I've had the guitar for about two months. I bought it myself, so I wasn't as biased as some reviewers that were given guitars. If you're interested here's my pros & Cons: Pros: Guitar does sound great. it is a decent electric/acoustic, but really shines in being able to get on board effects without amplification The guitar has nice finish & feel, however I'm used to playing a well set-up Taylor 614 so the action is just a smidge high for my taste. I may shave the bridge a bit eventually. FX are great. Playing un-amped they add a good flavor. Forget about the distortion setting unless you're running through an amp. Case is nice and solid and protects the guitar well. More on the case below. Charger cradles the guitar snuggly and automatically charges the guitar. It's USB-C and doesn't come with a charger, so you may need an adapter for the cable. Other than that, most reviews give a far better report on the capabilities of the instrument, so check them out like I did. Cons. These are things no reviewer seems to be addressing: My lava has a nice blue metallic finish. Looks very cool. While the guitar is made of carbon fiber, I'm not sure how well the finish will hold up. I'm pretty careful with all my guitars and most I've owned for decades and they still look almost showroom. My lava has a couple of minor scratches already that I have no idea where they came from. ELECTRONICS. The touch screen is very sensitive and at the same time has a bit more of a lag than you would be used to on a smart phone. Most notable is the absence of any home button. You'll have to page back to get there. Additionally, due to the rounded shape, I have a tendency to lean over the body when I'm sitting and playing and my chest triggers the screen. I can tell when that happens, because the most annoying loud click accompanies any changes. If you're playing out, be prepared to settle on a set sound or template for the whole song. Shifting to another one is not as easy as hitting a button on a pedal. I mentioned my chest activating the touch screen. Usually that would not be a problem. What is a problem is the Lava uses a nice machined strap peg THAT DOESN'T FIT ANY STRAP. If you like any kind of strap lock, forget about using it. Dimensionally the strap pegs are larger than the throat of any standard peg. I would have bought the Lava strap, but they have been out of stock. I use d'Addario straps with locking ends and it would take major modifications. So I broke down and bought a ice leather strap which I now have to ream out the hole to make it fit. I'm not sure if you could even swap out the stap pegs as they have no screw and I'm not ready to twist them off and create another problem. CASE: It's amazing that you can drop a thousand bucks on a guitar and have to pay extra for a proprietary case, but hey, I'm made of money so I went for it. Case fits very well and is form fitting. It doesn't leave room for a strap (If I finally get one to fit) The case has nice padded shoulder pads, and looks like the type that a Japanese school girl would have. I personally don't care to strap a guitar on my back unless I'm trail hiking. The straps do not come off so love them or live with them. The case has a nice soft handle, but is nowhere near the center of balance and like a Gibson SG, suffers from severe neck dive. Seriously walk with this case for twenty steps and you'll opt for the school girl straps. MOST DISSAPOINTING FEATURE: Support, period. Guitar came with no instructions other than to turn it on. The web site is absolutely no help. As I mentioned, being intrigued by the novelty of the guitar, I had to rely on reviewers, most of which were given the guitar. I do wonder what will happen when the rechargable battery goes south, or worse the electonic module. As far as I can see there's no parts support on the website. CONCLUSION:With all this, I bought the guitar for the FX novelty and more importantly for the Carbon Fiber construction. I bought it so that I could have a guitar I could leave out in my studio and grab as I needed to practice or work out asome inspiration. My studio is in my basement and although it's dry, the winter requires me to fill a 5 gallon humidifier to keep optimum moisture levels. So it's a guitar that is not subject to temperature and humidity. That said,I'll keep it for what I intended. I doubt it will ever play out unless it's a barbeque or around a camp fire.

@mickaelroyet48

10 ай бұрын

c'est sur que quand on a une Taylor 614 jouer sur une lava ça doit faire bizarre quand même, merci pour votre retour en tout cas ;-)

@JenandJohn

9 ай бұрын

Superb and honest review and you kind of answered all my reservations. Nice novelty guitar but I'll think I'll give it a miss

Its my dream guitar, even back when it was Lava 2. 3 is even much better sheeeesh 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

I might actually buy one of these. Really cool concept. Awesome looping at the end btw! 🙌🏻

Very informative very enjoyable watch here and that little tune with the added layers sounded sooo coool! 😎👍🏻

thanks for the amazing video and your great energy and vibe. i love the guitar im ordering right now

What a fantastic review. Thank you.

