After a long break, NOT A Ukulele returns with a mini review of a small guitar. This is the Nova Go Mini Guitar.
In case you don't remember, Got A Ukulele put up a number of short reviews of smaller than average guitars as instruments that may appeal to 'guitar curious uke players'. They came about due to readers and viewers increasingly telling me they were interested in guitar, but as uke players they were put off by the large size of them. But of course there are lots of smaller than average guitars out there so I started looking at them. And in fact i've already looked at something in this range that is a smaller than average guitar!
SUMMARY VIDEO REVIEW
The Enya Nova Go Mini is an additional release to that guitar from Enya i'd already looked at called the Nova Go. That itself was a smaller than average acoustic guitar with a regular 23 inch scale but small Les Paul shaped body made in the same sort of composite style as the Enya Nova ukuleles. I really liked it and you can refresh your memory of that on the link highlighted above.
The Nova Go Mini takes that concept but shrinks it still further in what Enya call a quarter size (though quarter of what exactly, I am not sure as the Go was already small!). It's certainly smaller though both in the body, but also in the scale length which comes down from 23" to a 20.25" scale. Because of that you lose some frets shrunk down from 20 to 18. It's otherwise the same sort of affair as the Nova Go, comes in black, white or pink, made from the same carbon fibre mix (not true carbon fibre!) composite body.. yadda yadda. Oh - and a hefty price drop to £129 through Enya too - when in stock (though they do seem to regularly crop up on Amazon for less!). For that price drop you do get a little less as out goes the funky pod case with strap that you can use as a guitar strap and the additional case candy, but for the big price drop that's no biggie for me.
Have a check of the video to see my thoughts, and the specs are below. In short - it's a bit of fun and played up the neck the sound can be quite pleasant. Like the bigger brother though, first position chords are a bit boomy and echoey and the shorter scale is highlighting the need for accuracy in the intonation setup as the 6th string is well out. Needs a bit of work, but probably achievable. Still, I prefer the standard Go guitar myself.
EDIT - have come to the view playing it this evening that the string gauge on stock strings is wrong. This needs narrower strings, particularly in the bass strings.
EDIT - have come to the view playing it this evening that the string gauge on stock strings is wrong. This needs narrower strings, particularly in the bass strings.
SPECS ROUNDUP
Model: Enya Nova Go Mini
Scale: 20.25" guitar
Body: Composite clamshell in Nova style
Bridge: Integral pin bridge
Neck: Integral to body with truss rod
Fingerboard: Richlite, radiused
Frets: 18, 14 to body, semi hemi dressed
Tuners: Enya brand sealed gears
Extras: Simple case, strap buttons, truss wrench
Weight: 1.425kg
Price: £129 at Enya often £99 elsewhere
PROS
Nice feel
Comfortable to hold and play
Well built in same way as other Nova's
Great frets and neck
Cheap
CONS
Muddy in first position
Wildly zippy tuners
Intonation needs work
Quiet
GUITAR REVIEW
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