Enya X3 Pro Mini: Carbon Fiber Under $400!

[@alkitzman9179]

Wow Mark that little Guitar sounds very good with all those effects . And of course youre top Level playing.

[@clemlabelle8740]

wow. this guitar kicks butt. I'm definitely going to pick one up next week. Thanks for the info!

[@8MinuteAxe]

I totally recommend it. I like it just as much as I say in the video

[@MichaelDutle]

Good review, Mark. It's pretty versatile and sturdy. I still like the mellow sound of my wooden acoustics.

[@biffgordon8468]

Sweet little guitar! Super versatile and would be a great unitary to pick up and take anywhere.

[@8MinuteAxe]

It's funny, I was walking the dogs and trying to think of three words that describe it. Versatile was #1 (followed by indestructible and compact). :)

[@biffgordon8468]

Err.. I meant to say unit , not unitary!

[@javatar1900]

I have the nova go and love it. I tested the X4, and want one to supplement my wood taylors ( that I don't have to baby with humidity management )

[@rossgill7462]

Sounds like a fun little guitar to noodle around on. Maybe a step up from Yamaha's Transacoustics?

[@roberthudson9942]

Mark great video I am very impressed with the Enya I need a good travel guitar

[@colemowry8681]

Really well done review and then you pull out “breezin” at the end!!! SLAY!!

[@8MinuteAxe]

I'm gonna hit you in 3 min

[@amandadavidson6228]

This just shot to the top of my Christmas list!

[@8MinuteAxe]

numero dos

[@carlbaumeister3439]

Excellent review, as always! Except for the “Wah” feature, which didn’t really sound very “Wah-ee” to me, everything else is pretty cool!

[@stankruger6823]

The guitar sounds amazing. I like your approach to Breezin too. Great dynamics.

[@8MinuteAxe]

My approach was missing the part. DOH

[@freesk8]

I'm looking for a guitar like this! Thanks! :)

[@bsaj1]

Missed live... sorry... Fabulous demo as ever.... a looper would be nice as per Hyvibe?

[@thebaldshredder]

Great job Mark! I just checked out the same guitar, but I forgot to do the hyper dermic needle test! Dang! But seriously, this is a fantastic guitar. I love it and highly recommend it to anyone.

[@8MinuteAxe]

Hey Richard. I've been meaning to reach out to you for weeks now. I want to share a couple of things with you as well as give you some feedback and a question regarding the pickups (I finally installed them). I caught 2 minutes of your live show. I had intended to watch and then I got bogged down in Rok Lok stuff. Shoot me an email if you're around this weekend. Again, I can't say enough about your work ethic. Amazing output. Have a great weekend. Mark

[@thebaldshredder]

@@8MinuteAxe I sent you an email a couple days ago.

[@geohaber]

Rainsong just announced they are closing up shop. Their carbon fiber guitar are a couple thousand dollars. Enya sounds really great for a fraction of the price.

[@jed1166]

Yes, it sounds pretty darn good. But luckily, I have 2 RainSong jumbos. A 6 string Concert series, and a 12 string Black Ice series, both with Anthem pickups. Great instruments that gets compliments every time I get on stage. I add some chorus and reverb through my amp, then send that signal through the PA. (It’s a shame that RainSong is closing, but I’ve got mine!). AND, they will last forever… not sure if this one will be playable in a decade. BTW, a friend of mine, real professional, often plays the previous model Enya Pro on stage and it sounds great through the PA.

[@geohaber]

@@jed1166 What do you think the closing of Rainsong will do to the market for the existing guitars? Drive prices up or down?

