Description
Review of the Enya Nova Go Carbon Fiber Travel Acoustic Guitar
This is a small-bodied carbon fibre travel acoustic in black, moulded in one piece rather than built from wood, and supplied with a gig bag, strap, cleaning cloth, spare strings and a hex wrench. It is aimed at travellers, commuters and beginners who want a guitar that can be thrown in a car or taken outdoors without worrying about humidity, heat or knocks.
Pros & Cons
- Carbon fibre removes the humidity problem entirely. Wooden guitars crack in dry winter rooms and swell in damp ones, and the action moves with the seasons. A composite body does neither, which genuinely changes where and how a guitar can be kept.
- One-piece moulded construction has no joints to fail. There is no neck joint to loosen and no bridge glued to a top that can lift, which are the two most common structural failures on budget acoustics.
- Zero fret construction improves open string tone. An extra fret at the nut position means open strings ring against the same material as fretted notes, which evens out the sound and makes low action easier to set without buzzing.
- Rounded fret edges and a supplied hex wrench. Sharp fret ends are the most common complaint on inexpensive guitars, and a moulded fingerboard sidesteps the shrinkage that causes them. Being able to adjust the action without a trip to a technician is useful on a guitar that travels.
- The listed 7.35 pound weight undercuts the lightweight claim. The description calls the guitar lightweight and gives that figure in the same sentence. Many full-size wooden acoustics weigh less than that, so the number is almost certainly the packed shipping weight rather than the instrument, and the listing does not distinguish the two.
- The size is described three different ways. The description says half size, the size attribute says 35 inches, and the product dimensions say 36.22 inches long. The published scale length of 23 and one eighth inches is closer to a three-quarter instrument than a half size one. None of these agree.
- The material is listed as carbon fibre and polycarbonate. The description leads with aerospace-grade carbon fibre, while the body and back attributes record carbon fibre and polycarbonate together. Polycarbonate is a moulded plastic and a very different material, and the proportion of each is not stated.
- There is no pickup. This model is purely acoustic, so it cannot be plugged into an amplifier or a PA without an add-on.
- Composite bodies sound different from wood. Carbon fibre tends toward a bright, even, slightly compressed response rather than the warmth and bloom of a good wooden top.
Detailed Product Description
The entire instrument is composite: top, back, body, neck and fingerboard are all recorded as carbon fibre, with polycarbonate noted alongside for the body and back. This is the central design decision and everything else follows from it. Composite does not absorb moisture, so it neither swells nor shrinks, which is why the seller can claim consistent behaviour on a hot beach or a cold mountain.
The scale length is 23 and one eighth inches, which is genuinely short. Shorter scale means lower string tension at pitch, so chords are easier to hold down and bends need less effort. It also means the strings feel slacker, which some players find loose. The reduced scale combined with the small body is what makes it packable.
The zero fret is worth understanding. On a normal guitar the open strings rest in slots cut in a nut, and the depth of those slots sets the action at the first fret. A zero fret replaces that with an extra fret, so the open string sits at the same height as a fretted one against the same metal. The result is more consistent tone between open and fretted notes and a lower achievable action.
Strings are D’Addario EXP16 coated phosphor bronze, a light gauge coated set. The polymer coating keeps sweat and grime out of the windings, which matters on a guitar intended to live in bags and cars. Where this instrument sits among other compact options is worth weighing against the guide to guitars for small hands, since short scale and small hands are related but not the same question.
What Comes with the Product
The listing states the package includes the guitar, a gig bag, a guitar strap, a cleaning cloth, spare strings and a hex wrench for adjusting string height.
Not included: a tuner, a capo, a pickup or preamp of any kind, a stand, or picks. The hex wrench is a genuinely practical inclusion that most manufacturers leave out. A clip-on tuner is the obvious first addition. Note that the guitar is available in several colours, so the finish should be confirmed at the point of ordering.
Who It Suits
This suits a traveller, a camper, a commuter, or anyone who wants a guitar they can leave in a car or a boat without worrying. It also suits a beginner with smaller hands who finds a full-scale neck a stretch, and a player who wants a knockabout second instrument.
It suits less well someone who wants a rich, warm, loud acoustic sound for recording or performance, where a solid wooden top does considerably more. It also suits less well anyone who needs to plug in, since there is no pickup fitted. Other compact options sit in travel and small body guitars and acoustic guitars.
How to Maintain
Maintenance is genuinely lighter than on a wooden guitar. There is no fingerboard to oil, no humidity to monitor and no seasonal action drift to correct.
Wipe the strings after playing, since coating slows corrosion but does not stop it. Clean the composite surfaces with the supplied cloth and avoid solvent-based polishes, which can craze plastics. Store it in the bag when travelling. Even though the material is stable, avoid leaving it in a closed car in summer heat, since adhesives and the strings themselves are not indifferent to extreme temperature. Storage advice generally is covered in the guitar storage guide.
Tips and Recommendations
Use the supplied hex wrench to lower the action once the strings have settled. The zero fret design tolerates a lower action than most guitars, and getting it right is where the playability of this instrument really shows.
Expect a bright, focused sound rather than a big one. Playing closer to the neck with a softer pick warms it up considerably. Keep a spare set of the coated strings, since composite instruments are often taken to places where a music shop is not nearby. Retune frequently in the first fortnight while the strings stretch; after that a composite neck holds tuning better than wood because the neck itself is not moving.
Product FAQ
What size is it really? The listing gives three different answers: half size in the description, 35 inches in the size field and 36.22 inches in the dimensions. The published scale length of 23 and one eighth inches is closer to a three-quarter guitar.
Is it carbon fibre or plastic? The description says aerospace-grade carbon fibre. The body and back attributes record carbon fibre and polycarbonate together, and the proportion is not stated.
Can it be plugged in? No. This model has no pickup or preamp fitted.
What comparable travel guitars are there? Alternatives include the Enya Nova Go SP1 acoustic-electric, the Donner RISING-G1 carbon fibre acoustic and the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light acoustic-electric.
