Enya Music introduces the Nova Go Sonic Smart Audio Electric Guitar, featuring premium pickups, ergonomic design, onboard speaker & presets, and durable carbon fiber construction. With versatile connectivity options and OTG recording capability, this innovative guitar is perfect for modern musicians.
Designed for the modern musician, the Nova Go Sonic boasts a unique combination of features:
- Premium Pickups: Dual Alnico humbuckers deliver a wide range of tones, from warm vintage vibes to powerful crunch and lead sounds, suitable for diverse playing styles.
- Ergonomic Design: The asymmetrical neck and chambered body construction ensure exceptional comfort and playability. Additionally, a push-pull volume knob provides access to classic "In-Between" tones.
- Onboard Speaker & Presets: Jam anywhere with a powerful 10-watt speaker. Four built-in presets (Clean, Overdrive, Crunch, Lead) offer instant tonal options, each customizable via the ENYA MUSIC APP.
- Durable & Versatile: Crafted from carbon fiber, the Nova Go Sonic is resistant to temperature and humidity changes. Standard connectivity options (6.35mm output, 3.5mm headphone jack) allow for practice, playing live, and recording. The USB Type-C port enables both charging and OTG recording directly to your phone.
Nova Go Sonic will be available starting 2024/03/20 in the United States, at $349.99.
For more information, please visit enya-music.com.
Nova Go Sonic: Smart Carbon Fiber Electric Guitar | Enya
Luthier Ken Parker blends old world lutherie and aerospace tech materials, proving that wood and carbon fiber can dance together in a romantic tango of sonic bliss.
In the guitar market, classic models still have the biggest influence, but the future is lurking.
In the ever-evolving music industry, the electric guitar stands as an enduring stalwart, having shaped the sonic landscape for generations without much physical change. I’ve joked about the state of the guitar before, but let’s take a more serious view of what’s happening in the guitar business. It’s apparent that the classics continue to wield influence, while also undergoing a transformation reflective of the current tech era.
First, let’s consider the resonance of tradition. The vintage trade has never been more robust, and sale prices are at an all-time high. Of course, those rising price tags mean that more cost-effective, vintage-inspired designs are continuing to attract buyers. As a consequence, budget-conscious guitarists are gravitating towards instruments that pay homage to the golden era of rock ’n’ roll, which now encompasses “shredder” guitars as well. At the higher end of the price range, boutique luthiers and established brands alike continue crafting instruments that marry the timeless elegance of yesteryear with modern touches—with varying results.
The aftermarket is awash with the same strategy. Take, for instance, the drumbeat of PAF-style pickups—the holy grail of vintage tone. It’s the tone that everyone wants, but few have actually heard firsthand. Still, discerning players seek out guitars fitted with these replicas, their imaginations yearning for the warm, creamy sound that defined the bluesy (recorded) licks of legends. With the marketplace flooded with PAF imposters, it may be just a matter of time before more recent pickup designs become subject to widespread recreation. A case in point is the resurgence of the T-Top Gibson humbucker, which was the less cherished replacement to the PAF.
And it’s not only pickups. In the spirit of this quest for retro authenticity, some builders have gone a step further, meticulously recreating or improving upon other vintage components, ostensibly to capture the elusive magic of bygone eras. The difficulty for consumers to compare these products to the “real” thing is a conundrum that works in the maker’s favor. In the end, if you like what you hear, that’s what matters.
“As vintage-aesthetic fatigue sets in among some players, carbon fiber, aerospace alloys, and 3D-printed components are pushing the boundaries of what was once deemed sacred.”