[@jed1166]

@@geohaber I am not sure. But, I do feel that they did not sell the name, in order to protect the reputation and value of the nearly 22,000 high guitars they have built / will finish building,(my 12 string was purchased this year, and is #21,179). If they sold the name, and someone used it on production line, injection molded, imported guitars, like an Enya, or Lava Me, it would really cheapen the RainSong name, and as a result, the value of these 22,000ish USA hand built, woven fiber guitars. This was strictly a family business, run by the son-in-law of the founder. I think protecting the name was much more important to the family then a few extra bucks for the name. I have played on stages for almost 40 years, and I have never bought a guitar based on what it might be worth later…. I only cared about tone and playability on stage. Before I found RainSong, my go to’s were Japanese built Takamines, which are awesome. But, the RainSongs with LR Baggs Anthems sound incredible plugged in, and I don’t have to humidify them / worry about them, in the arid Phoenix climate… just leave them on a stand, until gig time. And, they are bulletproof…. My granddaughter’s granddaughter will be able to play mine! That is value, in my mind. So, if you want to buy a great guitar to play, and that will never need repairs, go to their website and buy a new one at a great price. If you are looking for collectors value, I just don’t know…. Brad Whitford, of Aerosmith recently listed his 12 string on Reverb, for $4,800. Brad is rightfully famous, so his guitar is worth more than a new one sold for. But nobody ever hears about the other 99.9% that play smaller gigs, so difficult to factor how much of the price was based on his fame. One last thought: RainSong was the only carbon fiber guitar maker to build non-cutaway dreadnoughts and Jumbos. This was a huge factor for me, as I hate cutaways on acoustics. Both of my jumbos are full body guitars that really boom! Maybe this will make the remaining dreadnoughts and jumbos a little more valuable? Good luck! Keep strummin’!

[@jefferyclark351]

@@jed1166looks like rainsong caught you in the rain without a umbrella and robbed you .

[@jed1166]

@@jefferyclark351 why would you say that? I have two extraordinary, 100% WOVEN,(not injection molded), carbon fiber guitars, that sound great on stage, and will last centuries… I’d buy them again, except I wouldn’t need to, because they will still sound and play great when my great grandchildren play them… sorry, but just don’t get your perspective. Keep strumming!

[@sandrataylor51]

I wasn't expecting it to sound as good or as versatile as that was Mark, what a great demonstration of a new type of guitar. I may ask Santa 🎅 to add one to his list for me 🎸🎸🎸🙂🙂🙂

[@8MinuteAxe]

Take a look at the Nova go as well. If you don't mind the really small body, it actually resonates a little more.

[@user79592]

Sounds great

[@NDFlyFisher]

Great review Mark. This guitar sounds really good. And a really good price too. I am curious as to how it holds up against a machete. What kind of post machete set up/tuning is required? Keep up the great work. I love your guitar and gear reviews.

[@stringmantony]

Excellent video, Mark! Thanks for letting us know about this guitar.

[@8MinuteAxe]

Thank you for taking the time to check it out. Have a great weekend. Mark

[@JohnstownJohnny]

Another great one! Tks! 😂🎉🤠

[@ffggddss]

"And all the guitars that I've ever owned or wanted to own have one thing in common - they're all made of wood." So you never had or wanted an Ovation? Glen Campbell promoted it when it was new, back around 1970 if memory serves, and it was made of plastic or fiberglass or some other synthetic material. And it was different in shape, having a curved, rather than flat, back. Anyway, that Enya is really something. Intrigued by all those features...and the sound is mind-blowing! Fred

[@ffggddss]

PS. Whence the name? Did they name it (or their company) after the lead singer of Clannad (who later became a solo artist)?

[@8MinuteAxe]

Hey Fred. I have a 1974 ovation GC Signature 12 string and in 2018 I sold a 1988 custom legend that I bought brand new. I had the pleasure of meeting aviation legend and Ovation creator Charlie Kaman. He was living out the last years of his life in CT. Charlie used the same technology he used to revolutionize helicopter blades. The key elements of the ovations I've owned are wood. Solid spruce top, spruce soundboard, mahogany neck and headstock. Carved mahogany bridge. I know they've switched to CF for their newer guitars. Even though I've owned two, I've never been a big fan. Too thin and too much of that nasal.tone for my taste. Not sure about origin of Enya name. They did ask me to play at NAMM which is pretty cool.i hope you're well and I hope you have a nice holiday. Take care. Mark

[@ffggddss]

@@8MinuteAxe Thanks for the reply. That's awesome! Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and/or whatever, too!

