Man, your touch and sense of melody is magic Mr Cordy. You can make any guitar sing 🎸 And whatever that reverb you’re using is the cherry on top 🤌 I’ve been keeping half an eye on these Enya Novo guitars. A small bodied, portable and very affordable strummer that can be propped in the corner of a room or squeezed into the back of the car for weekends away is really appealing. Plus they come in a couple of colours including pink which means I can get one under the premise that it’s for my daughter 😂
I've been following Carbon Fiber guitars for a while, and the Enya guitars have been constantly improving their tone. Impressively so. That guitar is definitely hitting above its weight, and I'm enjoying the tone. The finger noise in the string during shifts was unusually loud. I would suggest some type of "coated" strings.
As I wrote above in response to another commenter, I have an Enya X4 and an Enya Nova Sonic Go, and can confirm that the sound of these instruments is really very good, both unplugged (X4) and plugged (both). The one reviewed here seems to have good tonal balance despite leaning towards the shimmery side of things. At least the bass doesn‘t seem to be too thin despite the small body. Since I tune all my guitars down to C# standard (to better suit my vocals on some rock standards, with a capo on stuff that needs to be higher than that), I actually prefer guitars that have a bit of extra sparkle, which ensures that they won‘t sound too dull/dead when tuned down and fitted with 13s to compensate for string slack.
As an owner of a Yamaha Transacoustic (with built-in chorus and reverb) and an Enya X4 (full-sized acoustic with built in effects) as well as an Enya Nova Go Sonic (an electric guitar with a full suite of effects plus a speaker and Bluetooth capability) among many other guitars, I can assure you that Enya is a decent choice, and totally worth the money. That said, the Transacoustic is brilliant, and is actually my favorite guitar of all due to overall tonal balance, playability, neck shape, size, etc. And I prefer it over my vintage Martin D-35 and others. Plugged into a speaker (Everse 8, for example), it sounds good enough for gigging…but of course the same applies to the Enyas. Great to have choices, isn‘t it? :-)
@@timothy5974 These are two very different kinds of acoustic electric guitars by use case also. I got the one pictured here as a travel/outdoors/sit on the porch guitar, and I love it for that. It can be so hot and sunny that the strings go a full step or more loose and the neck doesn't move at all, though at high enough temps the plastic does feel "squidgy". I got the white one intentionally so if wouldn't absorb as much heat, so that might also be a concern. So far, no deformation or issues. The pickup is alright, though it sounds darker than you'd expect plugged in (maybe plastic vs wood), and the output sound is kind of missing that soft almost lo-fi (stylistic) plastic sound that just playing the guitar fingerstyle has in your hand. The onboard effects are great for projecting out the soundhole, you can't hear how low quality digital the effects are. Plug the guitar in and you need to turn all that stuff off, which requires one of your four presets if you plan on using it to record. Overall, if you want a traditional acoustic guitar experience, this isn't it. This is a great choice for my use case above, but your mileage may vary. This thing is also the size of a Les Paul more or less and feels different accordingly, acoustic bronze strings on what feels like a hollowbody electric takes some getting used to. Barring chords on the first fret is a little more difficult with the zero fret. That's all I can think of, hope this helps.
I've had the plain acoustic version for over a year and it's great. I play it on the beach all the time and the tuning is rock solid and it has a nice tone, a bit different but I think I might use it to double track some of the other acoustic parts when I record. For the ~$300 Australian (new, delivered) I paid for it, it's a flipping steal.
Nice review. I was thinking about this, but having a zero fret I would worry about it wearing down with constant pressure due to its location, then the buzzing begins.
Just wondering how this would work for more Americana folky-roots fingerpicking- and flatpicking material etc. What John plays in the demo sounds great and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm heading out to a festival later this year, it would be nice if I could leave the Martin 000 at home and take something like this along as a campground instrument. I'm wondering whether it would hold its own unplugged in a small jam group (banjos not withstanding); any comments from owners much appreciated.
Thoughts on this as a first guitar for my 7 and 11 year old? Looks pretty small, so maybe a bit easier to handle than my entry level Martin and quicker to get to making noises than my full size electrics. I want the kids to be encouraged to pick it up and feel like they're not using a toy, but not beat into submission by an adult guitar. The fret polish and some (light?) strings sound good for them, too.
Hey I noticed that the inbuilt bluetooth speaker inside the guitar is not that loud when you play any song through your phone. Is it with my guitar or is it the same with every Enya sp1 go?
You neglected to give the (approximate) price and the UK website link requires signing up which is boring… also, reading the other comments - String squeak was probably due to the mic being closer to the fretboard than the sound board ?
Sounds great and really for $279 how can you go wrong for a decent travel guitar that records well DI and can play through a decent amp? Thanks, now I have to soend more money! lol
Sorry John, nothing against your playing, but the guitar sounds plastic. It doesn’t have the warm tones of wood. Perhaps a good choice for as a travel guitar, for hotel rooms, or for places you wouldn’t want to take an expensive guitar, like the beach.
That opening track is gorgeous! 😎
Man, your touch and sense of melody is magic Mr Cordy. You can make any guitar sing 🎸 And whatever that reverb you’re using is the cherry on top 🤌
I’ve been keeping half an eye on these Enya Novo guitars. A small bodied, portable and very affordable strummer that can be propped in the corner of a room or squeezed into the back of the car for weekends away is really appealing. Plus they come in a couple of colours including pink which means I can get one under the premise that it’s for my daughter 😂
I think John makes any guitar sound good😊
That was sweet
I've been following Carbon Fiber guitars for a while, and the Enya guitars have been constantly improving their tone. Impressively so.
