This Carbon Fiber Guitar Has Alien Technology | Lava Me 3 Smart Guitar Review + Demo

[@Trog]

Thank you to LAVA MUSIC for sponsoring tonight's video. You can check them out here 🟢 LAVA MUSIC official Website - shop.lavamusic.com/t/io ⚫ Follow them on KZbin - kzbin.info 🎸 @lavamusicofficial on Instagram

[@James_Dawes]

Sad he didn't look inside the guitar with his endoscope

[@misterghee1]

@@James_Dawes he Trogly also plays better on this acoustic then the Gibsons or eletricsss lol maybe be a bitplayer in there

[@stuartmacdonald5361]

I seemed to get the idea you got the stand charger with the guitar. However, you have to buy it separately. No idea how much they are though. On the website it says they are out of stock and does not give a price

[@8wheeledassassins.]

@@stuartmacdonald5361 $130

[@myoptik3x103]

My son’s cello teacher had a carbon fiber cello. It cost him $5K, but it sounded amazing and have zero tuning issues. It also looked pretty cool, it had that black/grey pattern that you used to see everywhere.

[@jefffritts68]

while im sure it was awesome...EVERY instrument with strings has tuning issues. its in the math

[@dingledwarf98]

I bet wat ever instrument u own has horrible tuning issues

[@jefffritts68]

@@dingledwarf98 its just the nature of stringed instruments

[@dublev78]

McPherson makes a very nice carbon fiber acoustic. It’s a whole different league than this guitar though.

[@myoptik3x103]

@@jefffritts68 I’m sure you’re right, I was just repeating what the owner told me, and he may have just been justifying his expenditure. I would think it would be more stable than wood, but I’m not meaning to simp for carbon fiber.

[@mophead7759]

they may not be my favorite thing but they are definitely cool and perfect for the right player. nice video trogly

[@hkguitar1984]

Agreed, I'd rather drag one of those out to a campfire get together than my Martin!

[@fernandolopez3440]

That's some really cool use of technology. Also I like the fact that the headstock says "wash me" in spanish.

[@michaelcordero5588]

¡Morón!

[@goose300183]

This is a pretty cool and versatile platform! Glad to see something like this with lots of high technology that doesn't end up just being a gimmick.

[@StevieG_GuitarMan]

I bought and own the Lava Me 3 guitar. It’s a great travel guitar. It’s also a great training guitar. The tones aren’t the same as a high end acoustic. But they’re good! I really like this 3/4 guitar as a practice and travel guitar. I’m glad Trogly reviewed it. It’s not as good as my Martin acoustic. But I’m bringing that to a campground. It’s not nearly like my Fenders, Gibson, or my Brian May. But it’s really nice for what it is. I’m still learning. I’ve only had it a month. But thanks Trogly.

[@jxw129]

The one good thing this got going is travel durability and weather resistance. The built in speaker with some of the effects can be some fun but mostly gimmicky. The down side is the touch screen tech components and software side of things will get outdated. Years down the line you are stuck with just a carbon fiber guitar. They’ve done a great job marketing this thing, but the quality and feel of the guitar itself is subpar at best. I see this positioned towards new guitar players with steep pockets that buys into the idea of acoustic + electric + built in effect.

[@tinystar3010]

Honestly, I'd just try to find a Rainsong carbon fiber guitar, sounds better acoustically and looks nicer too. No gimmicky stuff to get in the way either.

[@natashanyxx9486]

That looks good for busking or for traveling. I like it’s unprocessed acoustic sound.

[@larryburwell8550]

Interesting guitar for sure sounds nice personally I've never seen or heard of these. Great practice piece with a boat load of features. In 1973 my mom bought me for Christmas a 1973 ovation electric ecoustic called the balledeer. They had a fiber bowl and spruce top and maple neck and rosewood finger board. 50 years later I still have it. Used on stage and home great guitar. In 73 it was state ofthe art.

[@HA3RIFFLORD]

I love how much Metallica Trogly has been using. Even in a channel like this, metal still creeps it's way in. But man that guitar is awesome. Would be cool to have but nothing beats a classical in terms of an acoustic. And this is incomparable to electrics. I'd take a Jackson or Epiphone over this for the Metallica stuff. But still a cool guitar none the less

[@qwertpoiuy430]

Regular viewers will know how much tool he plays

[@Photognick521]

I loved the lamb of god he brought out a few weeks ago. 🤘🏼🤘🏼

[@HA3RIFFLORD]

@@qwertpoiuy430 yeah I started watching not to long ago. Started with the Mustaine V

[@mell3109]

Very cool how they have developed this over the last couple of years. The originals were mega just using effects however the new interface has captured everything, very impressive.

