Enya carbon fiber guitars ???

[roundsound]

Introduction: I pulled the trigger on an Enya EA-X3E. I need a guitar that isn’t influenced by climate. I live in the mountains of southern New Mexico where it can be dry in the spring, wet in the late summer and the house is heated by a wood stove in the winter. I had a very nice Blue Ridge guitar that eventually got a back bowed neck and currently have a great Breedlove American Series that I love. It has internal bracing to help protect from climate variations but I’m still worried about it, even though I put humidifiers in my guitar cases.
So, since this is such a rare breed of guitar in the English/Spanish speaking world, I’ll share my experiences with you.
Before I get into the details I’ll give you the punch line first. It’s a surprisingly good guitar. The neck is just about perfect and the sound is clean, clear and plenty loud enough. The onboard Yamaha effects system is amazing and inspiring. That said, there are some weird things.
Unpacking: It comes with a charger for the 2600 mAh 3.7v battery that slides into the body by the strap button, 1/4” output jack. It’s like a AA on steroids. I was able to bring it to full charge in 4 hours.
Also included is a nice white vinyl gig bag with backpack straps. But...no pockets or pouches. Where do you put your capo, spare strings and that guitar strap that came with the package? Aesthetics over function? I disapprove!
There is an Allen wrench for adjusting the neck (which you will have to do) and that’s all you get.
Documentation: There is no manual or “quick start”. Obviously Chinese is very difficult to translate to English so good luck with info online. The Enya web site will give good info on the Transacoustic FX and you can read up on Yamaha’s pianos and guitars that use the same system.
1st Impression: Action is way too high. Nice sustain. Thick C shaped neck. Action is wayyyyy too high. So, I sanded the bridge 1/32” and tightened the truss rod to flatten out the neck. Now it’s a whole new guitar. I approve.
2nd Impression: The guitar plays great and I can begin to appreciate it now. I like the gloss finish with the fabric underneath. I’d prefer a flatter D neck but I usually play electric guitars. The neck feels unrealistically perfect, like a machine instead of a friend. The sustain and clear sound are impressive.
Embedded FX: Reverb, chorus and echo emanate from the sound hole making for a very inspiring experience. Effects are convincing with plenty of control. I haven’t plugged it into an amp yet. This is the Yamaha Transacoustic system
The Neck: I knew from their propaganda that the neck is adjustable. When I took the strings off to sand the saddle I played with the neck but couldn’t find any adjustments. So I emailed enyamusic who told me "The BT neck design helps to adjust the neck angle. All you need to do is to loose the nut and remove the neck. By adding cushion( folded paper most commonly) between the neck and body on different sides of the nut, and putting the neck back on, the neck angle is adjusted which results in a string height adjustment." It’s a cool trick but I don’t see any reason to go beyond the truss rod and saddle to get good results.
Conclusion: With a little adjustment it turns into a really great guitar with clarity, punch and sustain. Once I turned on the Transacoustic system, I was a goner. I didn’t expect to be impressed by this gimmick, kinda like the adjustable neck. But, to have a nice reverb, chorus or slap back come out of the sound hole along with the ringing strings is something I wasn’t prepared for. It’s been keeping me up late at night.
Coming Up In Chapter 2:
1. Compare it to my Breedlove American.
2. Plug that puppy in to an amp and console.
3. Take it out for some gigs.
Stay tuned!!

[steelvibe]

Hey welcome to the forum roundsound! The Enya does sound surprisingly good at it's price point. I have a Journey OF660 which is also Chinese built and love everything about it other than the back where the collapsible neck joint is. That is not a flattering looking feature but it also is what makes that guitar ahead of it's class in travel. There is a little something for everyone here...RainSong for the traditionally minded, Emerald for the sheer artful beauty- showcasing what CF can really do, Composite Acoustics and McPherson if you want a more traditional sound, and everything in between.

I don't know if you are a long time lurker and are just now posting or if you're just discovering the AGF but I think you will find a wealth of knowledge and a peaceful forum due to the excellent work of the moderators. Enjoy that guitar but beware you have now been smitten by the CF bug. Kramster breaks out in rashes daily.

Just sayin'.

[mountainmaster]

They also have a new X4 model with offset soundhole. Playing starts at 3:35 (you probably want to skip the review).

[Captain Jim]

I have heard (no confirmation) that Enya is working on another model: Forward Articulating Carbon Enhanced.

It will be called... Enya FACE. (rimshot)



Yes, I know: back in my corner. No, I don't know why my mind works that way. Yes, I have tried to control it. No, that isn't working.

Round;

Really nice review. thank you for taking the risk and the time to report. Now I have to check and see if the company has a nylon string--checked, no nylon. However, the company does have a model of this sort for $199--That's incredible. The company also has a neat looking selection of ukes.

Captain; Great shot!

[mountainmaster]

Originally Posted by EvanB

However, the company does have a model of this sort for $199--That's incredible.

If you are referring to the Nova G model, its top is made of HPL instead of CF. Still incredible though.

[Carmel Cedar]

I wonder if Enya knows about this (seems ripe for a copyright situation here...)?

Mountain,

Yes, the Nova. May not be CF, but it is composite and seems like easily affordable.

Chevy once tried to sell a Nova in Spain. A no-go car didn't go well. I would guess that a no-go guitar may be a no-go in the Spanish guitar market.

[Fixedgear60]

Thanks for sharing this... they even make a CF Concert Uke as well....
https://www.enya-music.com/collectio...u-carbon-black

There ukes come with Enya Carbon Strings...


Very interesting!!!

[Aspiring]

Reading that through not only does it come with strings but lifetime free strings . Wonder how that works!

Well, first you have to send the strings to the factory for approval--you pay the shipping. Then, they pick the best strings from all returns, match them to a reasonably used set, and you pay the return shipping. That's one way of doing it. Probably only costs about $20.00 a set.

I make fun, but Aspiring asks a good question.

[GuitarLuva]

Congratulations on your purchase. I would like to add that I was really close to pulling the trigger on one a few months ago. I contacted Enya to see if they could sell me one with no pickguard and a black bag instead of the white and they said "no problem". The only thing that held me back was they told me the nut width was 43mm, a little too slim for me. I'm sure it's great though, enjoy!

[DownUpDave]

I come from a ukulele background and am an active member on Ukulele Underground. I own two HPL Enya ukuleles and they make a very high quality product at a low price. I have two friends that own them and there are reviews from other owners on UU.

As a reference I own a number of expensive custom built ukuleles and the overall workmanship on the Enya products I have seen and played is surprisingly good. I have no idea how this guitar would sound or play but if the workmanship is the same as my ukes it is not junk.

Its been a while since this guitar has been discussed. Recent reviews sound like this is a guitar to be seriously considered.

[mountainmaster]

I have heard otherwise.

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...43#post6677243