Despite the constant dialogue about the golden age of guitars, the electric market is no stranger to innovation. Effect and amp builders offer both digital and analog impressions of vintage products, and there is a faction also pressing ahead into options never imagined in the past. In a world fueled by technological leaps, guitar amplification has embraced a metamorphosis in the realm of digital signal processing, where guitars are not mere instruments but also game controllers for a myriad of sonic possibilities. More and more, modeling technology is becoming the alchemist’s potion, allowing players to summon the tones of iconic amps and effects with a simple twist of a knob. Or at least, as the saying goes, close enough for rock ’n’ roll. It’s tempting to write off these devices based on early attempts, but as processing power gets more powerful and costs come down, we may see the final triumph of solid-state.
The tech touch is also evident in the rise of avant-garde designs and materials. As vintage-aesthetic fatigue sets in among some players, carbon fiber, aerospace alloys, and 3D-printed components are pushing the boundaries of what was once deemed sacred. Whereas previous attempts to integrate aerospace materials were laughable, modern-day artisans are crafting guitars that twist convention, challenging players to rethink their perceptions of what a cool electric guitar can be. The juxtaposition of tradition and innovation is not always a clash but a quest, where the echoes of the past might resonate in harmony with the cutting-edge present.
The democratization of luthiery has also given rise to a thriving custom and boutique market. When I started building instruments, there was no StewMac, and information was a guarded secret. Now, with social media as their stage, thousands of small-scale builders showcase their take on the past or their stab at the future. Like the craft-beer movement, small-shop guitar-making has turned into a significant hobby. These creations stand as testament to the artisanal spirit now driving the guitar market forward.
Yet, as we traverse the landscape of the electric-guitar market, it’s crucial to acknowledge the challenges. The digital age has ushered in a paradox—while virtual instruments and home-studio setups offer unprecedented accessibility, they also pose a threat to the tactile experience of playing a physical instrument. The allure of instant gratification in the form of digital plugins challenges the traditional methods that have defined the soul of the electric guitar for decades.
In my view, the electric-guitar market is a tapestry woven with threads of tradition and innovation. It’s a place where vintage sensibilities mix with cutting-edge technology, and the esoteric meets the mainstream. As players and builders continue to search for new ways to differentiate themselves, the electric guitar remains an ever-evolving muse, resonating with the echoes of the past while charting a course towards an exciting future. In other words, just as it has always been.A spruce-and-carbon-fusion top yields a tough, sweetly ringing dread with a more traditional look. The Premier Guitar RainSong V-DR1100N2 review.
RatingsPros:Spruce top lends natural look. Super playable. Tuning stable. Excellent string-to-string definition and detail. Ultra-light and comfortable. Virtually indestructible. Cons: Expensive, no included electronics, lack of low-end overtones. Street: $3,299 RainSong V-DR1100N2 rainsong.com | Tones:  Playability:  Build/Design: Value:  |
I don’t know about you, but if I see one more gray smartphone, house, or gray-clad coder-bro in a dark gray Tesla, I think I might lose my mind. Me? I love the hues of spring, of nature, and custom-color Fenders. Dark gray? It might as well be color-wheel shorthand for surveillance capitalism, Zuck’s hoodie, and bad sci-fi-movie set design.
Some of the fascination with gray in modern industrial design probably derives from its association with carbon fiber—a super-light, ultra-strong material that, incidentally, makes really nice acoustic guitars. Carbon fiber acoustic guitars can be great instruments. They could care less about extreme heat or cold. They take endangered woods out of the guitar-building equation. They can sound lively and powerful. Better still, they’re tough enough to live with a klutz like me without ever gathering a ding, scratch, or dent. Unfortunately, many of these instruments never get a chance from purists and traditionalists, because, well, let’s just say they’re not the color of wood.
With its new Vintage Series guitars, though, RainSong may have built a carbon fiber guitar even hard-boiled traditionalists can appreciate. RainSong achieves this appeal simply: by grafting a layer of spruce to the carbon fiber top. But the V-DR1100N2 reviewed here has virtues beyond a simple facelift. It’s a tuning-stable, punchy, playable, and super comfortable guitar that you can take on a cross-country road trip without a worry about how long it sits in a hot trunk.