[@larsheuker]

My god what a process. I think plugging in my pedalboard is already a lot of work if you just want to play

[@hkguitar1984]

Agreed I think it would look better camouflaged or just solid Olive Drab, anything to hide its shape. Otherwise I'd much prefer something like this to take outside or camping.

[@Fizzyxd]

The tone is sick on that guitar. I want one now.

[@brrbrr1418]

Id love to see Trogly review an Aristides guitar, they're made of a weird non wood material and would bee cool to see an in-depth look.

[@EvilSewnit]

Arium is what I believe the material is called

[@TheShinyShow]

Richlite fretboard too which he's familiar with

[@fastelder]

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.

[@JohnRitson78]

That would suit me as I am both a player and technical nerd, I think it is well ahead of its time and the prices are not too out of this world.

[@joeykelly5642]

The last thing I’d want on an acoustic guitar is a touch screen…but that’s just me.

[@kostisk8914]

Even if it had usb-c?

[@peterjones4621]

I like it! Another guitar I must own, I just put it on the list. Fun review, thanks!

[@shaunzimmerman661]

I saw someone else review this and theirs froze several times. So if this happens in your review let us be aware cause might be a problem with software/hardware!

[@Trog]

I didn't have any freezing issues

[@_dmfd]

That was fixed a while back via an over the air firmware update

[@SKOVDEPETE]

I really enjoyed your review. I´ve owned a Lava Me 2 for two years now and it has become my go-to guitar, since it´s smaller format(somilar to Taylors GS Mini) makes it easy to bring along everywhere. Besides that I can easily "grab" and hold it/use it wherever I sit without it either hitting the furniture or getting in the way with armchair elbow rests. I have a Lava Me 3 in the mail now and am eager every day to see when it will arrive. The looping and beat/percussion choices will be of great value for practising. I don´t look as Lava Me as an either /or choice in guitars, but rather as a tool in my music arsenal. Happy Tunes :-)

[@MrCgregd]

I caught that Zelda ocarina of time in the loop 🤗💪🏻

[@deztruct0823]

I love this Guitar I'd love to own one, I want an acoustic and I like how it sounds a lot plus it's fun and something different!

[@KainzMusic]

This is the most I've seen you play the guitar in review. Good stuff!

[@Nothing-gv8mv]

The charger port will become a place for the cat to sleep.

[@billieschwartz636]

Great for Busking and it would make a nice travel guitar really cool!! Great video 🎸✌️

[@beatmasterbossy]

This looks pretty nice. I like the way it sounds It's pricey, but not high end acoustic prices. Nice thoughtful features. If they can guarantee that touch screen will last or they will repair it for a fair price, it's a damn sight better than an Ovation

[@gordonpenny4507]

Great video! Extensive, detailed and practical! I really want one now! Thanks

[@Greg-vd5om]

Trogly's in the HOUSE!!!

[@sgt.grinch3299]

Greg in the house

[@oceanchief2388]

Jerk

[@che2335]

I knew this was coming good stuff. Cool looper app and shared tunes

[@chrispychreme02]

11:19 nice Temple of Time cover there

[@8wheeledassassins.]

No mention of the fretboard or frets? What material is it? Carbon fiber as well?

[@hkguitar1984]

I'd almost buy one immediately if it were styled differently. I have a difficult time getting past the sound hole and the head stock design. Maybe if it were finished in all Olive Drab or Desert Camouflage!

[@wostosgarage9866]

Check out LAG Hyvibe very similar but made of wood I have one and I'm very happy

[@sgt.grinch3299]

I don’t like it brother

[@misterghee1]

get on designing stickers for it😄

[@tinystar3010]

If you want a traditional acoustic that looks proper, and is made of beautiful visible carbon fiber weave, look for one made by Rainsong years ago. Sounds much better acoustically too!

[@misterghee1]

Or throw an AC-Pad at yr acoustyc really nice everything you could want for under 500 full enjoyment computer studio walk it anyware hook yr mic aah just YTube it, ac pad

[@TheTurkey79]

Was that a Legend of Zelda loop Trogly? AWESOME xD

[@ShredAimlessly92]

I love the idea of carbon fiber guitars, most of the ones I’ve played have been great. Idk if I’d use all (or any lol) the bells and whistles when playing for others besides the tuner, but they seem like amazing practice and song writing tools.

