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#1
02-17-2022, 08:34 AM
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Enya X4 vs Lava Me
The majority of my quality practice time is done in my car at work during my lunch break.
I'm getting tired of transporting my guitars in and out of my car every morning and evening and I think the weather is warping my necks. I'm looking for a full-sized full-scale-length full-carbon fiber (or otherwise composite) guitar to be my beater/workhorse that I can permanently leave in my trunk and I'm hoping for a budget of around $1000. The Klos looks nice, but to get the full-carbon neck, you're looking at over $2k. I know the Rainsong and McPherson's get great reviews but they are over $3k. Even if I were willing to spend that, I wouldn't want to toss those beauts in the back of my car all the time. It seems my only other options are the Enya X4 $900, Lava Me 3 (or Pro?) $1100, or Journey Instruments OF660 $1400. I'm leaning towards the Enya and the Lave Me. I don't really care for the smart-features or the look of the Lava Me's, but it seems to be a reputable and well made guitar for the money. I don't think it is exactly carbon-fiber but rather some other type of carbon composite, but can anyone confirm that it's 100% weather resistant, because this is not a feature Lave Me seems to emphasize. I like the look and size of the Enya the most, but I read lots of complaints, especially with setup and intonation. This is going to be my most expensive guitar to date, so it's a little disappointing to spend this kind of money to get something with issues right off the bat. There's also the Joytar that's coming out but no details as to the price or dimensions. Should I get the Enya X4? Should I spring for the Klos? 
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#2
02-17-2022, 10:43 AM
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I didn't know the Enya and so I went to read/see something just now and it seems to me 'more traditional guitar' than Lava, but I never put my hands on it. Instead, I own a Lava Me 2 (I hope not to bore anyone by repeating it here) as a travel that has replaced a Taylor GS Mini. Honestly I liked the Taylor the most but the difference wasn't as huge as you might think (I'm referring solely to the sound). If you are not interested in the smart part of the Lava Me 3 I think a Lava Me 2 (even without the pickup) would be better. The guitar seems the same but the price is half. I left my guitar in the trunk of the car for half a day full of sunshine (Italian sun) and on the way back it was hot (plus it's black) but even perfectly tuned. I played there on the beach and had no issues. I've never played it in the rain and I will not
 The neck is a bit strange because it joins the body at the 18th fret (if I remember correctly) but it is really pleasant to the touch and when tightened. Nut width is 1 11/16 which is a bit too narrow for me but is the same as the GS Mini as well as the scale length is similar (23.62" Lava vs 23.5" Taylor), short and perfect for practice. Mechanics are well done, keep the tuning and are pleasant to the touch. The real flaw is the lack of a truss rod. To have the desired action I had to file the saddle very patiently. The use of the pick unfortunately leaves some marks on the matte finish, a beautiful but obviously delicate finish. As much as I paid for it (639 new during amazon Prime's days) it sounds good, no doubt about it. If you search through the used ads you can take it away even for less. I studied the characteristics of the new Lava Me 3 to understand whether to update but, apart from the fact that it can be found in two measures and that the effects are more complex and better structured (in the old Lava Me 2 the delay effect is almost useless) the guitars seem identical but, as mentioned, the new one costs almost twice as much. I would like to conclude by saying that Lava customer service is really fantastic, quick answers and they sent me, at their expense, a spare saddle for free and with DHL courier in 3 days from China!
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#3
02-17-2022, 10:59 AM
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Thanks for the comments.
Yah, the Enya X4 is weird. They have been "out of stock" on their website for years, but they are readily available on Amazon (and it appears nowhere else), and they posted recent ads for it on their youtube account. I definitely want full scale. I already have a Traveler Escape Mk III (which is awesome, btw), so I guess that rules out the Lava Me #'s, but it seems the Lava Me Pro is full scale, so I'll look into that a little more. I do like the traditional design of the Enya X4 more, but it appears the Lava Me is more mainstream and less shady of a company. Ironically, what concerns me about the Enya is that it DOES have a truss rod. Theoretically, carbon fiber guitars should not require a truss rod because the neck doesn't change. For pick marks, I always add a clear pickguard to all my guitars. I prefer both the look (as opposed to a tortoise-shell). Even clear masking tape is a good temporary option.
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#4
02-17-2022, 11:47 AM
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I like having the truss rod in my Emerald. It gives me the option to adjust relief. Some people like a lot. Some (like me), only need a tiny bit.
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#5
02-17-2022, 12:43 PM
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I have never found wonderful reviews about the Lava pro model, indeed, it would seem the least successful. I totally agree with KevinH, I find the truss rod very comfortable even on carbon fiber (or composite) guitars, because if it is true that the neck should not change with variations in temperature and humidity, it is also true that the strings are a variable. But not only that, maybe for a certain genre or for certain techniques you need a tension and for another a lower/higher tension. I assure you that finding the right action only by filing saddle and nut is much less comfortable also because once filed then there is no turning back.