Diet Sandwich
If you’re not familiar with the process of carbon fiber construction, RainSong hosts an illuminating video on YouTube that details the V-DR1100N2’s build process. Like most carbon fiber guitars, the RainSong is constructed using thin carbon fiber sheets and molds. The method sometimes seems to meld the arts of plastic injection molding and baking a pastry. But the end product is anything but delicate. The RainSong is super light and incredibly sturdy.
The V-DR1100N2 sacrifices little in way of weight or durability by adding a bookmatched layer of spruce to the top, which is just a few millimeters thick and makes up the thinner part of the carbon fiber/spruce sandwich. It’s affixed to a sheet of carbon fiber with adhesive and baked into a rigid whole. Interestingly, RainSong’s top uses no bracing, relying instead on the inherent rigidity of the carbon fiber to resist the tension of the strings. And it doesn’t take a PhD in physics to imagine the resonant potential of such an unencumbered soundboard. The back and sides of the guitar are actually a single piece of carbon fiber, which is then affixed to the top and the single-piece, truss-rod-reinforced carbon fiber neck.
The neck on our review guitar features RainSong’s N2 profile. (The dreadnought body can also be ordered with the slimmer, truss-rod-free N1 profile neck, or the NS neck, which joins the body at the 12th fret. There is also a 12-string option.) The N2 profile is a thick, satisfying, vintage-styled shape that evokes ’50s Martins and some Gibsons of the same era without ever feeling too hefty. The truss rod lets you adjust the neck relief, but the strong carbon fiber construction also means the neck requires a less substantial heel, which facilitates access to the upper frets.
The body itself is a pleasure to cradle. The shape is unique—combining elements of a square-shouldered Martin Dreadnought and a round-shouldered Gibson J-45 into a slim-waisted silhouette that is more curvaceous than either of those classics. The carbon-fiber construction enables the use of soft edges on the back that feel super comfortable against the ribs. Factor in the light weight, and you’ve got a big-bodied acoustic that you can play for hours on end without fatigue.
Focus and Force
It’s hard to know if the spruce section of the RainSong’s top has much effect on the sonic make-up. I suspect that the resonant, brace-less carbon fiber top has greater influence on the sound. But regardless of materials, the RainSong has a forceful voice. In terms of pure volume, it can rival the output of a mahogany-and-spruce J-45 while sounding a little less loud than a rosewood-backed Martin dread’. But the biggest distinction between those classic dreadnoughts and the RainSong is apparent in its midrange focus. That’s not to say the RainSong doesn’t possess a strong bottom end. Sixth-string notes ring distinctly and with great articulation. But you hear fewer of the piano-like frequency overtones that define a dread’ like a D-28, and a lot more presence and sustain in midrange and high harmonics.
Depending on your tastes and the application, this is no bad thing. With so much midrange presence and high-end zing, the RainSong excels at adding shimmer and animation to rhythm strumming—retaining sparkle when you use a thin pick and a light touch, and great string-to-string detail and resistance to note blur and compression when you attack with a heavy pick and weightier hand. In the studio—and in busy mixes—this kind of balance can be invaluable. It’s also useful in fingerstyle situations, where the RainSong’s ringing, precise trebles dovetail sweetly with the modest but resonant low end.
The Verdict
When guitarists talk about versatility, they’re usually referring to a breadth of tone possibilities. The RainSong V-DR1100N2 is certainly versatile in this respect, spanning sparkling, mid-centric, and ready-to-layer strumming tones with balanced, ringing, flat and fingerpicked sounds. But the RainSong’s versatility also extends to its practicality. It can travel long, hard miles with you in the back of a car without inducing anxiety over wood or finish cracks. And that same toughness means you can leave it lying around a house full of slobbering dogs and reckless children without visions of splinters dancing in your head. Expensive though it may be, the RainSong V-DR1100N2 is a guitar that will reward your investment with lasting playability, satisfying sounds, and a cockroach’s ability to survive.