[@tomg8888]

Great review, might just look in to it!!

[@8MinuteAxe]

I'm going to look into your question a little more.

[@ericstockman1627]

Wow.

[@garym5676]

Mark, thanks for the review to something that will definitely have an application for live music!

[@8MinuteAxe]

Hey Gary. Thank you for checking it out. It resonates so naturally. I couldn't quite get the sound across in the video. I really appreciate your time and comment. Take care. Mark

[@carleubanks3386]

I put off watching this video because I didn't think I'd be interested. Now I 've watched four times and counting. Good review Mark.

[@RicardoPerez-fj6vq]

Great demonstration 🎉 I was hesitant on purchasing but after so much research for a guitar that works ok even in bad weather days, and now I know what I'll be using ; the guitar itself even without the effects seems to be worth the cost, and a few days of gigging should cover the cost 😊

[@billhansen9]

fully loaded with Rok Loks! Thanks Mark. I would've never looked twice before! Now I think I need one

[@8MinuteAxe]

Hey Bill. Better late than never. I'm usually really good about returning comments right away but I let this one get away from me. I hope you're digging the Rok-Loks. My friend Brian usually gives me a heads up about any upcoming coffee houses. As soon as I hear anything, I'll relay the message. Take care. Mark

[@stevenkarnisky411]

Enya guitar sounds like a winner. Sound quality is very nice! Internal speaker is nice touch. You don't mention whether it is loud enough to fill a room or gig with. My travel needs require plane travel, so I recently purchased a Journey carbon fiber travel guitar. Also electric/acoustic, but no onboard speaker or effects. The Journey advantage is that the neck can be detached and stored, with the body, in a case that will fit the overhead bins of planes! There is extra space and compartments. I was able to carry my tablet, cpap machine, chargers, as well as a fair amount of clothes, some actually inside the guitar body. There is no need to detach the strings! A velcro strap holds them together in the middle, while the neck slips into a dedicated pocket in the case. Takes me a minute of two to detach and stow the guitar in the case, and about the same to reassemble. Only minimal re-tuning is needed after reassembly, and sometimes none at all! Several people on this trip commented upon the good sound qualities of the guitar. The body is closer to parlor guitar size than full, and the scale length is 24.5 if I remember correctly. Price of guitar and travel case around $1200. The Journey stays assembled at home, and is in the regular rotation of six and twelve strings I play.

[@roklok9856]

I notice that it's Rok-Lok compatible. That makes 186 out of 199

[@8MinuteAxe]

Rokin and lockin

[@bobshomewoodshop7996]

Sorry I missed the premiere, I always enjoy the discussion. I was really impressed with the sound of the guitar. I don't travel, but it's something I may consider keeping at my retail store so I could practice at slow times during the day.

[@8MinuteAxe]

Sorry it took two weeks to respond. You're closing in on 1000. Very impressive. I remember that my goal was 1000 after the first year. 6 months in I changed my goal to 300, thinking that I'd never get there. Take care. Mark

[@bobshomewoodshop7996]

I'm just short of 700 subs, and just recently went over 3,000 watch hours, so once I get approved I will be at the new first level of monetization at 500/3,000.@@8MinuteAxe

[@jimkelehan1366]

Could or would you use this as a primary guitar for gigging?

[@dh2970]

Mark - Nice review, I have been thinking about a carbon guitar for the varying humidity conditions I encounter when camping. Does the truss rod look good? Is it straightforward to set up?

[@8MinuteAxe]

Sorry for the two week delay. The truss is solid and the guitar holds the adjustment well. I even have mine just past straight which I never do with any other guitar and it's consistent up and down the neck. The resonance is spectacular. Once people get over the parting from tradition, I think the entry level market is going to be dominated by CF. $400 for a guitar that resonates like a J200. Thanks for always supporting. Mark

[@taewankim6283]

I love how you said it's made of richlite like you know what that is.