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#6
02-17-2022, 02:41 PM
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Check out the Journey RT 660 instead of the OF660. The RT660 is a fixed neck all carbon fiber guitar. The lower bout is 14.5” and 4.8” deep, more a full size 000 size compared to the smaller body of the OF660.
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#7
02-17-2022, 03:39 PM
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If you are looking at something for the car, I also wouldnt rule out the Nova Go from Enya since that is Carbon and $250 for unplugged version. Appears they are currently out stock of the effects version.
Since its thin body, may be more comfortable to play in a vehicle.
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#8
02-17-2022, 04:01 PM
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It's still a little smaller than I would like though. The more I think about it the more then Enya X4 is ideally what I'm looking for. Full body, 25.5" scale, traditional shape, and $900. However, there is very little information about it. Anybody have any experience with it.
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#9
02-17-2022, 04:05 PM
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I play in the back seat with full sized wood guitars all the time and it's no problem. Even if I get a more appropriate place, I just want to have a guitar permanently stored in my trunk so it's ready when I need it.
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#10
02-18-2022, 01:57 AM
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I've played Journeys, and they sound pretty good. Never even seen any of your other options, so not a lot of help I am afraid.
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Larrivee OM-03RE; O-01 Martin D-35; Guild F-212; Tacoma Roadking Breedlove American Series C20/SR Rainsong SFTA-FLE; WS3000; CH-PA Taylor GA3-12, Guild F-212 https://markhorning.bandcamp.com/music Last edited by AZLiberty; 02-18-2022 at 02:02 AM.
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#11
02-23-2022, 11:54 AM
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BonesDT
I have the Enya X4 Pro guitar. I got it last September. I have been very happy with the guitar. No problems. I did a minor set-up on it when I got it and it has been solid since. It is a carbon fiber top and fiber/composite body and neck I believe. The neck is a little heavier than you might expect but it has a truss rod. The guitar sounds very nice and full acoustically and great plugged in as well, with a pretty cool pickup/mic/effects unit. Like you I was looking for something that would be good to travel with and this fits the bill for me. Came with a very nice plastic hard case as well. I think you do need to be a bit careful about not letting the guitar get too hot in a car trunk for example - it won't hurt the carbon fiber but I think that might weaken some of the glued joints of the guitar. I was a little wary of getting the guitar since I didn't know anything about Enya but I have been very happy with the guitar and would recommend it to anyone looking for a less expensive full size carbon guitar.
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___________________ 74 Guild D35 09 Larrivee L-03 Zebrano 94 Martin D35 08 Larrivee LV-10 Red Spr/Madag 95 Martin D1 08 Taylor 814ce 98 Martin 000-16SP Taylor GS Mini Koa 00 Martin D28 10 Taylor 414ce 06 Larrivee P-09BZ 18 Gibson Hummingbird 17 Pono Koa O-10 19 Yamaha LL-TA Others....
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#12
02-23-2022, 11:58 AM
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#13
02-23-2022, 05:27 PM
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#15
03-02-2022, 09:19 AM
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So I received the Enya X4, but unfortunately, I decided to return it.
It is beautiful and appears very well made. My wife's immediate impression was "it looks like a work of art". It was completely out-of-tune out of the box, the strings were loose but brand new and perfectly wound & cut. The truss rod was 100% loosened. The action was too high - too much so to correct with just the truss rod. The bottom line is, these things definitely need a set-up out of the box (e.g. sanding of the saddle). Not really complaining and probably expected - I assume these things are coming straight from a Chinese factory without any middle-man, which is fine, just needs to be part of the expectation. Like others have mentioned, the hard case it comes with is top notch. This is actually somewhat of a source of disappointment for me though. You get what you pay for, so a large chunk of that $900 is going into the case and away from the guitar. It's great if you need the case, but bad if you do not. Ironically, I am interested in these composite guitars for their ruggedness, so this is the last guitar I needed a bulletproof case for. However, mine had a pretty obvious defect on the top at the lower bout. Some sort of distortion in the carbon fiber, making the weaves distort and it was actually bumpy to the touch. It was impossible to capture on a picture because the top is so glossy, but very obvious in person. I was then trying to decide if I wanted to return for good or get a replacement. I really really wanted this guitar to work because I really really have a need for a climate-proof workhorse. But I just couldn't come to terms with the sound. I'm definitely far from having a trained ear, but I just couldn't help but prefer to play my $166 Orangewood Oliver rather than this one. It just sounded too weird to me (and it's very loud) and ... well ... non-wood'ish. Maybe if it was more like $500, I'd make it work, but at $900, which is my most expensive guitar to date, I just couldn't stop thinking about all the other amazing options at that price point I could get instead. I'll have to think about this some more. p.s. all the pictures I have seen online of this guitar shows no fret markers and instead an elaborate vine design on the fretboard. I was pleasantly surprised to see mine did not come with any vines and had normal fret markers. This could have possibly been a recent unannounced change.
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