ONCE IN A blue moon, a design so radically progressive appears that it commands attention, spurs discussion and often leads to imitation. Lava Music’s singular acoustic/electric guitar is just such a phenomenon. To offer one mind-expanding element would be a breakthrough; two would be revelatory, and three revolutionary. In Lava’s case, the company nails the trifecta by delivering on the guitar itself, the HILava operating system and the Lava+ social media sharing app.
Carbon-fiber guitars have been here for a while, but Lava Music uses a unique unibody design that’s just big enough to deliver booming bass, yet small enough be very travel friendly. The offset ovular soundhole and overall high-tech aesthetic nods more toward Apple and Tesla than Martin or Gibson. We’ve seen onboard resonance-based effects that turn an acoustic into its own amplifier, but this Chinese manufacturer has integrated a wild and wonderful collection into a top-side digital graphic interface that’s packed with awesome apps, including onboard looping and recording, plus a practice program. All that pairs to the Lava+ app for iPhone or Android,