Awesome review… you made it sound so great im planning on getting one

What a brilliant voice and groove you have Carl. You are blessed.

i want one!!! for fun and learning. Amazing what you created, I need to learn!!

Great review Carl! Honestly you might need to add some more of these videos to your list of to-do's haha. Easy to watch and you did a good break down of the guitar and its features. I would agree that it's probably not geared towards gigging and live shows but more for getting the creative juices flowing at home and noodling around. Really any instrument can be a good instrument in the right hands! Again nice video man and keep on rocking!

Great review of the guitar, but even better I hadn't heard of you before and I loved the song at the end...heading to iTunes now!

Wow, nice job dude! That sounded awesome.

I live in Thailand and play a Fender semi acoustic 12 string, it’s a nightmare to keep in tune especially in the rainy season so I’ve been watching Lava for a couple of years. With your excellent review you’ve made up my mind, thanks!

Pretty cool nice review on the guitar not a bad sound has a lot of features on it I might want one ,

Really cool vlog. Thank you!!!)

WAOUH vraiment incroyable je te suis depuis quelques mois et tu as un dons vraiment bravo à toi pour tes prestations mec, si un jour tu viens en France dans le sud je suis présent pour une session :p

I love this! Thank you!

very cool :-) You are an awesome Guy, Thank you so much, for this review :)

Thank You so much for a very enjoyable visit. I have a Lava Me2 I enjoy playing very much. Temperature and humidity shifts as well as being ”strong” and easy to take ”with”… and the fancy electronics on board make it a verrry nice tool in any manś music/guitar arsenal. Making guitar playing fun… and the ”help” to any guitar beginner is the fact that it STAYS IN TUNE7thatś carbon 😊😊😊

I would definitely use it for writing and it would be nice to have as a travel guitar maybe even for Busking!!🎸✌️

The guitar matches your eye glasses! Fun video I will have to suscribe!

with a minimalist looper setup and those onboard fx, I could see someone really stripping it back if they have all their presets easily accessible on the fly. the bass track sounded pretty cool, and that chorusey synth vibe could be useful when you want a track to stand out. all in all, solid review, and cool to see the functionality and real world application.

@whearts

2 жыл бұрын

Yea, it looked like it could be used in a talent contest.

i like the looper stuff at the end of the vid . love from the netherlands !

Wow dude that was awesome!

Very good man, and amazing guitar!

It’s super cool. I can see me getting one.

Great review .Love the helium voice !! I really like this Lava 3. I think i will just have to get one .Seems like a lot of fun to play with when im not using my Kiesel guitars .Mrs asking what do i want for my Birthday next month . :)))) Now what color ..Hmmmm.

awesome bruh!!

What an awesome review and great video, man. I’ve watched the end 5 times already. Will the lava me 3 let you loop with just the guitar/display screen?

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate. You can loop with it - but pretty limited to the Fx and settings internally with the guitar etc… I don’t think it would suit looping for a live performance but definitely for at home or songwriting🤙🏼

I just like the low end I get too much on Old aged guitars like my Yamaha eterna, but that would be cool to have something like that that wouldn't warp, and you could have that cool reverb effect without being attached to any equipment, it might be a zen-like experience

You are not good but the BEST! My son watched your videos n he is fully convinced to buy the lava me3. Keep posting ! You're outstanding!

Great review Carl! You have a new subscriber. Thinking of pressing the button on one. What did you think of the action?

Ive ordered one in blue just waiting for delivery!

@sammyday3341

2 жыл бұрын

Enjoy! The blue is beautiful.

I just turned 60 and looking to get my MOJO back after quitting guitar 5 plus years ago. For me at this stage in my life the best guitar for me is the one that will inspire me to play again. This seems like the perfect guitar to go sit in a park and practice scales, chords, looping etc with ability to record your ideas and share with the world. What's there not to like about this guitar? I realize it will not sound like a Taylor which I recently sold because I was ready to quit music permanently but this little gem will keep me excited again to start playing again. Thanks for the video and inspiration🙏

@johndardi1334

Жыл бұрын

I’m 51 and your story is almost exactly like mine. I quit about 5 years ago. Sold my Taylor 12 string and was ready to quit for good till I ran across this. I’m not sure if “the bug” really ever leaves you.

