Really impressed with my Nova and would recommend buying one, remember free strings are only supplied if instrument is bought from Enya direct does not apply if bought from Amazon.
@DakotaCovers Yes, the lifetime string deal ended...and I was surprised that they ever offered. There's some disagreement about Enya strings. I'm fine with them now, but there are people who hate them (saying they are too floppy)...which, of course, is their prerogative. A set of Martin strings is usually $5.99 (plus tax, and perhaps shipping), which is pretty affordable if you have a couple of ukuleles (unlike the store inventory I seem to have collected while reviewing...getting to be time to thin the herd). So I've never taken Enya up on the string offer!
Thank you for this detailed review! I've been watching your videos about Enya ukulele and I think I'd buy this one. But, you looked so different in this video! I hope you're always in good health 🙏🏻
I’ve had the Nova U with TransAcoustic for a bit over a month now and VERY VERY glad I canceled the basic model and upgraded to the TransAcoustic Nova U. Over a month now and only charged it once. I will still use my Enya EUP-X1 suprano but the Nova U will always be close by. Listening to the thorough review I now have absolutely no regrets now in buying the black one. Enya has a beautiful variety of Acoustic guitars of which I hope to purchase in the near future.
I’m working with a TransAcoustic and I’ll be writing a review soon. I’m still sorting the differences in my mind-and the TransAcoustic is, in most ways; equal to the acoustic version. It does add noticeable weight (I haven’t measured the specs yet) and makes it a bit less rugged...but I do have some thoughts about the electric aspects that I’ll share later. There are a number of new(er) brands on the US Market that are doing great things. Enya has my trust-and have announced a mahogany model that looks just like the Nova...and I plan to buy it (as long as it is somewhat affordable). I don’t play much guitar-but I’d certainly have no issues buying one of those either.
UkeStuff Firstly, thanks for the rapid reply back. And agreed, I am more then happy with Enyas quality. One question I have, and I’ll be asking Enya, or if your in the midst or checking out the Transacoustic model I need to know if the battery pack would be replaceable, I hate to think the TransAcoustic only has a limited lifespan.
I just sent an e-mail Enya...I'm not sure when I'll hear back, but when I do, I'll be sure to let you know. It's a good question...and something that will be good to answer when I write the full review soon.
UkeStuff I sent my question on this topic to enya last night, but the responds to your inquiry will reach many more ppl. Again, thanks for taking the time 👍
Here’s the response from Enya: The battery in the Nova TransAcoustic uke is not replaceable. Firstly, it's not a regular battery we can easily find. Secondly, the replacement process requires technical assistance. However, the battery is able to handle years of use, and we will be more than happy to help with the battery replacement if needed.
Chris I just saw Enya got the new Nova mini, a soprano size. Nut width according to their site is a tiny bit wider. When I compare to the concert on Enya's site, I think Enya probably made a typo on nut width of the concert spec. Personally I am still waiting for the Tenor version.
I am supposed to get one eventually; I will review the soprano Nova when it comes in. The tenor is slated for later this year, perhaps even early 2021, considering the global impact of 2020.
She will love it! I showed my fifth graders mine last year...and at least one student had their parents buy one...a pink one! Thanks for the comment! I appreciate it!
@@UkeStuff I bet you are an excellent teacher. Do you have any favorite online resources for learning to play Uke? I will probably learn as well and possibly my wife. I play guitar and have wanted to learn to play uke. I’ve heard that it is easier to learn than guitar. If I love it, I will get the same uke with electronics so I can plug it in when any of us play in our music room/studio. Thank you.
Regarding online resources: there are so many. I have a series of courses (free) called GCEA U and DGBE U which I made this summer to help people start off right, so they could then follow any other creator's work with a good foundation. Otherwise...check out anything from Ukulele Underground, Cynthia Lin, Bernadette Teaches Music, Matt Dahlberg, and Stu Fuchs...all excellent teachers with different strengths.
@@UkeStuff Thanks so much for the information. We will use your resources and some that you have recommended! Do you have a favorite printable chord chart recommendation? My daughter’s Enya Nova came this week. I played uke for the first time this morning. I LOVE the Enya Nova and playing uke in general. So easy and fun! My 8th grade daughter will love it and she really needs it because she has been anxious and depressed this year.