That guitar is definitely hitting above its weight, and I'm enjoying the tone. The finger noise in the string during shifts was unusually loud. I would suggest some type of "coated" strings.
As I wrote above in response to another commenter, I have an Enya X4 and an Enya Nova Sonic Go, and can confirm that the sound of these instruments is really very good, both unplugged (X4) and plugged (both). The one reviewed here seems to have good tonal balance despite leaning towards the shimmery side of things. At least the bass doesn‘t seem to be too thin despite the small body. Since I tune all my guitars down to C# standard (to better suit my vocals on some rock standards, with a capo on stuff that needs to be higher than that), I actually prefer guitars that have a bit of extra sparkle, which ensures that they won‘t sound too dull/dead when tuned down and fitted with 13s to compensate for string slack.
That guitar sounds good
I always thought of getting a Yamaha Transacoustic guitar with the reverb effect, but it’s too expensive. This is a option
As an owner of a Yamaha Transacoustic (with built-in chorus and reverb) and an Enya X4 (full-sized acoustic with built in effects) as well as an Enya Nova Go Sonic (an electric guitar with a full suite of effects plus a speaker and Bluetooth capability) among many other guitars, I can assure you that Enya is a decent choice, and totally worth the money. That said, the Transacoustic is brilliant, and is actually my favorite guitar of all due to overall tonal balance, playability, neck shape, size, etc. And I prefer it over my vintage Martin D-35 and others. Plugged into a speaker (Everse 8, for example), it sounds good enough for gigging…but of course the same applies to the Enyas. Great to have choices, isn‘t it? :-)
@@scottbecker3485yes it is overwhelming at times. Thank you for your insights. I just think Yamaha makes wonderful instruments. 🤓🙏
@@timothy5974 These are two very different kinds of acoustic electric guitars by use case also. I got the one pictured here as a travel/outdoors/sit on the porch guitar, and I love it for that. It can be so hot and sunny that the strings go a full step or more loose and the neck doesn't move at all, though at high enough temps the plastic does feel "squidgy". I got the white one intentionally so if wouldn't absorb as much heat, so that might also be a concern. So far, no deformation or issues. The pickup is alright, though it sounds darker than you'd expect plugged in (maybe plastic vs wood), and the output sound is kind of missing that soft almost lo-fi (stylistic) plastic sound that just playing the guitar fingerstyle has in your hand. The onboard effects are great for projecting out the soundhole, you can't hear how low quality digital the effects are. Plug the guitar in and you need to turn all that stuff off, which requires one of your four presets if you plan on using it to record. Overall, if you want a traditional acoustic guitar experience, this isn't it. This is a great choice for my use case above, but your mileage may vary. This thing is also the size of a Les Paul more or less and feels different accordingly, acoustic bronze strings on what feels like a hollowbody electric takes some getting used to. Barring chords on the first fret is a little more difficult with the zero fret. That's all I can think of, hope this helps.
I've had the plain acoustic version for over a year and it's great. I play it on the beach all the time and the tuning is rock solid and it has a nice tone, a bit different but I think I might use it to double track some of the other acoustic parts when I record.
For the ~$300 Australian (new, delivered) I paid for it, it's a flipping steal.
Nice review. I was thinking about this, but having a zero fret I would worry about it wearing down with constant pressure due to its location, then the buzzing begins.
In your video this guitar seems tò sound surprisingly full, deep and clear. Really, no post production? Can't believe!
I just bought one today and the Prime Day deal was $161. Can’t wait to get it.
I'm seeing the sp1 for 199. Did you get the half size?
Just wondering how this would work for more Americana folky-roots fingerpicking- and flatpicking material etc. What John plays in the demo sounds great and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm heading out to a festival later this year, it would be nice if I could leave the Martin 000 at home and take something like this along as a campground instrument. I'm wondering whether it would hold its own unplugged in a small jam group (banjos not withstanding); any comments from owners much appreciated.
Thoughts on this as a first guitar for my 7 and 11 year old? Looks pretty small, so maybe a bit easier to handle than my entry level Martin and quicker to get to making noises than my full size electrics.
I want the kids to be encouraged to pick it up and feel like they're not using a toy, but not beat into submission by an adult guitar.
The fret polish and some (light?) strings sound good for them, too.
Is this guitar is good for live concerts?
The string squeak is very pronounced here; too much for me. I wonder what it would sound like with flats, or half-rounds at least.
You definitely just helped them sell a few guitars
Hey I noticed that the inbuilt bluetooth speaker inside the guitar is not that loud when you play any song through your phone. Is it with my guitar or is it the same with every Enya sp1 go?
Can You play Domenico Scarlatti on that guitar?
You neglected to give the (approximate) price and the UK website link requires signing up which is boring… also, reading the other comments - String squeak was probably due to the mic being closer to the fretboard than the sound board ?
Sounds great and really for $279 how can you go wrong for a decent travel guitar that records well DI and can play through a decent amp? Thanks, now I have to soend more money! lol
Sorry John, nothing against your playing, but the guitar sounds plastic. It doesn’t have the warm tones of wood. Perhaps a good choice for as a travel guitar, for hotel rooms, or for places you wouldn’t want to take an expensive guitar, like the beach.