@wordsmith451

Жыл бұрын

That's great! If you're looking for a versatile practice/portable amp with a similar philosophy, check out the Spark Mini. And if you'd like to try portable electrics, I'd strongly recommend the Traveler brand - they have a great Strat style model for about $350.

Cool man!

Fhis has to be the best review of this guitar i have seen so far

Great review on this guitar and his (toilet)stand, by the way your looping course on Truefire is killer man !!!

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate❤️

i just ordered a Blue Lava, and as I’m FINALLY taking lessons (at 60) hoping the lesson features, built-in metronome and smaller scale ( I currently have a Yamaha FG700S) will help. I’ll be doing a review from a beginner’s standpoint when it arrives. Stay tuned.

@The_Creative_Workshop

11 ай бұрын

how is the guitar im thinking about one but all the reviews are day one of receiving it

@jayritchie2785

9 ай бұрын

yup - same - how are you getting on?

@gordonwhite9764

9 ай бұрын

After having it for a bit, I found that the location of the touchscreen was inconvenient. I kept hitting it with either my shirt or arm and disrupting the presets I may have been using. it was a gimmick I wasn't really ready for. returned it while I could.@@jayritchie2785

I definately want one but please convince my wife that I "need" one. Great review BTW!

Would love to own one! Would be neat af!

Carl this is amazing and you deserve alot more subscribers if you do not have any other channel already !

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

thanks mate:)

damnnn i love your content!!!

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate!

I wish you would do a review of the Lag travel guitar with the HyVibe system… almost same as this, but in a really good solid cedar top

You could easily use an EQ with bass boost and high cut to match your main guitar.

Hey man, nice review ! I don't know if you noticed but there's an Eq in the sound settings of the LAVA ME 3 ;)

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate, there is but it doesn’t do a whole lot. The sound is quite thin to start with. An acoustic IR would be perfect to try and fix the tone for live stuff but, for me I keep this in the house to jam on

Did the space dock come with a charge lead and plug or just a lead?? I ask because i just bought the dock and there was no plug in the box just the lead, which if that is the case is a bit shocking considering the price... spot on review by the way and great track at the end.. New sub👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Very cool

This was insane bro

Legend! 👌👌👌

Hey man Really enjoyed the video. I know what you mean by “fun guitar “ & “guitar guitar “ but yours sounds damn good! Thank you Govinda from Pearcedale Take care

@carlwockner

Жыл бұрын

Thanks mate! Im a huge fan of my Maton guitars - especially the pickups, glad you liked the video tho!

So cool bro I also buy Blue lava guitar )) and really really my most important dream is mini mason Guitar so I really love this Guitar from all my live, thanks for your video u so talented !

Great campfire guitar 🎸 👌

i have a lava me2 really like it to play, but wish it had on board eq, think i would have same thoughts about this one. has some nice tricks though.

Have you seen or tried the HyVibe guitar. Great reviews.

An IR on that pickup would get you a lot closer. Seems like the guitar you leave out all the time, for noodling, conversation, art piece and guest enjoyment. You'd hate to put a scratch on your Maton 😛 Edit: Kudos to Lava for matching your glasses.

amazing.

Love your video! Do you play electric guitar?

That was awesome! Would you recommend this sort of guitar for a novice?

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely, I think the tech features give you something more fun to play with while you’re learning:) and you don’t need any external stuff

when he said beatbox I wasn’t quite emotionally prepared for what happened next 😂

@stevetoddsgotit1189

Жыл бұрын

I am honestly still torn between the lava blue touch and the me 3 .. Hilava for sure

Got a lava me 2 a few months ago, should've waited😭

I would love to rap over that riff bro frfr fam

amazing video, there is a way to set the action? i like it as low as possible but would be nice to have the option.

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

Yes you can sand down the Saddle no problem.

👍 That _Has to be_ the _Best_ guitar for a yacht by 100 cables to windward !⛵️ - great review btw. Thanks🇦🇺

Hi Carl, Which size is it: 36” or 38”?

I wonder if you can mix the eq to make it sound warmer

Am I the only one that was getting John Mayer vibes when he was playing the chord progression @9:31

I would use this no end, would suit me down to 5he ground. Need to start saving!

