ReVIEW
JOURNEY INSTRUMENTS OB660 OVERHEAD CARBON FIBER ACOUSTIC BASS � Bruce Adolph
If you have read my guitar reviews over the years you will know that there are two things that I like … travel guitars and instruments made out of composite materials( graphite etc.). Well, now Journey Instruments has released the best of both worlds … and it is the bass players turn to get some attention.
Key Features
Patented removable neck system
Available Colors: High Gloss Black, Deep Purple, Emerald Green & Candy Apple Red
Comes with travel bag & pickup
Travel guitars are important for several reasons and this one sports a patented removable neck system that breaks down along with the body into an airline carry-on size case for the traveling musician or backpacker. Now bass players can jump in kayaks and paddle along next to their guitar-playing buddies for jams deep in the forest or take day hikes around a lake and not feel left out.
Do you fly a lot? Do you agonize over the thought of checking in your bass into the airlines where peril seems to lie in the underbelly of a large plane? Now you can easily board that plane and place your bass in the overhead bins. The TSA-approved custom travel case safely encloses the bass guitar within a 22” x 14” x 9” backpack with ergonomically designed pockets for laptops, tablet computers, pedals, cables, accessories, and clothing. This gives travelers a peace of mind as your instrument is with you at all times and now you can play away in your hotel room at night – keeping up your practice regiment!
So that is why I like travel instruments and why I like composite instruments. Now let’ s see why I like this OB660 bass and find out how does it get such a clear tone and resonant volume out of this small body size. The fine folks at Journey will tell you it is all in the design components. First up is the Manzer Wedge( sounds like a bully I knew at Junior High). The wedge increases the overall volume and bass response while keeping the top of the instrument close to the body for comfort. Connect that with the Scoopaway™ cutaway and you have access to all 17 frets and then give it some more kick with an offset soundhole and radiused soundboard. Add on some more quality components( premium-grade bone nut & saddle with ebony bridge pins and Grover 18:1 hi-precision tuners) and that is why it sounds this good. I first played this acoustic bass at Summer NAMM and right off the bat I was impressed with it’ s volume and tone … this little guy packs a punch for it’ s size.
What about the comfort level while holding this small body bass? Good question! Journey has a good answer … a beveled back rib-rest and a soundboard arm-rest. This bass has a thin profile neck with medium brass frets. The scale length is 27” and has a 1 23 / 32” nut width and a 2.2” width at the 12th fret. It feels good!
The looks you ask? The top is carbon fiber with a gloss finish and the back and sides are carbon fiber Twill with gloss finish. Personally I like the look of composite. I know not everyone does as beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Having a bass constructed with carbon fiber composite material provides durability like nothing else( lighter than wood and stronger than steel) and it is impervious to weather or humidity( no worries of cracking, warping or changing tone here) and it weighs just a hair over 4lbs.
As you can tell I am a fan of composite instruments and this is the first composite travel bass I know of in the marketplace. It isn’ t just that it is the first however … Journey Instruments has been making travel guitars for years and they poured all they knew into this bass. Well done!
If it wasn’ t for the under-bridge transducer pickup you have on-board, you could take this composite bass right into the shower with you and rock out. Now that is my kind of fun.
One last thought, I have always appreciated Journey’ s patented system for disconnecting the body from the neck. It is quick and easy to do because their design concept works so well. Plus it impresses your friends like crazy when you pop that neck off!
Street: $ 1199.99 www. JourneyInstruments. com
42 Nov � Dec 2016 CollectibleGuitar. com