[@davidsudak5114]

You can turn off the touchscreen as you play by quickly depressing the power button. Effects keep going and that solves the issue of accidentally changing your settings if you unintentionally touch the screen during play.

[@tonyy.8852]

I saw people busking with those here, and it looks quite awesome!

[@zororosario]

Nice small sized guitar with a lot of cool features, it sounds great actually for what many people would consider a toy.

[@backpackbiker2675]

Great Video Trogly!!! Thank you!!

[@AlanCheong]

this whole thing will be so cool in a acoustasonic body / semi hollow body besides this acoustic body shape. Since it's amplified with volume control , the softer natural volume for those bodies shouldn't be a real concern.

[@tinystar3010]

Rainsong made a carbon fiber acoustic guitar many many years ago that sounded phenomenal. I think it was Rainsong anyway. Scott Grove covered it. Sounded better than most acoustic guitars. Its the bracing designs that play a significance in acoustic tone more than anything. This is nothing new really.

[@mj6582]

What's that on your head at 22:20 Trogly? 😂 I like this product, very modern but it is no fluke. Loop, effects and practice tools are genius. This is the way to make guitars cool and futuristic, I want that on an electric

[@monsieurbarnes]

Good review! Interesting product.

[@vernonhoover1387]

My buddy had an Ovation Adams with woven carbon fiber top.that was one of the best acoustic guitars I've played

[@DavidFell]

I have one. It is quite wonderful.

[@bushcry1]

Do they sell them still?

[@chavaraujo]

Perfect for a kid to learn playing guitar

[@mightyV444]

Full-on 'Scarborough Fair' vibes in that original piece! Love it! 😀👍

[@mburtondavis]

Honestly, blue looks so much better than the white I’ve seen on other channels. And that charging station is wild.

[@pariahpokemonwesbragg2904]

I could do so much with a guitar like this. Pretty freaking cool!!!

[@davee.9906]

I was actually shocked when you first played it. It sounded so pure I was surprised. I expected it to sound hollow and dull.

[@rondobondo6600]

Let's go

[@hkguitar1984]

A Johan reference.........YES?

[@timothygilchrist1132]

Lava me means “Wash me” in Spanish…. Not bad sounding though. Reminds me of when desktop publishing came out. Too many people thought they knew what they were doing…😞

[@enterprisesoftwarearchitect]

Reminds me of the Chevy Nova “No Va” - “it doesn’t run” in Spanish 😄

[@JohnnyArtPavlou]

My Spanish isn’t that good and even I got that. 🧼

[@JohnnyArtPavlou]

It doesn’t help that it comes with a basin.

[@mkenific]

The best thing about these is that the weather and humidity will have no affect on it.

[@jimmyjames2022]

Interesting Lava ME guitar, the natural evolution and improvement from the Spark, bypass the amp all together. Ear training is awesome, I like the looper (Spark has no looper) and handy that there's screen mirroring via USB-C/HDMI, if you're in a home studio. There's no obvious process at the website to service/replace the touchscreen/battery, isn't it important to have a repair/replacement strategy in place before customers commit close to $2000? Or is this touchscreen module condemned like every mobile phone with a battery that wears out in two years to end up in the recycle bin?

[@scottreynolds4252]

This company has a great future. The is really neato peato!

[@MEGAMIGA]

Cool instrument and great concept! It is interesting to see that some people try to lead the acoustic guitar to somewhere else

[@stevefaure415]

I was ready to hate this one but I've got to say for what it is they did it up right. A smart guitar. Well, that's where we are in 2022. Its strummed tone is not much to my ear but I've got to say the single-note and finger picked stuff really has a lovely ring to it. This would make an excellent gypsy-jazz guitar except for the fact that no self-respecting gypsy jazz band would want anybody parading this thing on stage.

[@MrDussek]

Good thing we aren’t in 2020

[@dh9228]

That blue is 👌🏻

[@rondobondo6600]

Woohoo

[@hkguitar1984]

I thought it was more like a rubbish bin for tissues!

[@beatmasterbossy]

I'm glad it tells me I'm perfect. I need that for my self esteem.

