Enya NOVA GO BK Acoustic-Electric Guitar: Full Review

The Enya NOVA GO BK acoustic-electric guitar is an appealing instrument for a beginner player or someone looking for an affordable, good sounding guitar. Enya is a relatively new brand started in 2015 that focuses on providing quality, affordable acoustic and acoustic-electric guitars.

The NOVA GO BK has an attractive dreadnought body shape with a black gloss finish. It's an all-laminate construction with linden back and sides. The guitar comes bundled with useful accessories like a gig bag, digital tuner, strap, extra strings, picks, and an instructional DVD. This helps provide everything a new player needs to get started with their first guitar.

Overall, the Enya NOVA GO BK is a solid acoustic-electric model that punches above its weight class in terms of looks, sound quality and extras for the price point. It's worth considering for a beginner or any player looking for an inexpensive acoustic-electric with appealing aesthetics.

Body Style

The Enya Nova Go features a dreadnought body shape, which is the most common shape for acoustic guitars. This traditional shape produces a balanced, well-rounded tone that works well for various musical genres.

The body itself is made of laminated spruce on top, with mahogany back and sides. The laminated spruce top is durable and provides good projection and volume. While it may not be as resonant as a solid wood top, it performs admirably for a guitar in this price range.

In terms of size, the Nova Go has a lower bout width of 14 inches, making it a comfortable size for most players. The slim neck profile and smooth body edges also enhance playability for smaller hands. At just 18mm in depth, the Nova Go has a relatively thin, sleek body that makes it easier to handle during long practice or gigging sessions.

Overall, the Nova Go's traditional dreadnought shape and laminated woods offer great tone and playability in an affordable package ideal for new players. The comfortable body size and profile cater to a wide range of musicians.

When considering body styles for acoustic guitars, it's important to think about your musical needs and playing style preferences. The traditional dreadnought shape of the Enya Nova Go is a versatile choice suitable for many players, but there are some alternatives worth looking into as well.

For example, concert and auditorium style acoustics have a smaller, more comfortable body size that some find easier to handle. The reduced size often produces a more balanced tone that works well for fingerstyle playing. Brands like Hohner Accordions LG75 offer high quality acoustic options in these compact body styles.

Jumbo acoustics have a deeper body that boosts volume and projection, at the expense of some balance. These make great guitars for aggressive strumming and soloists who need to cut through a full band mix. Taylor and Martin both produce excellent jumbo models.

Travel and mini acoustics have tiny, highly portable bodies perfect for on-the-go practice and travel. While they don't offer the full bass response of a dreadnought, the ultra-compact size makes them easy to pack in a suitcase or backpack.

The cutaway acoustic body style has a contoured upper bout that provides easier access to higher frets. This comes in handy for lead guitarists who utilize the full length of the fingerboard. Brands like Ibanez and Yamaha have some great cutaway options.

At the end of the day, your playing style and needs should determine which body style is right for you. The Enya Nova Go's dreadnought shape is a versatile starting point, but exploring alternatives like concert, jumbo, mini, and cutaway acoustics can lead you to your ideal guitar.

Neck

The neck on the Enya NOVA GO is crafted from nato wood, providing a nice balance of stability, playability, and affordability. Nato is tonally similar to mahogany, with a slightly brighter voice. The neck has a standard 25.6” scale length, ideal for playing a wide variety of genres and techniques comfortably. The C-shaped neck profile creates an ergonomic feel that accommodates both small and large hands. Overall the neck design allows smooth movements up and down the fretboard while remaining comfortable during long practice or gigging sessions. The nut width of 1.69” gives enough room for proper left hand technique without feeling too wide.

The neck is also finished with a smooth satin coating that promotes fast, fluid playing by reducing friction against the fretting hand. Some players may want to apply a thin layer of lemon oil to the neck from time to time to keep it in optimal condition. The fretwork from the factory is nicely done, providing excellent intonation and minimizing buzzing notes. The fretboard radius measures 12”, which strikes a good balance between playing chords and soloing. The neck joint allows comfortable access to the highest registers. While the NOVA GO's neck may not appeal to every guitarist, it offers a quality build with ergonomic design elements that will accommodate most playing styles. Players looking for an alternative may want to check out the Yamaha PAC112V, which has a slightly wider nut width of 1.75" and narrower string spacing.

Fretboard

The GO BK has a fretboard made out of rosewood, which is a dense tropical hardwood known for its bright, clear tone and durability. It can stand up well to years of playing without warping.

The fretboard has a 12" radius, which provides a good balance between easy chording and low action for leads and solos. The flatter radius makes playing chords a bit more of a stretch, but allows for effortless bending without sharp fret ends digging into your fingers on big bends.

It has 22 frets, which is typical for this style of guitar. The extra frets compared to smaller-scale guitars provide more room for solos, particularly useful when paired with the flatter fretboard radius. The fretwork from the factory is good, with no sharp ends to catch on your fingers.

