Description
Review of the Enya NOVA Go SP1 Carbon Fiber Acoustic Electric Travel Guitar
The Enya NOVA Go SP1 is a moulded carbon fibre travel guitar with the SP1 pickup system built into the body, sold in black with a gig bag and charging cable. It is aimed at players who want an instrument that survives being carried around and that produces reverb and delay without any external equipment.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Carbon fibre composite construction, which does not react to changes in temperature or humidity the way wood does. A wooden guitar left in a cold car or a dry centrally heated room can crack or shift; this one is designed not to.
- A one piece moulded body where the bridge is part of the top rather than glued on. A lifting bridge is one of the most common structural failures on cheap acoustics and this design removes that risk entirely.
- Onboard reverb, delay and fusion effects through a speaker inside the body, audible without plugging into anything. That is unusual and it changes what practising unplugged sounds like.
- Bluetooth playback through the internal speaker, so backing tracks come out of the guitar rather than needing a separate speaker.
- USB On The Go connectivity, allowing direct recording into a phone or computer without a separate audio interface. That removes a real cost and a real setup obstacle for anyone capturing ideas.
Cons
- The size is stated two ways. The description calls the body half sized at 35 inches, while the model is positioned and sold as a travel instrument in the three quarter bracket. Thirty five inches overall is closer to a three quarter guitar than a half size one.
- No scale length is published, which matters a great deal on a short instrument. It determines both fret spacing and which replacement string sets will fit.
- The fingerboard is listed as carbon fibre, which the description never confirms. A composite fingerboard is possible on a moulded instrument but it is unusual, and the data does not verify it.
- The stated 8.14 pounds is the packed kit. A carbon fibre travel guitar of this size weighs far less than that, and the point of the material is that it is light.
- The onboard system runs from a built in lithium battery, so the instrument’s effects and pickup depend on being charged. A traditional acoustic never stops working.
- The effects are fixed to what the SP1 system offers. There is no way to change or expand them without plugging into external equipment.
Detailed Product Description
The body, neck and top are all carbon fibre composite, moulded as a single piece. That is a fundamentally different approach from wooden guitar making, where a top, back, sides, neck and bridge are separate parts joined with glue. Every one of those joints is a potential failure point and every wooden part moves with humidity. A moulded composite instrument has neither problem, which is why carbon fibre has become the standard choice for guitars that live in vans, tents and aircraft holds.
The trade is tonal. Carbon fibre is stiffer and more uniform than spruce, so the unplugged voice is typically bright, even and slightly compressed rather than warm and complex. Phosphor bronze strings, which are the factory fitting, soften that a little.
The SP1 system is what separates this from other travel guitars. A small speaker inside the body reproduces reverb, delay and fusion effects, so an unplugged instrument sounds ambient rather than dry. The same system feeds a normal output for an amplifier or PA, and a USB Type C connection handles charging, firmware updates and digital recording output. For someone whose main use is capturing ideas on a phone, that removes an audio interface from the chain entirely. Whether a separate amplifier is needed at all is discussed in the guide to amplifying an acoustic electric guitar.
A hexagon wrench is supplied for adjusting string action, and the zero fret means the open string height is set by a fret rather than a cut nut slot, which is a more consistent arrangement.
What Comes with the Product
- The NOVA Go SP1 carbon fibre acoustic electric guitar in black
- A gig bag
- A shoulder strap
- A spare set of strings
- A USB Type C charging cable
- An instrument cable
- A hexagon wrench for adjusting action
Not included: an amplifier, a tuner, a capo, picks or a hard case. The internal battery is built in and charges over the supplied cable, so no loose cells are needed.
Who It Suits
This suits a player who travels, camps, gigs from a van or simply wants a guitar that can be left in a hallway without worrying about the humidity. It also suits someone who records ideas onto a phone, since the USB connection removes an entire piece of equipment. The onboard effects make unplugged practice more engaging, which matters more than it sounds for anyone who struggles to stay motivated. Options for keeping practice quiet are covered in the guide to quiet guitar practice.
It suits less well a player who wants the warmth and complexity of a solid wood acoustic, which carbon fibre does not attempt to imitate. It also suits less well a buyer who wants a full size body, since 35 inches is a reduced scale instrument. Comparable travel options include the Enya Nova Go without the SP1 system, the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light acoustic electric and the Donner RISING-G1 carbon fibre acoustic. The full range sits in travel and small body guitars and acoustic electric guitars.
How to Maintain
Charge the internal battery periodically even when the guitar is not being played. Lithium cells degrade if they are left fully discharged for months.
Wipe the strings after every session. The body needs almost nothing, but phosphor bronze strings still dull from skin oil.
Tips and Recommendations
Measure the scale length on arrival, from the nut to the twelfth fret and doubled, before ordering replacement strings. The listing does not publish it and a short scale instrument needs the right length set.
Try the effects at low settings first. Heavy reverb from a speaker inside the body is impressive at first and quickly masks the detail of what is actually being played.
Product FAQ
What size is it?
The description calls the body half sized at 35 inches. Thirty five inches overall is closer to what is normally sold as a three quarter travel guitar, and no scale length is published to settle it.
Does it need an amplifier?
No. A speaker inside the body produces the reverb, delay and fusion effects unplugged, though it can also be plugged into an amplifier or PA.
How is it powered?
A built in lithium battery, charged over the supplied USB Type C cable. No loose batteries are required.