[@simonpark843]

Interesting video. I wouldn't buy one but I like the features they've included and the acoustic sound is surprisingly good.

[@rhk4680]

I got it 2 months ago, love it

[@hello_Blake_Alan]

Loved that you went into more detail than most reviews have done. I actually appreciate the green screen showcase. I was considering getting either the white or getting the blue specifically for changing the color. How well does a color key effect maintain- the sheen of the surface seemed like it would be too much?

[@urliktheslayer]

Generally think I found one of the best goodwill finds ever, the other day I found a bought a Mexican made fender telecaster, was made in 2003 and I bought for exactly 42 dollars.

[@optimusminimus-v3d]

I'd like to believe there was 8 to 10 years of R & D that had gone into bringing this to the market, it's a very Apple like presentation.

[@keeganernst6641]

I’ve been waiting for this review for a while now

[@danfaulsmusic]

Hey bud, another AWESOME video! An excellent review of a very interesting product in most of our price range! Thanks always brother! Now, you HAVE to do a deep dive review of the GTRS 801! PLEASE!!! Asking for a friend....lol

[@elancaster3989]

Thats pretty cool. I live on Vancouver island and the humidity really screws with my guitars. The carbon fiber would be very stable in my climate, mitigate the seasonal truss rod adjustments.

[@samiam5557]

When the battery dies and won't recharge can it be replaced or is it just a hunk of junk? 🤔

[@ClaySmith]

SONG OF TIME!!

[@ianyelton407]

Hi Austin,how much are those guitars & do they make it in left hand model ? Thank you. Ian

[@eduardoantonini]

Who would’ve thought Austin was so creative as a songwriter?! Very cool demo! I’m tempted to get this guitar… if only they came up with a nicer headstock design

[@sconni666]

At what temperature does carbon fiber burn?

[@gregaltenhofel7326]

First from the old guy in the room. I'm not digging the look. I have a Tonewood Amp so the effects don't impress me all that much. But It may sound impressive in person. I'm listening with a fairly nice sound bar and I'm sure youtube compression is screwing it as much as they can. But, I might pick it up in a music store if I didn't have to reach up too high.

[@picksalot1]

When playing while sitting, does the guitar slip around? Too bad it doesn't have a cutaway.

[@starchores]

Sure carbon fiber is resilient, but what happens if you need repairs? What happens if the onboard computer fails, or the ui updates and exceeds the ram capabilities? I feel like there are wood guitars at this price point that will reliably last a lifetime and can always be serviced.

[@rikkousa]

I think its cool looking!

[@johndef5075]

I like the sound of that thing!

[@marions.120]

Maybe I missed it, but how much?

[@Whatsamattau2]

Thx for you overview of the guitar’s functionality; its the best I’ve seen and I’ve watched the surprisingly few I’ve been able to find. I owned a Me 3 for over a month but returned it for reasons detailed below. I was enticed to buy it when hearing of its looping and effect features and that it was made of carbon fiber thus thinking it’d be very lightweight (spoiler alert: It’s not). Unfortunately for me, for $1000 the guitar’s potential missed the mark. It’s speaker is very tinny sounding and my screen kept freezing forcing me to frequently turn it off and on to reset things. Maddening. I tried to reach customer support (in Hong Kong) 6-7 times over the course of the month asking for help via email but NEVER got a reply. Too, I had great hopes for the looper but the sound of the recordings were consistently weak and tinny. Because of the weak speaker, don’t expect any of the effects to be heard without an amp if your jamming with as little as 2-3 folks. Too, I though many of the effects sounded very similar though to be fair I didn’t try to tweak them like trogly. It not heavy but it’s not lightweight. I found it heavier than any of my other five acoustic guitars probably because it’s a carbon fiber COMPOSITE guitar, not strictly or mostly just carbon fiber. I wasn’t aware of the distinctions between the two when I bought it. On the plus side, the composite is supposedly the stronger of the two and to that end the Me 3 looks and feels like it could sustain lots of abuse without a sweat (or scratch) and be ideal for folks who live in climates that can mess with guitars (excessively humid, hot, cold, arid temps). It also sounds decent without any effects or amplification. I play sitting down but for me I kept fighting it from sliding away thx to it’s rounded body and smooth finish (kinda like an ovation) which I really don’t like. Had the internal speaker been more substantial sounding, had it been less expensive and I had been able to reach anyone at Lava to help with fixing my screen freeze issue I might have kept it. The tuning feature is nice and for beginners the practice section could be very useful and you don’t need to buy the base charger; the guitar has a usb-c port that you can plug cables into for charging. The case, which must be purchased separately, is nice though it’s white…Why? There’s a very good reason and not so dirty secret why most cases are black

[@markdennis6464]

Great concept & I'm loving the idea - what's the accuracy of the intonation like - and I would love to know what the stability of the tuning is like?