[@AnthonyPtak]

I love my Enya acoustic guitar!

[@Oklatucky_Guitarman]

I love the prospect of a carbon fiber acoustic at an attainable price point!

[@clatesimerly8469]

Like to hear it with a slide for blues.

[@8MinuteAxe]

That's a good call. It has those coated strings so I didn't even attempt since my slide playing is crude at best to begin with!

[@mstack1949]

Hey Mark - very cool little guitar and a great review (as usual). If I were not in the throes of "thinning-the-herd" I'd maybe...hmmm, but it DOES sound pretty good and you say it's indestructible?

[@8MinuteAxe]

LOL. It's so funny that you say that. I had guitars everywhere in my studio this morning and the Enya was precariously leaning against my 335. I don't know how my guitars made it through the years without broken necks or worse...if there is worse. Have a great weekend. Mark. (sorry for the delayed reply)

[@FarrellMcGovern]

Nice guitar, Mark. If I didn't have my Ovation 6 string for campfire playing and travelling I would definitely consider the Enya. A couple of my friends have Enya carbon fibre ukuleles for playing around the campfire, and they stand up great. I, too have been picked up the uke and I am having fun with it. Fiddling with it, I discovered I could play Hawkwind's "Silver Machine", and as I learn at a greater pace when I have a goal to work towards, I currently aim to learn The Battle of Evermore on uke! Also, the intro to live intro to The Trees by Rush is a piece called "Broon's Bane", named after their long time producer, Terry Brown. It is a whole bunch of arpegiated chords, and after looking at a transcription for ukulele, I think it might be easier to play on ukulele than it is on guitar! Take care!

[@8MinuteAxe]

Hey Farrell. I haven't talked to you in a while. I apologize for the two week delay. I was weened on Rush. That being said, although I know the band Hawkwind, I've never owned any of their stuff. I remember back in the early 90s when Gentle Giant, Hawkwind, Steeleye Span, Wishbone Ash were all $25 import CDs. I picked one big winner though. Argus by Wishbone Ash. One of my all time favorite albums. As far as the CF, the resonance is remarkable, isn't it. I used to play Broon's Bane with a friend of mine. He used it for his audition to Berklee back in 1987. He got in. :). Have a great weekend. Mark

[@FarrellMcGovern]

Broon's Bane is one of those instrumental pieces that is yet another golden nugget from Alex Lifeson who wrote so many wonderful guitar parts for Rush songs! As for the resonance of CF, my 12-string Ovation is a full bowl, and it has so many rich and unique tones. I sadly have not been able to play it for years...at one point I was living in Charlotte, NC, and my friend was going to come down to visit and bring the guitar down for me. Unfortunately, it was during the winter, and he stayed somewhere overnight and left the guitar in the trunk of the car. The cold caused the strings to contract and that warped the top of the guitar so that the action made it almost unplayable. It is only recently that I have had enough money to get it repaired...but it has sat in it's case for over a decade now...I bought another 12-string Ovation of the same vintages..but it just doesn't feel right. I had to go through half a dozen Ovations before I picked the one I got so long ago...You know when a guitar feels just right...and it's hard to say why. The replacement was just as playable as the original, but it just wasn't...right. 😞 Speaking of Gentle Giant, The A/V tech at my high school used to share a house with the members of Gentle Giant. That must have been very cool, and Guy indeed was very cool. He gave me and one other person the run of the A/V lab, and subbed in to run movies/tapes/etc for classes when Guy was busy. I was lucky in finding Hawkwind albums through the 1980s and 1990s. I got to see them twice in Canada, once was in Toronto, and once here in Ottawa at the famous Barrymores Music Hall. The Ottawa show was somewhat infamous with the band...at the time Barrymores was on the verge of going out of business, and they did *no* advertising for the show. Not even contacting the local Rock station, CHEZ 106! I was on the internet even back then and had read in Hawkwind Newsgroup that they were playing Ottawa. So I told everyone I knew about the show, and a friend offered to pick us all up in his minivan. So I brought 6 people to the show, and had told another who was a DJ at CHEZ the night before, and he was somewhat flabbergasted about the lack of even notice that the band was playing. Courtesy of the Internet, I can see now that it was 15 May 1991. WIth the 7 people I was responsible for, there was maybe a dozen people in the club for the show, besides the staff! In and interview with band leader Dave Brock, when asked about the worst concert Hawkwind had ever played he said it was somewhere in Canada with almost no one there...and what was worse, one person sat and read a book throughout the show, ignoring the band! That was the driver of the minivan...he's a little bit strange. :-) So it was practically a private show with Hawkwind, and we all got to meet the band afterwards. Dave Brock and the other members of the bamd were very nice to us. Fun chatting !!

