LAVA MUSIC BLUE LAVA

Lava's Smart guitar concept gets more affordable

- Rob Laing

To a generation that has grown up with touchscreen computer devices within reach, the idea of putting one in an acoustic guitar might seem pretty logical. The rest of us may wonder if the guitar is a problem that needs to be fixed in that way. But the idea of combining apps to help you learn, sounds and beats to inspire you and an acoustic travel-size guitar has certainly got us intrigued about whether this could be a bit of a game-changer for beginners and older hands alike. And now Chinese ‘smart guitar’ leaders Lava Music are making the prospect more accessibly priced with the Blue Lava. We want to know if the whole package is successful.

It certainly looks distinct; a kind of clean, futuristic, somewhat toy-like vision of a classical guitar. And it’ll gladly hang around your lounge furnishings without offending anyone too; ours matches a matte Ice Blue top and back with Ocean Blue sides, and then there’s the unusual soundhole placement. While Lava’s ME 3 smart guitar is made of carbon fiber, the Blue Lava brings down the cost by using high-pressure laminate.