Lava Me 3

[mountainmaster]

Definitely a step too far for me, but I think they are onto something: How does one make the guitar popular with young people? Turn it into a smartphone!

[KevinH]

I know that guitars like this aren't terribly popular on the AGF. I've had a Yamaha Transacoustic, and a guitar with the HyVibe system installed. So I find this kind of technology interesting. I think anything that pushes one in a different direction musically has some value. It's good to get out of the rut now and then.

[steelvibe]

I had a Tonewood Amp. It was cool but I think I prefer outboard effects (blame it on my roots as spending years as an electric guitarist). I liked having my hands freed up using my feet to control the extras. \

The Hyvibe is definitely unique in that you can run loops and control everything from your phone. I think it could be an amazing practice tool, I just fail to see it's application live.

I'm sure someone with more brains and talent will prove me wrong.

[domen]

I have an Emerald X20 but honestly I don't feel comfortable carrying around a guitar that costs more than 3k euros, despite being made of carbon. I know how much I had to sweat to save and buy it. So, having a carbon guitar at home and walking around with a wooden guitar, even though I loved my little Taylor GS MIni very much, seemed counterintuitive to me, so I looked for a 'small' one that had the same size, scale and cost of the GS Mini but that it was made of carbon. During black friday I paid for it just over 600 bucks (the previous version, Lava Me 2, however with the internal pickup + delay/chorus/flanger). I haven't found any carbon guitar (or similar) so cheaply priced. I was surprised, little Taylor sounds better, but not so much as to say no to this swap. In this pandemic time I no longer go out as before but when I can, I take the Lava Me 2 without worrying about leaving it in the car or letting a friend play it and I assure you that it is fun and not a toy as it may seem. It is pleasant to the touch and fun to play, has a good sustain and sounds good with the right strings! My beloved X20 can stay safe in my small home studio. Of course these Lava also have some flaws: the shape is pseudo-ergonomic but it could have been better (without the belt it tends to slip in some positions) but above all it does not have a truss rod. By patiently filing the bridge saddle I managed to have a more than perfect action. but having the truss rod would have been useful. Other than that I find no other major flaws for a guitar that I paid a reasonable price. This new Lava Me 3 has the advantage of being produced in two different sizes 36 "and 38" and have a thousand more features. Who knows if they added the truss rod, I can't find the information, but they also doubled the price of the Lava Me 2 and this takes away any thought of updating my purchase from the previous year. I do not even take it into consideration Lava Me pro model. Last thing I think it is fair to add is that Lava's customer service, obviously located in China, responds quickly and solves problems. I called them to find out which bridge saddle is installed in order to buy a replacement in case my modification damaged it: they sent me a spare saddle for free, arrived in 3 days with DHL at their expense. Chapeau!

[mountainmaster]

Don't get me wrong, I am very interested in this kind of technology but just give me a few buttons and knobs and none of that touchscreen nonsense.

And it wants access to my wifi? Upload my recordings automatically to the cloud? What is up with that? And how secure is this system anyway? Sorry, but I would think twice before using it.

[rmp]

I never thought we'd have to worry about when to reboot an acoustic guitar!!

it's a cool idea tho, and I do like my Tonewood amp

[domen]

Yes, I'm a tech boomer and I'm passionate about all the tech news. The fact that you have opened a thread on the Lava Me 3 makes me understand that you too are not indifferent either Forgive me but your doubts about the password of the home wifi and the Lava cloud seem a little exaggerated to me. I don't think Lava could have access to sensitive data or make reckless use of the songs you play. Many functions can be then certainly be deactivated. We live in a world where everyone (not me, by choice) voluntarily publishes (more or less) on facebook and the media their position, who they are with, what they ate, what credit card they paid with, what they bought, where they are traveling, or entrust their web searches and interests to google. I think you own a smartphone and I think it makes more sense to have doubts about a device like that, but yet no one gives up on it. Or maybe better worry about installing a VPN at home and setting the privacy settings of the browser correctly. Probably you already do it but I bet that 90% of people don't even know what they are and how to do it correctly.

[varmonter]

Ive seen some videos and
Its cool tech but the guitar acoustically
did nothing for me.. i had the tonewood
Amp and liked it but quickly
Became bored with it and sold it..
Give me a CF that sounds good
Unplugged and i might consider
All the extra tech.. but i have all
Of it as outboard gear..if one peice
Breaks i can buy another. If this
Tech breaks you buy a new computer
For it..