Carl what is the song called at the end of the video. Beautiful playing and singing man. Killer stuff 🔥

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

It’s an original called “paint the air” out on all platforms:) hope u like it

As an Ovation user, yes it does sound like one haha!!!

Smoken! you some stuff dog.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Excellent, informative and entertaining video. Other than the TonewoodAmp, I've not seen anything like this.

Where can you buy one?

The Guitar is genius work. Still, a question. Can i also extract recordings for exampe as audio files mybe to google cloud or to download it from the lava cloud to my pc? My fingers already itching to buy it :)

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

Yes for sure you can do that to my knowledge:) the recordings aren’t great quality, a little more basic than an iPhone voice recorder but still doable I think

@curiusrex

2 жыл бұрын

@@carlwockner Thanks :) Yes, that will do. I just want to store it as template for firther works :)

sana magkaroon din ako niyan.

Maybe, but this guitar seems too limited to me. I have a MIDI guitar that I can essentially do the same thing and much much more far as sounds, effects, looping, individual string assignments, etc. Yes, i am tied to a computer, but I do just studio work with my MIDI guitar anyway. There is always new Tech that comes out to try and simplify things. Thanks for your video.

I sometimes play for my students to sing their songs, and I think it would be great…

I have been learning guitar on my own for the past few months, and I'm not that good yet, but what do u think of this guitar for someone who is a very beginner like I am?

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

Hey mate, Im not sure what guitar you have currently - but actually I think the lava would be a good option for a beginner, or someone who needs encouragement to play. since its carbon fiber it can just sit on a stand in your house and you don't have to control humidity (like other acoustics if they go unplayed for a while), also you can record, play to metronome, play along to loops, there's even a "practice" feature on the screen. This guitar is aimed more at hobbyists than professionals - and its fantastic that they have all these features to keep you engaged and interested in picking it up more often. Hope that helps. Also - if you were to choose which model, id probably go with the smaller scale (smaller version) they are easier to hold, and the shorter scale makes the strings a little easier when you're beginning.

Its like you already knew the color, sunglasses match

Is the lava me 3 really worth the price jump from The blue lava?

Do you know if you got the 35" or 38" model? Do you know what the scale length is? Also for scale, how tall are you? Great unboxing and sweet tune at the end!

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

I got the short scale, 36” version. And I’m 6’ tall🤙🏼

@Henpywa

2 жыл бұрын

@@carlwockner Do you mean 36 ?^

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

@@Henpywa yessir🤙🏼

@Henpywa

2 жыл бұрын

@@carlwockner 🤙🏼

@1turdontherun

2 жыл бұрын

Just ordered the 38" version and dock. In red too. Thanks for the review. Happy birthday to me :)

What are the effects you used for the final song? I know banana bass, and what else 🍌

Got me a red 38 and a strap. Can't wait for it to get here! Can't imagine spending another 150 on the dock though - it's a cute novelty but not all that useful.

I'll call this LAVAME STUDIO MASTER 3. What a technological masterpiece ! Lova me 💙🇬🇭💛👍

How much in Indian rupees and how can I buy it

What is this guitar never heard of it looks nice

Is there a left handed guitar?

Este não é o violão do futuro e sim do presente! Para o futuro sempre vem outro melhor.

@pauloneves4274

2 жыл бұрын

É verdade. Esse violão é do presente e não do futuro.Aliás essa cor vermelha,achei muito feia. O violão é muito bom e muito feio. É uma pena que é muito caro.

Damn.... the last loop original song is so addictive

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate:) it’s out! Called paint the air🤙🏼

Definitely gotta get me this for songwriting purposes. Taking it on stage would be a nightmare what with all the noise and feedback. Awesome review, just wish the demo song would have been a little longer, it's so sweet 🤤

@MarcoAmadori

2 жыл бұрын

You could disable internal mic via the menu when you line up.

What kind of strings are they?? Are they unbreakable? If they break which strings do I need to use ?

@carlwockner

Жыл бұрын

I use Elixir Strings - they are fantastic. But if your strings are breaking, it is usually a problem with the guitar. Normally the bridge or the saddle need filing or adjustment. Hope that helps

@CarlWockner, mate which part of Australia you grew up in?

