It features virtually the same insanely cool HILava software system, packed with amazing apps for onboard effects, recording, looping, tuning and practice, as well as a phone app with a social media element. Despite all that, the guitar is decidedly different. The Blue Lava Touch is Lava Music's first smart guitar made from high-pressure laminate with a bolt-on neck, rather than the unibody carbon-fiber design that has been the brand's hallmark design since 2017.
The Blue Lava Touch is a compact companion that measures 36 inches long, and its two-toned, pop-art inspired aesthetic is eye-catching. Our review unit happened to be the Ice/Ocean Blue model, but the guitar is available in several other hues. The most distinctive feature is the sound port, which looks like a stretched oval bound in metallic plastic located in the upper bout. A shiny logo apparently made from the same material lays below a painted bridge, while matte aluminum tuners line either side of a rounded headstock. To my eyes it looks like a vintage Danelectro or Gretsch crossed with the guitar equivalent of a Tesla.
The Blue Lava Touch neck is bolted to a wooden block inside the body, facilitating a nearly heel-less design similar to its unibody carbon cousins, and facilitating playability all the way to the top of its 18-fret 'board. The neck is precise, with accurate intonation, which is rare for an affordable acoustic with a short scale length.
This story is from the August 2022 edition of Guitar Player.
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This story is from the August 2022 edition of Guitar Player.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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