[@8MinuteAxe]

I bought an Ovation Custom legend from a guy at college when I was 19. I'm not sure where he got it and although this was 33 years ago, I vaguely remember not wanting to know. That was my only acoustic for 10 years. I wrote probably 500 songs on it, played 300+ gigs...and never really liked it. LOL. I found a guy in Chicago that was looking for one to restore (mine was in great shape but he wanted it perfect). It ended up working out well for all. I gave it to him for $450, he and I are now close friends, and he loves the guitar more than I ever did. I met Charlie Kaman a few years before he died. Have a great holiday!

[@FarrellMcGovern]

@@8MinuteAxe Very cool to have met Kaman!

[@EasyHeat]

Dude! That's crazy awesome!

[@esugumshoe]

Great review, nice guitar!

[@joecoo4615]

Love mine got a problem..... What soundhole/ Feedback Buster. Will fit this guitar? Bought three different sizes none fit. As a late night jammer ....Muting the sound will save my relationship

[@PaulBridges-v9t]

😂lol Mark, you are hilarious, I liked the Metamucil part. The guitar sounds very nice. Just curious about if there are any issues adjusting the truss rod, not sure if carbon fiber has a memory retention

[@8MinuteAxe]

Sorry for the delayed response. The truss rod is great. Straight as an arrow without much pullback. I was thinking the same thing. It's a really nice sounding guitar in the room. Resonates really well. I've been using it for lessons and I really enjoy playing it. Have a great weekend. Mark

[@keiththurm3885]

Nice review

[@8MinuteAxe]

Hey Keith. I appreciate that. I really enjoy the guitar. I've been using it for lessons and for songwriting. Sorry for the two week lag. I've been inundated with family stuff. Take care. Mark

[@RandyInRuins]

For the fingerpicking demos, were you playing flesh on steel or nails?

[@8MinuteAxe]

Hey Randy. You're one of the first people (in about 10,000 comments) to ask me about my fingerstyle playing. I've done almost 250 videos and rarely do I do any fingerstyle even though that's what I devote most of my time playing these days. I started playing fingerstyle seriously about 4 years ago. I took both of Tommy E's courses and then I took lessons from Brooks Robertson (online stuff). Although I do grow the nails on my right hand just over the fingertip I usually use flesh. I've been doing a lot of percussive stuff over the last year and I've gravitated away from the thumb pick but I still like the boom chik the best. The hardest part of using the fleshy part of the finger is that when you start getting reasonably proficient and you're focusing on bringing out that melody, it's a lot harder to get consistently clean strikes and have control of the dynamics. I tried growing my nails but they'd always break. I hope that helps a little. I appreciate you checking out the video. Please take care and enjoy the weekend. Mark

[@kenstogie]

Does the USB C Out to DAW work with an IPAD or MAC?? I mean alot of folks use Garageband....

[@LowAnimal23]

Is this a good guitar for someone looking to learn how to play? I've never even touched one before. But I kinda want to learn.

[@Charles53412]

So Mark what is the difference with the Enya compared to the Lava other than carbon fiber?

