For musicians, the call of the road is often as strong as the passion for music itself. However, for bassists, that wanderlust can be complicated by the sheer size and fragility of their instrument. Imagine trying to navigate bustling airports or trek through scenic landscapes with a bulky, delicate bass guitar. The OB660 carbon fiber Travel Bass emerges as the perfect solution, blending unparalleled portability with professional-grade sound and resilience. Crafted for the adventurous musician, this instrument redefines what it means to take your music anywhere.
Unpacking the OB660: Hand-Crafted for the Traveling Musician
The OB660 isn’t just another instrument; it’s a testament to innovative craftsmanship. Each travel bass is meticulously hand-made using a proprietary blend of premium-grade, pre-impregnated carbon fiber fabrics. This dedication to quality materials is evident in the patented soundboard, which features a unique cellular structure. This innovative design creates a surprisingly woody and warm tone, rich with articulation, defying expectations for a carbon fiber instrument. From the neck to the bridge, every component of this travel bass is constructed from carbon fiber, ensuring a cohesive and resonant build.
Carbon Fiber Advantage: Beyond Ordinary “Carbon” Instruments
When exploring the market, you might encounter instruments marketed as “carbon” but often these are injection-molded plastic with a mere fraction of carbon fiber content, typically around 5%. The OB660 travel bass stands in stark contrast. Boasting a woven carbon fiber content of 65-75% in its body and neck, the OB660 utilizes a sophisticated blend of carbon fiber fabrics. This significant difference translates to tangible benefits for the traveling musician. The higher carbon content yields a structure that is not only stronger but also remarkably resilient to temperature fluctuations. This is a crucial advantage for commuters leaving their bass in a car trunk or adventurers exploring diverse climates, from scorching deserts to humid rainforests. Furthermore, the enhanced carbon content contributes to a more resonant instrument, producing a noticeably longer sustain that enriches your playing experience. The neck of the OB660 is also equipped with a dual-action truss rod, offering maximum adjustability, and thanks to the all-carbon fiber construction, you’ll never have to worry about components warping or detaching due to heat.
Ergonomic Design for Comfortable Playability on the Go
Comfort is paramount, especially when you’re making music in transit. The OB660 travel bass is engineered to be one of the most ergonomic acoustic basses available. Incorporating the Manzer© wedge design, the instrument naturally angles itself to allow your fretting arm’s weight to assist in pressing down on the fretboard. This ingenious feature significantly reduces wrist strain, making longer playing sessions more enjoyable. This angle also optimizes the position for your picking hand, alleviating shoulder strain and fatigue – a welcome relief for musicians on the move. Adding to the comfort are strategically placed bevels along the armrest and rib contours. These bevels soften the edges, ensuring the travel bass rests comfortably against your forearm and ribs, eliminating any sharp edges that can dig in during extended play. Finally, the scooped cutaway isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s a functional design element. By maximizing the internal volume of the travel bass while still providing easy access to the upper frets, the scoopaway ensures you don’t sacrifice sound for playability.
Scale and Playability: Familiar Feel, Enhanced Portability
Finding an instrument that travels well shouldn’t mean compromising on playability. The OB660 travel bass strikes a perfect balance with its 27-inch (685 mm) scale length. This scale is similar to that of a Gibson Les Paul, offering a comfortable and familiar feel for many players. It provides ample acoustic volume while maintaining a lower string tension, resulting in more comfortable fretting, especially during longer performances or practice sessions. The 1.75-inch (44 mm) nut width and shallow C neck profile further enhance playability, making the OB660 suitable for musicians with hands of all sizes.
Revolutionizing Travel Bass: Patented Removable Neck Design
One of the most innovative features of the OB660 travel bass is its patented removable neck design. This ingenious mechanism allows for super-fast assembly and disassembly in under 20 seconds, making packing and unpacking a breeze. Beyond speed, the design also enables fine-tuning of the neck angle. This means you can adjust the action of your bass to suit your playing style. Set it up for lighter playing one minute, and then quickly adjust it for heavy slapping with a simple twist of the knob on the back. This versatility is a game-changer for bassists who play multiple genres and require different string setups, all within the convenience of a travel bass.
Premium Features for Discerning Bassists on the Move
Despite its focus on portability, the OB660 travel bass doesn’t skimp on quality appointments. It’s equipped with premium components typically found on much higher-end instruments. These include 18:1 precision tuners for accurate and stable tuning, authentic bone nuts and saddles for optimal tone transfer, and ebony bridge pins for enhanced resonance. Completing the package are D’Addario® round-wound phosphor bronze strings, renowned for their warm and balanced acoustic tone, ensuring your travel bass sounds as good as it feels.
Tone That Travels: Uncompromising Sound Quality in a Compact Form
Tone was a primary focus in the design of the OB660 collapsible carbon fiber travel bass. Every element, from the unidirectional carbon fiber top to the mixed twill and proprietary layup blend of the back and sides, the offset soundhole, and even the bridge, fretboard, and appointment materials, is carefully orchestrated to deliver an amazing, full-bodied tone from a remarkably compact and comfortable instrument. When amplified through its passive piezo pickup system directly into a PA system, the OB660 sounds remarkably like a full-sized acoustic bass, even without any EQ adjustments. Experience rich, resonant tones wherever your travels take you with this exceptional travel bass.
Amplified Performance: Built-in Electronics for Stage and Studio
The OB660 collapsible carbon guitars come equipped with exclusive upgradeable JourneyTek™ proprietary passive piezo pickups. Engineered with high-output, German-made piezo elements, these pickups are balanced, battery-free, and designed to provide a transparent representation of the instrument’s exceptional acoustic sound. Their robust design is even highlighted by a remarkable anecdote: an artist accidentally submerged his OF660 carbon travel guitar in a canal for three hours, drained the water, and was still able to perform a live amplified set that same evening! For bassists seeking even more control over their amplified sound, an active stereo bass pickup upgrade is also on the horizon, promising enhanced versatility for stage and studio performance with your travel bass.
The Overhead Travel Case: Carry Your Music Anywhere with Confidence
To complete the ultimate travel bass experience, the patented BG001 Overhead™ collapsible travel bass backpack case is included. This premium case is crafted from high-quality materials and meticulously designed to fit within standard carry-on dimensions (22*14*9 inches or 55.5*23*35.5 cm). It’s not just about instrument protection; the case offers ample space for pedals, cables, laptops, tablets, and other essential accessories, keeping all your gear organized and readily accessible. Traveling with an Overhead™ collapsible carbon fiber travel bass means traveling with confidence, knowing your instrument is safe, secure, and ready to inspire wherever your journey leads.
Once you experience the freedom and quality of an Overhead™ collapsible carbon fiber travel bass, you’ll understand why it’s more than just a travel bass – it’s a gateway to musical adventures without compromise. You might just find that it becomes your go-to instrument, whether you’re on the road or at home.