Electronics

The Enya Nova Go acoustic-electric guitar comes equipped with an Enya 3-band pickup and preamp system that provides excellent amplification and flexibility for live performances or recording.

Pickups

The Nova Go utilizes an Enya custom undersaddle piezo pickup that accurately reproduces the natural acoustic tone of the guitar. The piezo pickup is positioned under the saddle and senses the vibrations of the strings for a balanced and robust acoustic sound when plugged into an amplifier or PA system.

Preamp

It features an onboard preamp with 3-band EQ for shaping your amplified tone - bass, midrange, and treble controls allow you to dial in your perfect sound. The preamp also has a built-in tuner for quick and convenient tuning.

Controls

The easy-access volume and tone controls are located just inside the soundhole, making on-the-fly adjustments smooth and hassle-free. The preamp runs on a 9V battery or can be powered via 9V DC power supply.

Hardware

The hardware on the Enya NOVA GO acoustic-electric guitar is well-suited for beginners while still being decent quality.

The guitar has a rosewood bridge and synthetic bone saddle. The rosewood bridge provides a good tonal foundation and interface between the strings and body. The synthetic bone saddle is durable and smooth, helping transfer string vibrations.

It comes equipped with open gear tuning machines with butterbean knobs. The open gear tuners are exposed and easy to turn for tuning adjustments. The butterbean knobs provide a solid grip. The tuners keep the strings locked in tune well.

Overall, the hardware components are beginner friendly while still being functional. The bridge and saddle transfer vibrations cleanly. And the tuning machines make tuning easy and accurate. While not high-end, the hardware quality is good for a budget-friendly acoustic-electric.

Sound & Tone

The Enya NOVA GO boasts a surprisingly rich and balanced tone for its price range. The solid spruce top contributes a crisp, bright attack with decent sustain and resonance, while the mahogany back and sides add warmth and fullness to the midrange. Together they produce a lively and well-rounded acoustic voice.

When plugged in, the onboard electronics and piezo pickup accurately convey the guitar's natural tone. The EQ controls allow you to shape the EQ curve to your preference, adding more brilliance or low end as needed. There's no unwanted muddiness or quackiness from the pickup, just an authentic reproduction of the guitar's inherent acoustic tone.

Overall the NOVA GO's tone belies its beginner-friendly price tag. It has the balanced voice and resonance you'd expect from a more expensive instrument, making it great for practicing and performing across various musical genres. The electronics let you amplify the guitar's natural acoustic sound faithfully.

Playability

The Enya NOVA GO features a modern C-shaped neck profile that provides a comfortable grip. The action is set low and fast right out of the box, making it very playable and ideal for beginners.

The neck feels smooth and slick, thanks to the rosewood fretboard. The frets are medium sized and nicely finished, allowing for comfortable and precise fingering. There is no fret buzz or sharp fret ends that can irritate your fingers during long practice sessions.

Overall, the playability of this guitar is excellent. The low action and comfortable neck profile allow you to play for hours without any hand fatigue. It's very responsive and lends itself well to strumming chords or picking melodies and solos. This is a very playable instrument that both beginners and experienced players will enjoy.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• All solid wood construction provides great tone and resonance
• Cutaway body style allows easy upper fret access
• Fishman pickup and preamp system offers natural acoustic amplification
• Smooth satin finish on neck is comfortable to play
• Lightweight and comfortable to hold
• Comes with useful accessories like tuner, strings, picks, and gig bag

Cons

• Not the most durable guitar, especially for traveling
• Electronics can introduce feedback at higher volumes
• Action may be too high for some players' preferences
• Limited tonal controls and EQ shaping in preamp
• Generic tuners and strings, could be upgraded
• Gig bag provides basic protection, not as secure as a hard case

The all-solid wood body and comfortable neck profile are standout features. However, durability issues and limited electronics hold it back from being great for gigging. Best suited for beginner to intermediate players focused on practice and recording.

Verdict

The Enya NOVA GO BK offers a lot of value and quality for an acoustic-electric guitar under $200. It has a classic dreadnought body shape with a spruce top and mahogany back and sides, which delivers a balanced and rich acoustic tone. The neck is easy to play with a rosewood fretboard and smooth satin finish.

The onboard preamp and pickup system allows you to plug into an amplifier or PA system for performances, and it reproduces the acoustic tone nicely. It stays quiet with little feedback issues. The tuners and hardware feel sturdy and reliable.

Overall, the Enya NOVA GO BK is an excellent choice for beginner and intermediate players looking for an affordable, good-sounding acoustic-electric guitar. The quality materials and electronics make it a long-lasting instrument that can handle practice, jam sessions, and small gigs. For the price, it provides exceptional value and will likely exceed any expectations for an acoustic-electric in this range.