I saw where someone said this is a concert uke with a tenor scale (a super-concert?). I just got a black one and never got to GCEA tuning, I stopped one step below that to let the strings stretch a little and I liked the sound so much I never tuned it up higher, it actually has excellent intonation like that. I also had planned to use some matching gold paint and some painter's tape to make a Saints ukulele (I got good results when I did this to the cheap Kmise plastic uke), but now I'm hesitating, it looks too cool already to change it.
Definitely a concert scale uke. I was going to ask how your Saints ukulele worked out. I had a different model (I think still by Fuyxan) that was ordered in early March and it disappeared!
It's the easiest of my concert ukuleles to play and the best sounding of all my GCEA ukuleles. Now that I know I have strings for life, I'll take advantage of that. I love my white one and think it's worth twice the current price which is a good bit more than I paid in September. Great review, Chis! Rich
Thanks, Rich! I really like mine, too...and Frankenenya will be making an appearance soon. I've been fighting a terrible cold for most of two weeks and I'm just starting to feel like I might be coming out the other side of the ordeal!
@@UkeStuff I hope you get well soon. I got my flu shot in hopes not to be laid low by these bugs. Over the years we've noticed sickness, if it comes, doesn't last as long. (Maybe this is imagination, but seems to be.) I can remember some very awful experiences while traveling and performing before we got flu shots. Anyway, hopefully you're on the mend and looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. Rich
19:16 Against 💔💔💔 Environmental Examination(I hate myself for titling this 😭) I love this review you did, it fulfilled a lot of people's question and exciting one too. My question was, if you and possible glue it back could it still be an instrument? If it could, suggesting name it "White Phoenix"
Thanks! I can't believe you didn't put a piece of the destructo-uke in the freezer for a couple hours to see if it would stand up to a Wisconsin winter. ;-) Very informative review otherwise!
I was interested to learn that the saddle is a separate piece on the Nova, since it suggested it might be possible to lower the action if desired by sanding the bottom as necessary. But with that notch that you pointed out on the underside, would that still be possible? (Though I would agree that an action of 2.5 mm out of the box is excellent.)
I haven't measured the notch; although I'll get another chance. I actually repaired the Enya I broke, and it was doing fine...but I dropped it at school today and the headstock fell off. I have to get something like JB Weld for the neck, I think.
There is no tenor size of this...yet. There was supposed to be a soprano and tenor in March, but that was before COVID-19 disrupted everything worldwide. They're still coming, but I haven't heard when.
SOS! I just received mine and it seems that the strings were placed improperly. Instead of GCEA, I'm getting DACG. I know how to tune a ukulele since I have others. Perhaps, I should change the strings but I shouldn't have to do that since I just took it out of the box. I have contacted Enya but there's no reply and considering what we are dealing with throughout the world they might not reply anytime soon. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. By the way, your video was great! Thank you kindly!
Well, enya-music.com is located here in the US, and China is picking back up as they've already gone through the worst of things. We still have 3 months to go if we follow the same arc. As for the strings...That's really weird. It's an odd question, but do you have a digital caliper? It would be interesting to check the thickness of each string to see if they simply put them on in the wrong order--which I could see happening. A lot of people don't like the Enya strings...I'm okay with this current type (an earlier type was floppy), but I've played mine so much that it is ready for a string change soon (I can feel the grooves on the underside of the string). If you can measure the strings, let me know what you find out. The thinnest should be A (String 1), the next G (String 4), then E (String 2) and the thickest should be String 3. If the thicknesses are correct, then you should be able to tune it to pitch.
@DakotaCovers There are ukuleles tuned "linear" where the strings go in order, like a guitar (Low G). But the traditional tuning of the ukulele is reentrant, taken from the rajão, one of the instruments that the ukulele was based on by the original immigrants to Hawaii in 1879.
@@UkeStuff Interesting. So, the ones tuned like guitars are DGBE? Are those always baritone ukes? If I want to learn as a guitar player, should I try that linear tuning or is it better to learn the traditionally tuned uke for some reasons?