[@8MinuteAxe]

Hey Charles. I haven't tried the Lava but I'm very curious. The resonance on these guitars is spectacular. Very natural sounding and big. I don't know if they have very innovative engineering or if that's one of the consistent advantages of CF. I bought the guitar on a complete whim. I hadn't even looked at a CF before a few weeks ago. Sorry for the delayed response. The last couple of weeks really got away from me. I hope you have a great weekend. Mark

[@Charles53412]

@@8MinuteAxe I was really impressed with the Enya and agree with your review. For some reason I had thought you tried the Lava. Now I even more curious to a matchup. I always value your incite on new products. Maybe this is one that could be done in the future. I'm going to say that the CF may sound just a bit better, due to the resonation being able to sustain longer. Have a great weekend yourself Mark ! Oh and if you haven't checkout Geddy Lee's New book " My Effin Life" ! Awesome Read !

[@8MinuteAxe]

I literally typed the words "I was weened on Rush" 15 seconds before this. I used to be a voracious reader (I did my postgraduate work in linguistics). Now I feel like I don't have the time. Everybody tells me audio books are fantastic. My wife just started and she loves them. I may make that my first.

[@Charles53412]

@@8MinuteAxe Right on Mark and it is available in audio book form. I hope you get the chance to listen or read it ! Until the next time, Keep On Jamin On ! Oh and I got Rok Locs on the way !

[@MathewTip]

Bought a preloved Lava, sold it 10 days later, currently the very happy owner of the Enya X4 Pro full size

[@geohaber]

“The Metamucil of guitars.” Hah!

[@8MinuteAxe]

LMAO. I wanted to make sure that somebody caught it. That and the knife and needle jokes were the only ones that made the cut other than the stuff in the description. :)

[@merrillcannon2029]

Do any stores carry these ?

[@CthulhuInc]

since i was committed recently, i think i will ask mom to bring me one of those mark! i mean, getting one of these might prove that i don't belong in here! heehee! love from canada! 🙃

[@8MinuteAxe]

Hey brother. So sorry for the two week lag. I'm so behind on everything. I'm drowning in Rok Lok land. LOL. Not a bad problem to have. Take care and have a great weekend. Mark

[@davegreeley]

Like #69

[@jaxchiro]

Can anyone comment on whether or not this guitar sounds “small” or “cheap” in the room ? I once owned a Taylor GS Mini and to me that guitar sounded more like a toy.

[@8MinuteAxe]

You're killing me. I love my Taykor mini. I have the koa with the upgraded pickup. The one big advantage of carbon fiber is the ability to really resonate the top. Also, the internal doesn't sound like a speaker. That being said, I remember when I bought my 410. I wanted the sound of a dreadnought in an auditorium with a cutaway. V bracing, this, that, and the other, you can't trick physics right? I sounds bigger than in is. It's awesome for percussive guitar because you can play thr kick and the top side snare worry free. I hope that helps have a great weekend again.Take care mark

[@bassdale17]

Carbon fiber this guitar has unpredictable electronics as the chips keep cutting out made it a instrument I could not rely on.

[@vntgmike]

3:03 😂

[@howardklein9834]

She sounds nice but I'm still a "wood" guy.

[@Altan_Orgil]

Sounds great and a smart use of technology.

[@8MinuteAxe]

Two things Howard. Sorry for the two week delay and the one thing that I wasn't able to capture is the incredible natural resonance of the guitar. It has a remarkably woody tone. For a mini to sound like a J200 is crazy. That being said, I do like wood too. The aesthetic, the tradition. Although I do think Roger Moore was the best Bond. I'm not a huge Bond fan but I grew up when he was Bond and I like the more campy comedic style. I will say that Moore didn't get the pick of the litter when it came to scripts. :)

[@8MinuteAxe]

Well said.

[@zaidahmed7375]

#winaguitar

[@MrInfiniteMusicChannel]

#wina12string

[@jtaucoin8293]

winaguitar

[@filipfialka5862]

#winaguitar #wina12string