[jdinaz]

Originally Posted by mountainmaster

And how secure is this system anyway? Sorry, but I would think twice before using it.

Do you think someone is going to hack into your guitar and start playing it?

[mountainmaster]

Originally Posted by jdinaz

Do you think someone is going to hack into your guitar and start playing it?

That would fine if they play better than me.

But joking aside, security issues with internet of things devices are real: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intern...hings#Security

[jdinaz]

Originally Posted by mountainmaster

That would fine if they play better than me.

But joking aside, security issues with internet of things devices are real: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intern...hings#Security

Of course you are correct, and I shouldn't joke about it.

[domen]

Originally Posted by mountainmaster

That would fine if they play better than me.

But joking aside, security issues with internet of things devices are real: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intern...hings#Security

We are undoubtedly OT but of course security is essential, my job is also to keep safe my clients' websites and yes, there are dozens of attacks a day even for lesser known sites. But it must also be said that, logically, global hackers usually have a specific target that has little or nothing to do with your personal IOT. From the defacing of sites for demonstration purposes to accessing sensitive company data to then blackmail. Which Corp. might want access to our local network? Rather any thieves in the area who might want to access your local network to bypass the 'security' of the house or access the cameras to check your presence but we are on the edge of science fiction to think that they can access your local network from a guitar through a cloud of a Chinese company. If, on the other hand, your concern is precisely Lava Corp., as a Chinese company, they have no interest in knowing your wifi password, rather in understanding what music you like and then offering you suitable advertisements. And I am sure that in the app there will be all the opt-outs and targeted deactivations of some possible services that would prevent you from advertising profiling. I assure you and I repeat that there would be much more to worry about accessing social networks and the information that, more or less voluntarily, are shared on those platforms. From Zuckerberg to Bezos I would worry more about these gentlemen. A small example, most people use the same simple password to log into whatever service they sign up for. Rather, this is a worrying fact

[identity71]

i've got it. nice. with some issues. when you record with a loop sound is really poor. also guitar gets hot after a while of playing, around the display.
i don't know if it's possible to connect to a bluetoot pedal to use the looper, it would be nice, as the hyvibe.
sound is decent, if you like this kind of material, not warm but strong sound.
the 38" is better than 36" for me, neck is wider. good for practicing but they should improve the software. effects are not so good by now

[Rapido Eduwardo]

My concern with Lava Me 1 was I could not see how to change the battery. I recall that the company said that changing the battery was not a customer task. (Send it back to the Company?? ) So with this new Lava Me 3, has this changed? Even though the battery is rechargeable, all batteries eventually will have to be replaced. Just a thought.

[domen]

Originally Posted by identity71

i've got it. nice. with some issues. when you record with a loop sound is really poor. also guitar gets hot after a while of playing, around the display.
i don't know if it's possible to connect to a bluetoot pedal to use the looper, it would be nice, as the hyvibe.
sound is decent, if you like this kind of material, not warm but strong sound.
the 38" is better than 36" for me, neck is wider. good for practicing but they should improve the software. effects are not so good by now

Thanks for your post! is the new Lava Me 3 also without a truss rod?

Originally Posted by Rapido Eduwardo

My concern with Lava Me 1 was I could not see how to change the battery. I recall that the company said that changing the battery was not a customer task. (Send it back to the Company?? ) So with this new Lava Me 3, has this changed? Even though the battery is rechargeable, all batteries eventually will have to be replaced. Just a thought.

with all due respect, I believe that focusing on this battery thing doesn't make much sense... you are buying a guitar that you will not keep all your life (even if it were, you would amortize the cost in a short time). I think its purpose, the main one, is to be able to carry around a guitar that plays discreetly and that, for materials and price, has no problem being left in the car or in places where you would not leave a wooden guitar or a more expensive one. The battery will still last for years before needing to be replaced... the charge lasts so long that in almost a year I only charged it 3 times, the fewer charge cycles you do and the less the battery deteriorates. the latest generation lithium batteries have a quantity of recharge cycles that will allow you to have no problems for at least a decade ... I paid 639 euros for a lava me 2 and moreover I almost like the sound more without effects, when it is off. The official price of the Lava Me 3 is double what I paid for the previous version and, in my humble opinion, the purchase no longer makes sense despite the countless additional functions. It becomes a guitar with a considerable cost and that I would not be happy to carry around while traveling. I wouldn't buy a 1300 euro 'travel guitar' but if I had to, I'd rather look for a different guitar with HIVibe installed.