@carlwockner

Жыл бұрын

Bundaberg🤙🏼

@RAM_845

Жыл бұрын

@@carlwockner noice..Sydney man here .

It's my dream to buy guitar 🎸

Hey man what did you use to plug this in? Any separate adaptors that would have to be bought separately with this guitar or does it already give you that option?

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

Just a standard 1/4 inch TS cable. Same as any other guitar🤙🏼

@evanhiggins117

2 жыл бұрын

@@carlwockner sick, thanks king!

@williamgallerizzo6070

2 жыл бұрын

I tried one of these, and they have no 1/4 output. At least the Lava I reviewed had no means of plugging in to an amp, to a mixing board, or into a computer. It's fine for playing in acoustic groups, acoustic sessions, or solo on the street. It has its own built in. But no means of going further to a larger gig.

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

@@williamgallerizzo6070 it does have a 1/4 output mate, it’s in the strap holder on the bottom:) they all have them. But still more of an option to use at home rather than a professional setting.

@evanhiggins117

2 жыл бұрын

yeah just bought it about a month ago. i absolutely love it for traveling and sessions with friend groups but still no where as crisp as my taylor. but you buy it for the tech and it’s worth it in my eyes

People have complained about the lack of volume and programs crashing. What is your experience with those?

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

So far no issues on mine, but I mostly use mine at home and to write songs with. I like the loop feature

1. I could see me using one for travel and knocking around. 2. I think being able to use this for building rough demos could be quite interesting. 3. Your idea of using it as a general purpose rig for songwriting and when inspiration hits is a good one too! 4. I agree with you about having too much top end. I currently have the same issue with my Yamaha. The only way I can fatten it up is to use the EQ and run the amp 5. I do like the fact that the one you're showing is a shorter scale. Great job on the review!! 👍🙂👍 /kengon

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate! Good points🤙🏼

@patrickwakefield2297

Жыл бұрын

agree on top end, i have me2 surely they, could have included and on board eq. going to try a fishman and see how it is, using eq on mixer at the moment to tone it down apart from that i like my me2 a lot. nice to play.

It would be cool if they made a lava me 3 that was a sky blue color.

Your are the best

i'll will like it

So you have to have it connected through Bluetooth on your phone if you want to play it at the beach, or a park with no internet connection to have effects, drum beats, looper to work?

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

No that is only if you want to upload anything online from the guitar. Everything I did in this video (apart from uploading the loop I made in the guitar to “bad guy”) was done without any connection to my phone.

@HumbleHeartMinistry

2 жыл бұрын

@@carlwockner Awesome! Thank you!

Sorry to ask more questions but I’m very interested in buying this and the answer to this question may make the difference. Is there access to the internal battery, so when it no longer takes a charge, it can be replaced? I’m sure it will last a year or two, but then what? Thank you again!

@carlwockner

2 жыл бұрын

I have no idea I’m sorry, I believe it’s built in, but new tech they do a pretty great job of keeping the life. You can turn the guitar off and on pretty easy also so you don’t have to let it drain. Sorry I couldn’t help out with this, but if you message Lavamusicofficial on insta I’m sure they could answer you:)

@HumbleHeartMinistry

2 жыл бұрын

@@carlwockner I did manage to contact them, and they said they would have to do the battery replacements there. So that means at some point, if it won’t take a charge anymore, I would have to send it half way around the world to get battery replaced. Maybe I’ll wait and see if an American music store starts selling them. Or perhaps I’ll contact Some American guitar shops, and see if they could do it before I order one? I fly drones, and all batteries wear out sooner or later! Or perhaps they’ll catch on, and other more known companies like Ibanez or fender will start making their own versions! But Thank you very much for answering all my questions! You’re Awesome!

@RobDeming

2 жыл бұрын

@@HumbleHeartMinistry thanks for the follow-up to your own question. Helpful. Agree, battery replacement is important. But, have ordered anyway and hope for long life

@HumbleHeartMinistry

2 жыл бұрын

@@RobDeming I later was contacted by lava who now tells me the pickup comes off with a special tool, and that’s how the battery is changed. Anyways, once you get it, if you could let me know how you like it, and the way it plays, fretboard feel, setup, ect. that would be awesome!

@angelopeiris

Жыл бұрын

@@HumbleHeartMinistryI ordered mine today 😍