF sub forum.

For me, the guitar sounds quite good. I use mine whenever we travel and being able to take off the neck and fit the guitar in its backpack case is fantastic.

[McLatchey]

Awesome thanks...should have done a quick search first!!

[AZLiberty]

1 - These are closer in size to a 00 than an 0

2 - I think they sound fairly good

3 - in my experience CF guitars really enhance or emphasize the tonal differences in strings. So, string choice is even more important than on wooden guitars.

4 - The detachable neck is not a "gimmick" but I wouldn't use it unless I was traveling by air.

[steelvibe]

I love mine. I've had one for almost 4 years (bought from forum member).

It is a small-bodied guitar, probably around parlor size but just looks different. It sounds great to my ears both acoustically and plugged in. AZ is right about strings, but it doesn't seem as picky as my RainSong was; almost everything has sounded good except for D'addario NB and GHS Americanas (both too bright and brash). So far my favorites have been SUS but I've not dialed in the best gauge set just yet.

Love the neck profile, nut width (1.75") and scale (24.5")...actually feels like a full size guitar reminding me of the feel of the Shorty quite a bit.

Great ergonomics...super comfy to play. Detachable neck is an outstanding selling feature but I go with James Brawner's assessment (Partner at Journey Instruments), in that it isn't so much a travel guitar that sounds great but a great guitar that travels well. I don't use the backpack unless I'm flying. Otherwise it sits on a stand until I get my guitar room set up and then I'll hang it on the wall. When not flying I have a nice gig bag I carry it around in fully extended.

Love the little thing...can you tell? They are popular for a reason.

[VJP5]

I just bought the sister model (RT660) and am enjoying it so far. The build quality was below what I would expect for a $1k+ guitar (the nut was horrible, some slight roughness on the side of the fretboard, and even the low saddle was ridiculously high) but a couple bucks for a new nut and sanding of the saddle and it now plays and sounds great. I'm still going through string choices as the guitar is a little bass heavy, which considering its size, was not something I anticipated.

It is perfect for what I wanted though - A good sounding guitar (surprising volume) that I can take camping (from 20* to 100*) or on the boat without worrying about anything. In theory, I could also remove the neck but have no plans to do so.

Good luck on your search

[KevinH]

Originally Posted by AZLiberty

1 - These are closer in size to a 00 than an 0

2 - I think they sound fairly good

3 - in my experience CF guitars really enhance or emphasize the tonal differences in strings. So, string choice is even more important than on wooden guitars.

4 - The detachable neck is not a "gimmick" but I wouldn't use it unless I was traveling by air.

Actually, the Journey is closer to Martin 0-size than 00:

Body length: 0 = 17.8", Journey = 18", 00=18.9-19.6"
Lower bout: 0 = 13.4", Journey = 12.5", 00 = 14.1-14.3"

I'm not saying this to be argumentative. I've been curious about the OF660 as a travel guitar. I have a Furch Little Jane that I currently use. It's quite small, both in feel and sound. It has quite a lot of volume, but it does sound like a small guitar. Hard to get around the physics. And its made of solid wood, which makes me wonder about taking it to dry/wet/hot places.

I haven't been able to play a Journey to compare to my Little Jane but comparing the sizes side by side:

f.jpg

The Journey body is a little longer (and I think deeper) than the LJ. But I wonder how much "bigger" the Journey sounds. Any OF660 owners care to comment on whether it sounds bigger than it looks?

[KevinH]

Originally Posted by McLatchey

...
2. Will I actually use the collapsability of the guitar or is it a gimmick?

Can't comment on the Journey, but the Little Jane (see above post) has a neck that detaches from the guitar, then gets stored inside the body. Not a gimmick at all. In fact very helpful for travel. I'd imagine the same applies to the Journey.

[Dickey Clapton]

I was on a mission to get a travel guitar several years ago. Tried out the Journey and for what it is and designed for was OK. Sound was very “thin” to me. Neck seemed wide. Craftsmanship was blah, especially when you looked down through the sound hole, of course nothing to do with function.
Salesman had me try a McPherson Carbon Touring, no comparison! Great sound, great neck, tuning stability forever with its cantilevered neck like in their equally outstanding wooden guitars. I’m always amazed how effortlessly I can move between my Taylor 814ce and the McPherson. American made as opposed to Chinese, hence big difference in $$$$.
I have since realized because of the value I am reluctant to leave in a motel room with all the people that can come and go during extended stays.
I recently acquired a Traveler Guitar Pro-Series Mod X and I am really impressed with it.
Very reasonable price, collapses to approximate size of tennis racket. Gibson scale on neck, plays comfortably acoustically. I have not plugged it into an amp yet. The only negative that I have seen is it tends to slide off your lap because of smooth finish. I believe that can easily be helped with some type of abrasive tape or possibly some paint with grit in that area.

Good luck with your search

[ZebraKing]

The Journey is a great travel guitar, but of course it is not going to sound as big as a regular guitar. That said it has nice tone and is loud enough for practice and small groups. It also has a passive piezo and sounds good plugged in. I've taken it oversees and played open mics. The neck is a bit on the beefy side but I actually like that and find it easy to play, especially when just kicking back in my office chair. The real value is how it breaks down and fits in the backpack, which has storage for other stuff including a laptop. If you are wanting to bring as a carry on, I can't imagine better package.

[Tøf]

Originally Posted by KevinH

I haven't been able to play a Journey to compare to my Little Jane but comparing the sizes side by side:

I had both at the same time, still has a LJ.
The Journey is quieter by a very (very!) large margin, and it sounds warmer. I like the beefier neck but the finish/quality is far below the Furch.

If you can wait a bit Journey has a larger version FF660 coming soon, it should be louder with a «bigger» sound.

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by Tøf

If you can wait a bit Journey has a larger version FF660 coming soon, it should be louder with a «bigger» sound.

Well paint me interested. They are not doing a great job of promoting this but I also did hear through the grapevine that they are working on a full-size carbon.

[ac]

Can't find any mention of FF660 on the web anywhere.

[McLatchey]

Really appreciate everyone that has taken the time to post!!


I love small bodied guitars in general so I don't think I'd be put off by it sounding thin or weak or quiet as some have mentioned and appreciate all the honest comments both positive and negative !!!

[Tøf]

Originally Posted by ac

Can't find any mention of FF660 on the web anywhere.

https://journeyinstruments.com/produ...guitar-ff660m/