[@markallen2984]

It can do so much it's almost overwhelming.

[@oceanchief2388]

This thing is crazy. The future of guitar. Watch the other videos. Not a bad price either. Take note......the future of guitar.

[@michaeldavidryandanielpaul1990]

Looks like this guitar comes with a free mini sink 😜

[@Photognick521]

I was completely shocked at how great it sounded.

[@ericbgordon1575]

If I didn't have my eyes on a different guitar as I leave this comment, this model definitely would be appealing.

[@clarkbabin9799]

What next they're going to think of guitars that you can electronically changes color? I've got a couple guitars with built in tuners and a few different brand clip on tuners that have not only the option of different timings but also a setting to tune several different instruments. The only thing I have that has a built in metronome setting is my Spark bias amp which I just got an email telling me my wireless pedal is shipping soon. I've only ever heard one manufacturer talk about plecking their instruments before selling and shipping.

[@tinystar3010]

Carbon fiber guitars aren't new actually lol Rainsong made one like 10 years ago or more

[@clarkbabin9799]

@@tinystar3010 didn't ovation long ago go from fiberglass backs to carbon fiber?

[@sconzilius]

Trogly album NOW! Some nice little tunes bro 🤘🏼🇦🇺

[@Xxmeca421xX]

I've always wanted something like this but I don't like the shape and would rather have wood on top. Hope they make a dreadnought shape.

[@shanethackeray1988]

Great little toy for tech savy types, the organics of creating music are disappearing fast to technology. I prefer the old fashioned way of individual members contributing to the vibe. Cool non the less.

[@ThepowderbluesForum]

Hated it. lol I returned it. Mine had all sorts of tech issues. And i couldnt for the life of me figure out why they would use such terrible presets. The BIg Ben was solid. My guess is this is best played when everyone is on shrooms. Just weird trippy effects that i would never use. The charge time was brutal. I waited like 2 hours just to get over 50% so i could restart it. Got to 50% finally and the restart or shut off slider screen froze. Held the off button down and nada. I was so frustrated with my initial use that i said F it. 1K im buying a Taylor Academy and Amp/effects combo.

[@gringopig]

I've played one. They sound very lively. However that touchscreen and the app turns me off big time. I would never consider it with that stuff. I just want an instrument not an experience.

[@rondobondo6600]

Wallmart

[@hkguitar1984]

Best Comment EVER

[@derpi6250]

Wall

[@sgt.grinch3299]

Well done RONDO BONDO, your quickness earned you another Silver Medal.

[@rondobondo6600]

@@sgt.grinch3299 thanks brother

[@derpi6250]

Sgt. Grinch! Hellooo

[@donicsm7684]

Hi Austin, just wanted offer you a little bit of constructive criticism. It's generally not a good idea to call product demos "reviews". The audience at large don't usually like mixing the two terms together.

[@00DUCK]

this looks like it is straight out of a Back to the Future movie. pretty crazy design. But cool tech.

[@Derduan]

4:32 I'm curious if you can change the tuning reference of 440 Hz? Is a 432 Hz tuning possible? The LAVA page is not providing this information... but thanks for that cool video!

[@JordonBeal]

Why would you want that?

[@Derduan]

@@JordonBeal It's my passion to record in 432 Hz, it's more natural to me and it sounds more harmonic... check my channel

[@joeadrian2891]

This is what Henry J thought he made when he introduced robo tuners on the Les Paul

[@johnnytruck2009]

Crazy!!!!

[@Madmax-rz5hz]

may not have the high tech gubbins but Emerald makes truly awesome carbon fibre guitars

[@sixstringer3783]

Austin you forgot to put it on the work bench and take a look at it individual parts and specs, no just kidding great presentation 👍

[@guitar_guy6486]

I’ve been wanting one of these forever

[@TheDumbOldGuy]

My only disappointment with this review was the lack of the usual Trogly tear down and measurements. Personally, I have been looking for an acoustic and this might be an option.